"hero of the press cycle" good summary of the press - with links to all referenced

[karynnj]

I think there was at least two better JK press cycles - one in 1971 and one in 2004 on the day he reunited with Rassman - but al of us can attest to good press being rare. There is some snark - His saying it compares favorably to the work with Syria is strange - as both were major accomplishments and that comparison is usually used when the weaker one is actually negative - the fact is the Syrian one may be critical for the middle east and helpful for Iraq and Iran. More snark is that he took the similarity of the accounts to be a "press strategy" rather than the more likely "the truth".

He's Politico's "Man Of The Hour".
<snip>Indeed, most of the stories devoted to Kerry have the exact same analysis: Kerry was reluctantly thrust into the role of negotiator. Kerry developed Karzai's trust. Kerry had the diplomatic skills that current ambassador Karl Eikenberry lacked. Kerry's importuning proved to be the turning point. Oh, and it compares favorably to Kerry's brokering of a dialog between the U.S. and Syria earlier in the year.

The Boston Globe called it a "triumph" for Kerry -- his biggest accomplishment since the presidential race. The Wall Street Journal, along with many other publications, noted that Kerry used his own experience in 2004 to establish a better bond with Karzai. The New York Times editorial page wondered what happened to Holbrooke. In the Guardian, Kerry muscularly "strong-armed" Karzai. Spencer Ackerman tweeted that Kerry had just become the frontrunner for Secretary of State should Hillary Clinton decide to step down.
<snip>
I tried, in vain, to stir up trouble by asking a White House official if the administration intended for Kerry to get all of the credit. The official wouldn't go there. The White House, the official said, is very happy with the results. And, indeed, they should be: no doubt that Kerry deserves the plaudits -- and that he was in a much better position to be seen as an honest broker than Richard Holbrooke, who plays bad cop, or Joe Biden, who dislikes the Afghan president. At least one article notes that Clinton tried to persuade Karzai, too, to no apparent effect. Bloomberg, though, relates how the trip was "closely coordinated" with Clinton.

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/10/hero_of_the_press_cycle_sen_john_kerry.php

[karynnj]

1. Al Jazeera video of their coverage

Seems positive to me. (Obviously as a American, I might be reacting differently that an Arab would) They copied a reasonably long segment of Kerry's comments.
"http://www.youtube.com/v/RR9z_8VA1R0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"

[beachmom]

2. This is another good roundup on The Atlantic:

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/opinions/view/opinion/John-Kerry-Emerges-as-Hero-Over-Afghanistan-1359#

What I can't stand is that it descends into inside the beltway baloney halfway through:

Secretary of State Kerry? That's what Spencer Ackerman, liberal foreign policy blogger, predicts. "Kerry may have just clinched a gig as Secretary of State when Hillary Rodham Clinton decides to move on. Kerry lobbied hard for the job last year after vigorously supporting Obama on the campaign trail, and was just barely passed over for Obama’s former presidential rival."

First, I just don't buy this "lobbied hard" for the SoS position. Sure, he would have liked the job, but I don't buy that Clinton-supporter provided narrative that he was calling every day begging for the job. I'm sure he "put it out there" that he was interested in the job, but then it's all about waiting.

And honestly, I am not convinced he would now want to leave the Senate now that Kennedy is gone, he is senior Senator from MA, and there is so much to be done. Right now, there is no real second voice from MA, and there is no guarantee that the other Senator will have that special something that Kennedy and Kerry have. If Kerry did decide he wanted to go for that position, I would support him, but it would be a tradeoff for him.

Finally, there is no way he was thinking about being SoS when he was unwittingly thrown into the job as chief negotiator to Karzai. He wasn't even supposed to be doing that. It was a crisis where he happened to be in the right place at the right time. Since Pres. Obama singled him out, tones of articles cite the WH and other government officials, and so on, it appears this is NOT being orchestrated by Kerry himself. Sure, he has been doing interviews with various newspapers, but he never would have done that without making sure discussing such sensitive information was okay with the WH and State. Clearly, they wanted him to talk to the press about it.

[beachmom]

3. Arghh. Chuck Todd & friends couldn't just do a straight story:

From link above in an otherwise very favorable blurb:

As one Dem strategist commented to us today, "Kerry finally got to show what kind of president he could have been." But in classic Kerry fashion, no one in the media is in the dark about Kerry’s Afghanistan role.

Huh? Okay, first off, please name a politician who did the above and then shunned the press, saying "Oh, shucks, it was nothing really." Secondly, I have seen several occasions where Kerry DID do good work, yet did not try to take credit for it. I would say he has taken a back seat to taking credit for things on the Finance Committee. Why? Because he is allowing other Senators to step up given that he is Chairman of the SFRC. But gee, being Chairman of the SFRC kind of allows you to speak up once in a while, right? I mean, seriously, I would like these press people to NAME NAMES of politicians who don't do P.R. for their achievements. Frankly, after they show me this list, I will tell them these politicians are not doing their job very well.

[karynnj]

5. I agree

As to claiming credit, compare "Senate work horse" Clinton and Kerry on SCHIP:

Kerry:
did: wrote and sponsored precursor bill with Kennedy that contained much kept in SCHIP
said: wrote SCHIP precursor bill
How did I first hear anything about this: watching Kennedy praise Kerry for it in footage from Iowa

Hillary:
did: got BC to include it in the budget after it passed and with, 3 former First Ladies lobbied for it
said: "initiated SCHIP" and said in NH debate on health care "that she already had the accomplishment of providing X NH kids with insurance"
How did I learn of her claim: her web site in 2007

The fact is that all politicians claim the work that comes out of their office and Kerry is one of the few I have seen who has credited his in some Senate speeches.

Here, be EVERY account, Kerry did an exceptional job on a very important thing. ANYONE doing it would get coverage. The fact is this is far bigger that the return of the 2 journalists from NK- and it has gotten less coverage.

[beachmom]

6. I just joined twitter and gave it to them (with brevity). What do you think?

http://twitter.com/beachmom12

As a result of Twitter, this seems to be hot off the press:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/10/kerry-common-sense-that-obama-should-wait-on-new-afghan-strategy-until-runoff-compelte.html#

Kerry was asked about some calling his actions this week as those of a so-called de factor Secretary of State.

He called this characterization unfair, that he had Secretary of State’s Clinton’s support, and he was not freelancing in any way.

“That’s an unfair characterization. I don’t think that’s appropriate,” Kerry said, “I was in touch with Secretary Clinton constantly. I appreciate the way in which she embraced my role. We talked frequently. I thought it was important that I not take steps in some freelancing way that wasn’t appropriate to the administration’s policy. And she encouraged me to stay at it and be engaged in it and I think we work as an effective team.”

[wisteria]

8. It reads very well. Now, will they actually get the message? Or are they playing games? n/t

[karynnj]

9. Nice answer - defending himself and defending HRC

On the latter he really is a nicer person than I could be. (It is politically smart too - it is clear that the actual diplomacy was Kerry's and he got credit and here he sounds nice.) But, anything that hurts any Obama cabinet member reflects on Obama. In addition, HRC was doing her job, as Obama designed it.

Personally, I see HRC as a competent manager in the State department, for the most part. (The Russian gag gift was wrong on so many levels) I don't see her as a creative policy person, but she wasn't that in the Senate. I also do not see her as unusually gifted as a diplomat. I remember Tay Tay saying she was nice when she met her, but I think there is a very hard reaction from her if she senses anyone not agreeing.

[wisteria]

7. To bad, I don't think the PR was overdone and I don't blame Kerry at all if some of this press

coverage was planned. This was one of the first real accomplishments associated to the Democrats in an long time and a first I think for this administration. And, actually it was others who were praising Senator Kerry.
But, no one is going to toot your horn for you. So if Kerry did a little of that- good for him.

[karynnj]

4. Both of those themes are tiresome

As to Secretary of State, Kerry has had diplomatic accomplishments going back years. If the decision came down just to diplomatic skill and foreign policy knowledge, Kerry would have beat Clinton very badly.

The theme that Kerry pushed the story is idiotic - the Kharzi decision was the story of the day and the facts made it clear he had a major role. As to putting out information to get your name in, the story that HRC in the press conference on Iraq, came back in to the reporters to make the little cat and mouse comment about her conversation the day before Kharzi's press conference (when we now know he was still not completely sure). There would be no problem if the question were asked, rather than HRC bringing it up.

If Kerry is so good at orchestrating the media, why doesn't his coverage show it. The Clintons were great at it. If Kerry were, more people might realize that the recent Presidential candidate who had more to do with SCHIP was not HRC.