Scott Lehigh on a Kerry run.

[Mass]

Somewhat snarky, and it takes two pages to say what he has to say, but, at the end, he says Kerry should run and make his case, whether he will win or not. I know there are a lot in this editorial that will make people here unhappy, but I think it really makes the case that Kerry should announce soon.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/12/14/giving_kerry_a_helpful_push/

[karynnj]

1. I agree that it makes a good case for announcing soon.

Even if he waited till June - the media will STILL speak of the "joke". I can't imagine the difference even a half a year could mean. I do agree with him that Kerry needs to be himself and very direct in making his case. It's interesting that Lehigh phrases one positive almost as a negative - Kerry still has his high powered loyalists with him. They must have more faith than Lehigh gets to still be there.

Kerry has the Faneuil Hall speeches as detailed backup for running. He is also right that Kerry speaking about foreign policy when he returns is Kerry speaking from one of his greatest strengths. No one else is speaking as clearly about the broader issues there. I think Lehigh is right that Kerry might regret it if he doesn't.

[ProSense]

2. Lehigh captured it all:

Kennedy's comment, the joke, the current speculation, hearsay and the current personality contest (NH is swooning over Obama. Note to Clinton and the rest: give up!).

Of course, most of this is only relevant today! Then again, Lehigh must realize that given the title of the piece and how it ends.

First no chance, now rush...

I agree he shouldn't wait too long, but I can't claim to know the expiration date.

Much more will be written, I guess. Stay tuned....

[rox63]

3. The extreme snark was bad, but the ending made it worth reading

Here's some of the good stuff from the article. Yes, I know I'm breaking the 4-paragraph rule here. But a couple of those paragraphs are only one sentence long, I'm hoping the mods will have mercy and let it stand:

Time isn't going to cure your political wounds. Only you can do that. And there's really no sense in waiting to see who else runs. That's a calculating move designed to preserve your options and protect spare your dignity, but one that would make it even more difficult to put together a good campaign team.

--snip--

And if you don't do it, you'll spend the rest of your life regretting it. So reach deep, decide who you really are, what you really want to say. Then follow your gut and go out and make your case.

Understand that it's going to be tough, though. You'll be the butt of a thousand jokes, a walking punch line for Jay Leno and David Letterman. Live with it. Laugh at it. Lose your defensiveness. Admit your mistakes. Tell people you know you could have, should have, done better. Tuck your pride dignity in pocket. Shed the ponderousness.

--snip--

This week you're off to the Middle East for nine days to meet with leaders in Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Israel. Foreign policy is your forte, and this trip is an opportunity to show what you know, to cast yourself in a different light. It's something few other Democrats could do as convincingly.

When you come back, tell the American people what you've heard and what you think.

Then call Ted and tell him you've made up your mind. And don't forget to thank him for being there for you.

[Dr Ron]

4. Things likely won't be clearer in the spring than January

Is the question really one over announcing now versus later, or one of whether to run at all for Kerry? Obviously he wants to be President, but at what point does he run if he doesn't think his chances are good and it means giving up his Senate seat? I assume one reason for delaying the decision is to have a better idea of whether he thinks he has a real shot at winning, although realistically we may not know any better in June than January.

I think the only way to really know if Kerry has a shot would be later in the year when he stars debating the other candidates and when it gets closer to the actual caucus and primary votes. As was clear in 2004, Iowa and New Hampshire cannot be predicted months ahead of time as voters have not made up their minds.

Any one know how long he can realistically postpone a decision on his Senate seat? I know he can't run for President (if he wins the nomination) and Senate simultaneously, but can he still realistically hold on to running for the Senate until he knows if can win the nomination at all? INomination races for the Senate don't start any where near as far out as the Presidential nomination race. Could he run for the Presidential nomination but hold off on dropping out of running for his Senate seat until after the early primaries? If he is a contender at that time, this still leaves a lot of time before the Senate election for others to go after the nomination.

[TayTay]

5. Difficult to say on the Senate seat

He can delay this decision, I think, until at the least late summer, maybe Sept.

South Carolina wants to hold the first debate for Democratic Presidential contenders in late April. Perhaps we will get a lot more info from this.

Sen. Kerry is in the top 5 for this race. That much is true.

BTW, I think that Sen. Kennedy's putting the gun to Sen. Kerry's head and asking, "what's it gonna be John" is not such a bad thing either. But I was in the distinct minority in Boston on Tuesday morning on this subject.

[StoryTeller]

6. Question for TayTay...

...Is this Kennedy thing an example of the Boston/Mass duality you were explaining to me--you know, the way you delightful people "encourage" and "compliment" each other? :) I think that entire phenomenon is very fascinating. It's so different from what I'm used to. But I'm glad you explained it to me.

[TayTay]

8. Yes. And Massachusetts is a fishbowl as concerns politics

The recent trip to Boston for this group had many people going to a re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party. So, did we all stroll over to Boston Harbor and the replica of one of the tea ships that were in Boston Harbor that cold night of Dec 16th, 1773 and see something? Did we watch an action happen and watch reenactor/colonials costumed as Indians throw empty chests of 'tea' in the water? Hell no, we did not. The 'reenactment' was a reenactment of a debate. It's the debate, the words, the back and forth that this area treasures. The reenactment *was* the debate, because that's what really mattered. As it was then, so it is now.

(Seriously, think about that. When reenactors for Civil War events do their thing, I think they actually stage a battle. I think they have a nice event that involves action and guns and people falling down and stuff like that. Wow, what a concept. We, in Boston and in Mass, reenact the debate. Think about that. It is a key to understanding my strange home state.)

The Greater Boston area is home to a lot of think tanks and centers where they stash wicked smaht people. One such place is http://www.iop.harvard.edu/ the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. I think they talk a lot about, ahm, politics and do debate. They discuss and discuss and discuss. It's what we do.

There have to be people that get discussed. There have to be scenarios under discussion. There are all these experts in the field and all these opinions on how someone could have done something better, faster, more intensely, less intensely, with more passion or without passion and with the grassroots and with steely inner determination and with more hard work and with less cerebral input and with more smahts. We pay a heck of a lot of people to sit around here and cogitate. A heck of a lot of people. And cogitate and opinionate and debate and yell at each other and size up our pols and 'cut them down the size' and build them back up again.

It's what we do.

[StoryTeller]

9. My kind of people...

I swear, I live in the wrong part of the country. No wonder I don't feel like I fit in here! :)

[TayTay]

10. There are all sorts of warning shots being fired at new Gov Patrick

Did you know that he plans on having a fancy-smantzy Inaugural Ball and letting rich people pay for it? Who does he think he is, letting all those rich people, who probably have business pending with the State, pay for an Inaugural? Who does he think he is anyway?

We don't need no fancy Inaugural events. This is a humble state with people who work hard for a living and who don't have access to the new Gov. like $50 large will buy. Somebody ought to cut that guy down to size, after all, it's the transfer in office that we are celebrating. It is unseemly and not-humble and gaudy to do anything that looks like you are celebrating the man. (OMG, is he starting to put on airs and not act like a 'man of the people?' I didn't vote for that, I voted for the humble and inspiring Deval, not this.) Next thing you know, this guy is going to start asking for one of those Governor's Mansions like other States have for their Governors and then life as we know it will cease to exist. (The walls, ceilings, floors and windows will implode. It will be a big mess. And do you know who has to clean up that mess? Yeah, me. That's right, like I don't have enough to do right now, what with the Red Sox spending too much on that pitcher from Japan and the Big Dig still not finished.)

What the hell was he thinking. "Together, we can" what? wreck the Commonwealth with these grandiose idears about actually like, having a party? Not on my dime pal.

Sigh! Boston rant, insane and not really cogent, brought to you by your friendly neighborhood TayTay. And it's mostly true. (I swear, we need to get MIT or Tufts or one of those real brainy/wonky schools to do a study on the water supply around here. I think the nutso stuff slips in there.)

http://www.bluemassgroup.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5567

[StoryTeller]

11. LOL! So where do your governors live? (eom)

[TayTay]

12. If the Good Lord had wanted Mass Govs to have public housing

he wouldn't have let them become Governor.

Anybody smaht enough to become Governor shouild be able to figure out how to get a mortgage and figure out how to negotiate monthly payments on same. If you're not smaht enough to get your own house, ferkrissake, get an apahtment. It won't kill ya. Hundreds of thousands of people manage to live in or near Boston in apartments. You don't see them clamoring for housing on the public dime now, do ya? (Honestly. The hardworking taxpayers of the Commonwealth do not need fancy Governor's mansions to make them seem important. Words, deeds and actions make you important. Everything else is vanity.)

Governor's Mansions are evil things that let the people who inhabit them throw fancy parties and eat food and it all comes out of the taxpayers pocket. For the love a Gawd, that's not right. (And, it really gives them, the pols, idears that they are, like special or something. Not on my dime pal.)

[StoryTeller]

13. Oh my. It really is a different world.

I thought all states had governors mansions. I have to say, though...the MA reasoning on this does make some sense. Seems a little heartlessly practical, but you guys have had some of the best political leaders in the history of our country, so who am I to criticize? Obviously, the approach is doing something right. :) Definitely would encourage attitudes of public service like JK's, instead of power-grabbing.

[TayTay]

14. It really is, all kidding aside.

We have had our share of rogues in public office and more than our share of corruption in this State. There is also a very, very strong streak of faith in good government and improving same and making things work for the public good. It is a real Mulligan's stew sometimes.

We will have the rogues come into office promising that they will get the Good Government people (from Hahvid) to share the wealth and pass the goodies, like public jobs and transportation sites and whatnot around so that everybody gets some. Then it goes out of balance in that direction and everybody hates the corruption of 'the machine.' So the Good Government people, always very serious and righteous and wicked smaht come back and it begins again.

And the one constant refrain from every taxpayer in Mass to any and all idears that come up is always, "Nice idear, but I'm not paying for that." or "Nice idear, who thought that one up and who's paying for that, cuz it ain't me." (Ahm, can we get them to pay for it. Then, it's the most wicked awesome, wonderful, amazing friggin idear in the world and we need to do it right away.)

Sigh!

[mloutre]

17. Jeebus. No wonder the guy uses way too many words. n/t

[karynnj]

24. The debate and the foot stomping, cheers and boos

This was NOT a quiet sedate debate where people listened politely. People coming in got little comments to read - some as loyalists, some patriots, some just wanting both sides to get along. It was amazing to see people standing up and speaking passionately.

[TayTay]

29. That is the political heritage of Boston and Mass

I wrote in this group about an appearance by Sen. Kerry at Faneuil Hall back in April of 2005 and how I could hear the foot stomping and cheering at his remarks. It is an amazing thing to hear. It's like you have this wall of sound coming from all around you when you are at one of the Faneuil Hall speeches, sound above you, sound around you, sound from everywhere. They are very loud occasions. It's really something to hear.

That tradition of stomping the feet to show approval for something being said preceeds the establishment of the United States. The colonists did this. They carried this tradition over from England. We do it still.

Can you imagine that? When Sen. Kerry gives a speech in Boston, like he did with the Dissent speech in April, the crowd is hearing and reacting to him as crowds in Boston once reacted to great speakers like Samuel and John Adams, Frederick Douglas and Lucy Stone. There is real history in that hall and real people have gotten up and given these 'barnburner' speeches and the crowd has always responded with that wall of noise. That's why it will always be an honor for me to have been in attendance. There is a real connection with an audience in that place, a real feel that you are hearing actual 'free speech' and that actual people are raucously responding to that. It's just amazing. It makes me proud to live in this State, I'll tell you that.

[beachmom]

33. If I can piggyback, my family who were Irish but emigrated from

England (where they had found jobs) to America settled in Pittsfield, MA in the '20s. Although I didn't grow up in Mass., I always heard stories from my Mom about the very active Catholic community there and all the dances and fun they had. It sounded like a great place in the '50s.

So that's my connection to you guys.

[ray of light]

7. I can see it both ways.

I think announcing a run isn't a such a big deal either way. He will return from the mideast and regardless of any spin, his comments about the situation will have to be respected even by those who don't like the man. First, it takes courage to go outside the 'green zone' to get down to the nitty-gritty of what is happening there.

It's something that will have to be taken seriously.

Also, in his diplomatic actions, he is laying the groundwork for the ISG and as such, he will once again have to be taken seriously.

But even if the media wants to spin things as kissing up to the troops, I suspect the troops will be thankful to see a caring face and a brave 'politician' who is sincerely trying to help them and listen to them. And when they meet him, they will have no choice but to look at the sincerity and kindness, the intelligence, and the willingness to truly hear what the troops are saying. They will see that they have more in common: the intense desire to strategize properly and to get the job done right at long last!

[mloutre]

22. If Tony Snow is dissing him, then he must be doing something right

http://tinyurl.com/yed5xn

WASHINGTON -- The White House said Thursday that trips to Syria by U.S. lawmakers are a public relations victory for a government that is thwarting democratic reform in the Middle East.

The Bush administration has tried to discourage lawmakers from going to Syria, White House press secretary Tony Snow said. "We think it's inappropriate."

{snip}

Snow said the trip by Nelson, a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, and future visits to Syria expected by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., send an unhelpful, mixed message to the Syrians.

{snip}

Taking issue with the White House, Dodd said in a statement that members of Congress "need to go to hotspots not just garden spots. I can't think of a more critical part of the world than the Middle East and I can't think of a more critical player in affecting events in the region for good or for bad than Syria."

Kerry spokesman David Wade said the senators were engaged in fact finding, not negotiating. "If Ronald Reagan could talk to the 'evil empire,' surely United States senators with a responsibility to American troops can visit Syria," Wade said, referring to Reagan's description of the former Soviet Union.

{snip}

Nelson's spokesman Dan McLaughlin called the remarks a "baseless attack" and said the White House was producing the "same old tired, mean-spirited partisan politics" that were unhelpful to the situation in Iraq. McLaughlin defended Nelson's trip as par for the course for a senator who sits on three oversight committees: Armed Services, Foreign Relations and Intelligence.

"In Syria, he met with a man he's met with twice before - not to negotiate, which is the president's job, but to talk and gather facts and report back to Congress and the State Department," McLaughlin said. "Senators meet with heads of state all the time."

{snip}

[beachmom]

38. So I guess my theory was completely off base

Darnit. I thought that the WH would be desperate enough to allow Dems to go and try to make some headway, as a sort of "tag team" of different American delegations. This just sucks that they have reacted this way. If the WH won't do diplomacy then the region is truly doomed. The diplomacy was about not having a regional war.

[WildEyedLiberal]

15. What I don't understand is all this pressure on Kerry to decide so soon

Where are the demands for Hillary to declare her intent? Obama? Gore? Edwards? None of them has formally announced either. Yet it's only Kerry that the media insists announce soon "or else"? Or else what?

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see an announcement in January or February. I really don't see the point of waiting too long - the media is going to be brutally unfair to him whether he's officially announced or not.

[TayTay]

16. They want to know if he is running or has been taken out

by external political pressures due to the fallout from 'the joke.' The botched joke itself is meaningless, it always was meaningless, it was a ploy to get Kerry to take himself out. There are a lot of big national Dems who think he shouldn't run and shouldn't suck up money and resources and staff from people who could mou nt a 'credible' campaign for Prez.

They are trying to force his hand. They want his stuff, in other words.

[beachmom]

18. Well, I, being organic "stuff" that rightfully belongs to JK, am not for sale.

If he doesn't run, then I will watch the primary process with interest but without actively backing another candidate. There may be a lot of "stuff" like me out there, by the way. As in people who are not in this for personal gain or greater glory, but because we believe in the man. That's it.

[WildEyedLiberal]

20. Amen beachmom

[mloutre]

21. Or in other words, hillarybots:

You can have his beachmom when you pry her from JK's cold dead fingers.

[WildEyedLiberal]

23. Ooo

Must not make joke, must not make joke....


:evilgrin:

[StoryTeller]

25. Awesome paraphrase!

And I feel just the same as beachmom.

JK's got the Right Stuff, I'd say. :)

[Democrafty]

26. w00t!

That statement is true for many of us :)

[WildEyedLiberal]

19. Good point

They really really want to find out if their hitjob worked or not... makes sense.

You really think these people would learn to stop underestimating John Kerry. I mean Christ the man's been SHOT at - do they really think he loses sleep over their circus of inanities?

[ProSense]

27. Ah!

Poking around...did we get him? Quick! Grab the e-mail list and the money! Tell his supporters to stand down. Anybody got a Kerry mask? :sarcasm:

Not that these bunch of clowns could comprehend loyalty and integrity. They certainly appear worried about having to debate real issues!

Wonder how much of their political (definitely not intellectual) capital they expended attempting to take Kerry out with a botched joke?

[rox63]

28. Hmm, debates... you may have something there

After JK's superb performance in the 2004 debates, I expect there aren't a lot of people looking forwarding to debating him in 2008.

[karynnj]

36. I remember the debates when it was down to Edwards, Kuchinich and Kerry

The media comment that Edwards was playing to be vp then - seen together in a small field, Edwards was totally outclassed.

Imagine Kerry after 4 years of being the nominee and then leading on almost all key issues. Not to mention the beautiful Faneuil Hall speeches that give him the richest, most detailed platform to stand on that I have ever seen.

[cadmium]

30. I think it is too soon

I don't want him to decide until the end of the next Senate session.

There is too much important stuff before the Senate and this plays too heavily into the endless campaign with no breaks for governing.

[TayTay]

31. Not his choice anymore Cadmium

Sen. Kennedy, like it or not, has forced the issue.

You don't always get to choose what happens or when. Sometimes circumstances intervene. It did, rightly or wrongly, in this case. Sen. Kennedy put that loaded pistol up and said, "What's it going to be?" He knew exactly what he was doing. Sen. Kerry has to play the hand that dealt him now. It happens.

[ProSense]

32. Now, that's

an interesting perspective! I can see your point, and if not for the overly speculative media and constant noise, I might agree with you. It seems an earlier announcement could end the noise. Still, I might agree with you because it's likely the overly speculative media wants to force Kerry to announce for the very reason you stated: endless campaigning with no breaks for governing. Then they can say every decision is being driven by the desire to be president! Wait, they've been saying that since his birth!

[Mass]

34. What do you mean? december 2007?

It will be way too late, unfortunately.

I would prefer the system is different, but, as it stands, it is not the case.

I agree with Kennedy that, if he does not stop soon the rumor that he does not want to run and start building a team and make clear he is serious, he will not have a chance. It is stupid and unfair, but it is like that. The main perception issue when it comes to Kerry is that he cannot make a decision and does not take risks. Unfair, but it is how it comes out because of the way the media report. Waiting much longer reinforces the perception (even if I do not like Kennedy's push because it makes him look like Kennedy's puppet).

In addition, debates will start this April and they are his best shot at showing his strength.

[fedupinBushcountry]

35. April is also

way to early for debates. I also think JK has everything in place and when and if he announces ne will be well prepared. So far the only one who has officially announced that he is running is Vilsack.

[cadmium]

37. Really -- I would like to see one solid Senate

session completed before any Senators announce.