Why did Kerry concede if he's still fighting?

[MoonRiver]

A lot of posters on DU have written hopeful messages about Team Kerry possibly investigating election fraud. I desperately hope that is true, but I still don't know why he conceded so early if they knew such shenanigans were going on. Even if they didn't know for sure, bush's track record would certainly make one pause, at least for a few days.

[Rainbowreflect]

1. Conceding is not legally binding.

But it does take a little heat off so the lawyers can work with less interruption.

[MoonRiver]

4. So it keeps the media and Repukes from having an excuse to hound them?

That does make sense. No circus, ala 2000, equals a lot more freedom to get to the bottom of things.

[indigobusiness]

2. Because winners take the high road

and let the chips shake down on their own.

[prodigal_green]

3. I hope this is true

but I'm afraid we're in the first stage of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' five stages of grief. It's over folks. Time to get to work on 2006.

Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance

[progressiveBadger]

10. I never even made it to step 5 after 2000

I'll never make it by 2006 after this...

[Bluebear]

5. If he had contested Ohio, the Brooks Brothers riot would be in full swing

and the media would be gleefully doing another SORE LOSERMAN dance for two months.

[Ducks In A Row]

6. As long as the fraud was exposed, the media doesn't matter

[rockymountaindem]

8. It may be, but without the riot to distract it.

Hopefully something isn't going on. If it's not, then we can be mad at Kerry later. But either way we must uncover BBV, and I'm hopeful we will.

[Bluebear]

9. That's how I feel.

I was furious at first. I can still be mad at Kerry in a week if nothing happens.

[glitch]

12. Yep - an hell hath no fury like a nation scorned. But I can wait for it nt

[Democat]

7. Some people here are dreaming!

As far as the facts look right now, Kerry quit quickly and he isn't fighting for us anymore.

[lynintenn]

11. I think you are right

I listened to parts of his consession speech today. He said there are simply not enough votes in Ohio and we cannot win this election..
I thought there was hope. Maybe its all just a pipe dream.
Surely his people looked at the same numbers everyone in here has been talking about. I would be saddened to know that people stood in line 7 and 8 hours in the cold and their vote did not count.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

13. Takes the fire off him, and let's ** show his true colors

I'm not saying I believe this is what is happening (may or may not be), but conceding at such an early stage takes the focus off any investigation that may be taking place, which should make it easier to accomplish. At the same time, shrub comes out with his extremist agenda, possibly turning away some people who were otherwise supporting him.

It just doesn't make sense to me that Kerry would concede so quickly. Imagine the impact if, after a couple of weeks of everyone assuming ** is the new prez, it was suddenly revealed that massive fraud took place in FL and OH.

[jmowreader]

15. It could be an aikido tactic

Let me start a new thread on this...

[progdonkey]

14. he had two choices...

He could concede or not concede. Since there's no legal requirement for him to concede, the only consideration is PR.

Were he to refuse to concede with the hope that Ohio would go his way, and then a week later he still lost, he'd look like a fool. It would be like if Bush refused to leave the White House after a Kerry victory, claiming that the votes coming in from Guam could put him over the top.

On the other hand, he could concede and leave the DNC legal team and independent legal teams to investigate the voter fraud and await the new votes. If the provisional ballots go his way, and he officially has over 270 electoral votes, he becomes president, regardless of his concession. Instead of looking like an immature pissant, he becomes the statesman responding to the call of his country.

[stlsaxman]

16. Well put! Thank you, I feel less anger (at Kerry).... n/t

[Carl Brennan]

17. Kerry learned from 2000. When Gore fought

the outcome the Supreme Court simply intervened and made Bush's presidency "official". The same thing with the same Supreme Court would probably have happened in this election.

I'm not counting Kerry out yet.