Meanwhile, in the real world...

[rockymountaindem]

I volunteer in a couple of positions which bring me into contact with "mainstream Democrats" on a regular basis. Some of these people are in positions of power. Others are longtime volunteers. Still more are young people like me just starting out in the crazy realm of politics. Working on political issues, we often talk about the 2004 and upcoming 2008 elections. When I say that I think Kerry should run again, and that he would make a good President, guess what people say...

All of them either agree, or simply state that while they'd vote for Kerry in the general election, they just support someone else. No histirionics. No woebegone lamentations. None of the equivalency BS we see around here all the time about how Bush and Kerry are the same, or that Kerry's a "coward" or "quitter". None of the "I'd never vote for him again! He betrayed me/Democrats/America" None of it.

I just thought you'd like to know that in the real world, lots of our people still respect Kerry. So many DUers are, sadly, just living in a bubble of their own making. Don't let them tell you they're in the majority.

[blm]

1. Most DUers have worried about machine fraud since 2002, and it's difficult

for them to comprehend that the Dem party in general is JUST NOW catching on and for the last 6 years has been unable to respond to the crimes we know GOPs are committing. Kerry became the target of convenience for the anger, but most actually know it's the Dem party infrastructure that has failed.
Well....those who THINK about it, anyway.

[TayTay]

2. Thanks for that.

BLM told us last week that about 500 people showed up in South Carolina and stood around in a sweltering hall to hear Sen. Kerry speak about health care. (Hey, thousands of Texas showed up in Austin last April to hear him and that was at the height of the 'blame Kerry' thing.)

There is a lot of support. And a lot of those 'others' won't wind up running. Time will tell. I think a lot of them are 'gettable' in due time.

[globalvillage]

3. Same here.

All the reaction I've heard has been positive or at worst, mildly interested. No one I've spoken with has said they'd oppose another run. Some have been pretty enthused when I say I think he'll run again.
Lots of anti-Hillary sentiment, though.
A friend of mine finally watched Going Upriver the other day, and was blown completely away.
Regular people I know seem to be fine with another run, some much more than that.
I'm not discouraged. He's a winner, and before long everyone will know it.

[blm]

6. Maybe we should get a bunch of copies and give them to people -

really spread them around. The media did NOT allow much about Going Upriver to be seen or talked about, just as they hept Tour of Duty tamped down, except to cover it from the swiftlie pov.

[Democrafty]

4. Yup.

The worst I've heard in the real world are doubts that he can win, or doubts that he'll be able to afford to run again. But I haven't heard the latter lately, since he's such a fundraising powerhouse.

[WildEyedLiberal]

5. I really needed this thread tonight

Thanks for the update. I can always count on the sane voices of reason here in the JK group to sustain my hope when the nutjobbery gets too ferocious out in the wilds of GD....

[wisteria]

7. Thanks. This confirms what I have been experiencing too! n/t

[ginnyinWI]

8. what a good thought to take away with me tonight.

Yes, so many on DU are infantile whiners who want somebody else to work and sweat while they sit around being judgemental. Real adults don't do that--they realize that stuff happens and presidential candidates don't have Superman costumes on under their clothes and no magic wands stashed anywhere.

JK has plenty of brains and political talent. And energy and the ability to adjust and grow. And he's got the experience of having run before; you can bet he won't fall into the same pitfalls twice.

So let DU whine and pout.

Republicans run again and win--why not a Democrat? No reason in the world.

[politicasista]

9. Kick

Excellent post rockymountaindem! :patriot:

[globalvillage]

10. Oh, boy did I meet a Kerry fan today.

Wisteria and I went to the Westmoreland County Dem Reunion today to hang out with Dems and see Howard Dean and Ed Rendell.
This guy we met thinks Sen Kerry is THE MAN (his words). A couple other nice comments from others (will he run, he got screwed, etc.) regarding the Senator, but this young guy is involved, and he is a HUGE Kerry fan. I gave him my card, and will add him to my contacts.
We will need folks like him. Lots of them.

[TayTay]

11. GV, you made my day. What a great story.

Again, inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow....

Patience and perseverence win the day. We really do get them, one at a time, one at a time.

So nice to hear.

[karynnj]

12. Same here

(and nice Pete Seeger song) Putting this with Rockymountain's OP is interesting. Having some people who kike this young guy (and us) still being strongly impressed that Kerry represents a unique chance for a great President would be doomed if those less involved were negative. The fact that tere is some residual positive feeling and the biggest negative is a fear he could lose is not bad at this time. (and likely why the RW still actively tries to destroy his image.)

As election issues come out more and people see that media lied (or at minimum held Kerry and Bush to different standards.) Seeing Kerry with anyone else is interesting. I know Harkin is loved in Iowa, but Kerry got at least equivilant applause - and his comments on activism (quite familliar, though adjusted for the question) were so better articulated. This was an Armstrong event - and a Harkin led Senate hearing, so it wasn't that the audience was predominantly Kery proponents.

[politicasista]

13. kick for common sense

:kick:

[politicasista]

14. kick!

For optimism before logging off for the night. :kick:

[karynnj]

15. I was out in the Real World Today - canvassing in my town

for Menendez, a congressman - who will lose, and 3 Democrats running for Town council.

My town is Republican and not easy to canvass in because it is very hilly. So, when I spoke to a few Democrats, who wanted to talk politics I did. Conclusion: Kerry still has a good amount of respect.

Two examples:
- one person who has been involved in County Democratic politics - mentioned he hoped the Democrats would find a way to speak up mentioned he thought Kerry was fantastic on Hardball last week, but that others weren't doing as much. I mentioned going to Faneuil Hall and mentioned how good it was.
- Faneuil Hall came up talking to another person who was impressed with my account that people stayed around for nearly an hour. He also thought Kerry sounded like he was doing what a Senator should in politely listening to his constituents. We spoke of distortions in 2004.

[rockymountaindem]

16. Good for you

I was volunteering for a local Congressional candidate who everybody thought would be just a speedbump on yet another Republican's way to Congress in our district. The good news is, I think we might just prove them wrong, and people are starting to take notice.

Once race at a time... My whole politically aware life, We've basically never won anything. Not in my state, not nationwide. The first election I really followed was in 2000, and it's all been downhill from there. It would mean a lot to me if I could wake up this November 8th and think "we won one". I've tried in my small way to make it happen. Oh, and Bill Ritter *is* the next governor of Colorado, so that's just delayed gratification at this point as far as I'm concerned :)

[TayTay]

17. Our Gubernatorial primary is Tuseday.

I am guardedly optimistic. Strangely enough, I always find myself less emotional as Election Day gets closer and more wonkish and keep imagining everything that can go wrong. I think we have a shot at electing a Democratic Governor in Massachusetts this year, but I won't believe it until it happens. (There have been just too many close-calls.) The polls look good, but then again, they did in the last two Gov races at this point in '98 and '02 as well and we got another Repub. So, I am guardedly optimistic. We shall see.

[Mass]

18. The money issue is what bothers me, but hopefully, this time, Democrats

will be united against the GOP and will have mechanisms to get enough money to counter all the personal money Healey and Mihos will spend.

But I stay cautiously optimistic. in 02, we did not have a third party candidate to take votes from Romney.

[TayTay]

19. It will be an interesting race.

Either Massachusetts will get it's first elected female Governor or it's first AA Governor. The fact that no one actually mentions that or that is really comes up as anything more than an 'oh yeah, that's true' type of non-chalant thing is, actually quite remarkable. If polls hold and it's Kerry Healey against Deval Patrick, that should be an interesting race. Maybe we can get some interest going for it in-state. Right now, the primary on Tuesday is only expected to pull 20%.

Do you really see Christy Mihos as an influence? I wonder if he will be invited to the debates? If Kerry Healey has her say, then no. But I can't imagine the Dem Nominee won't insist on Mihos being there. I guess we shall see.

[karynnj]

20. Here, the congressional seat is a lost cause

Frelinghysen is good as far as Republicans go - he was one of the Republicans who stopped the drilling in ANWR and he voted for stem cell research, but other than that he votes Republican. A good friend (a Democrat)who knows him, years ago told me he is a good person. So, he is a Republican incumbent in a Republican district with no scandals and a moderate record for a Republican - and his family has on and off been in Congress since there was one.

On the local level, there are some local issues where the Republican super-majority has rammed things through that have annoyed people. Getting at least one additional Democrat on the board will change that.

The main thing is that Menendez may need help - so it is worthwhile.

[wisteria]

21. Dup- I have replied before. n/t

[karynnj]

22. I try to do somewhat the same thing

Spending hours here arguing people who spend their lives repeating these things - even after being offered proof, the real world is far nicer.

In fact my biggest problem is to slow down and not respond with a barrage of facts. For example,a normal person doesn't know the exact percents that Kerry, Edwards and Dean got in Iowa, but mentioning them and pointing out the scream should not have been the big story that night. Kerry winning by a hefty margin even though the media had given him no chance was the real story - minimizing it was done to give less credit to Kerry. (thus some persist in the bizarre idea that the scream made Dean lose.)