Kerry vs. Democrats On Iraq
It wasn't all that long ago that Democrats rallied behind John Kerry as their party's nominee for president in 2004. Like Al Gore before him, Kerry has found himself more of an outcast than an icon. In 2004, Iraq may have been the thorn in Bush's side, but these days, Kerry is the one finding Iraq to be a liability.
The New York Times reported yesterday on Kerry's outspokenness on Iraq, and the resulting fear of Democrats that his rhetoric will do more harm than good for their party.
During the campaign, any position one could have on Iraq, Kerry took it... at least once. He supported the war... he opposed the war... voted against funding the war... wanted more troops fighting the war...
Now he seems to have decided that he's going to oppose the war, and support a set date for a pullout. While this plays well to the liberal base, but winning the liberal base hardly wins over the rest of American voters, and the Democrats know this. Kerry, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care. He's out for his party's nomination again.
Since Kerry's loss to George W. Bush, he has been in the process of a political makeover. He lacked any significant accomplishments in the Senate prior to the 2004 election, and since then, has been using the mailing list he amassed during the campaign to keep liberal activists interested in him by promoting liberal-friendly legislation.
But Kerry's evolving positions are a result of political calculation, not principal. Kerry knows that in order to have a chance at the presidency in 2008, he must first win over the liberals. He had their vote in 2004, but he didn't by any means win them over. He's trying to win them over now, by flip-flopping on pretty much every position on the war he did manage to take during the campaign season two years ago.
As his party's nominee in 2004, what he says publicly cannot be ignored, and the Democrats cannot successfully distance themselves from him like they can with John Murtha. We've seen continued success in Iraq, and a possible turning point in public opinion for the war with the death of Zarqawi, Bush's trip to Iraq, and even the latest report of WMDs discovered in Iraq, which I previously noted may just be the beginning of something much bigger.
In a time when many Democrats cannot publicly state their position on Iraq, Kerry is playing right in the hands of Republicans. Democrats can't support the war and maintain the support of their base. They can't oppose the war or support a pullout without making themselves appear exactly the way Republicans want them to. Worse yet, no consistent position on their part is just as bad a liability as the previous alternatives.
John Kerry's new quest for the presidency directly conflicts with the Democrats quest for a majority... and both are determined to be successful.
But neither will be.
Posted by Matt at June 22, 2006 08:20 AM
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Comments
One of Kerry's biggest problems, something you rarely see or hear mentioned in the MSM, is that he is one of the least liked members of the Senate, even by members of his own party. He personally defines the term "elitist". I can't recall any politician (from either party) in my lifetime who has accomplished less in public office and taken more positions on more issues than John Kerry. Personally, I'd love to see Democrats support him for another run in 2008, but it's not likely. The last time the Donks gave a loser a second chance was Adlai Stevenson a half century ago.
Posted by: Retired Spook at June 22, 2006 08:52 AM
lieutenant kerry - reporting 4 duty...before he didn't report, er - make that genghis khan swiftboating before...
OMG - will some vet please send their actually- earned purple heart to the JKF wannabe.
speaking of which, no way the real JFK would survive the current lefty nomination process in donkland. and that aint a good thing...
Posted by: OhioOrrin at June 22, 2006 09:14 AM
The terrorists are waiting and hoping a dem gets in the white house. Pray for America
Posted by: Wendy at June 22, 2006 09:31 AM
Kerry can't even figure out from one week to the next, in how many months he wants the US to bug out of Iraq.
And the Dems wanted him to decide the fate of the US?
Is he like 'Two-Face' in the Batman comics, where he flips a coin when he has to make decisions?
Posted by: Hermie at June 22, 2006 10:51 AM
wouldn't it be great to see a kerry-gore primary? i mean if you're an insomniac. talk about your hot air and global warming...jeez
Posted by: Falgore at June 22, 2006 12:34 PM
They relegated his debate to late last night so that it wouldn't be covered in the newspapers, television, etc.
Liberals eating liberals...always fun to watch.
Posted by: Warriornation at June 22, 2006 12:43 PM
Warriornation,
Almost as fun to watch as the Repugs try to eat McCain.
Salsa anyone?
Posted by: Third Eye Open at June 22, 2006 01:05 PM
I hope the GOP does eat McCain...he's a RINO extroardinaire. Then again, if he's running against Hillary he will get my vote.
Posted by: Warriornation at June 22, 2006 02:30 PM
McCain is about the GOPs only hope for a viable candidate in '08, so don't chew too quick
Posted by: Third Eye Open at June 22, 2006 02:49 PM
Falgore,
You get my nomination for post of the day. Hands down.
Posted by: GOP 4 ME at June 22, 2006 03:51 PM
"McCain is about the GOPs only hope for a viable candidate in '08, so don't chew too quick"
More nonsense from TEO.
Posted by: JPL at June 22, 2006 09:22 PM
John Kerry is laughable. For the longest time he was complaining that we didn't have enough troops in Iraq and now he wants a date certain pullout. What war was ever fought where there was a specific time limit, like it was a basketball game. The dems are pathetic. Thank God President George W. Bush is our president. The contract was striking today. While President George W. Bush was giving a great speech on freedom in Hungary and achnowledging the courage of the Hungarians to fight for their freedom, the pathetic dems were pushing for their cut and run, retreat and defeat bill in congress. America will defeat the terrorists and the dems. REBUILD THE TOWERS.
Posted by: james allegro at June 23, 2006 12:37 AM
Hermie, Two-Face is cooler than flip flop Kerry.
Posted by: Freedom1 at June 23, 2006 02:20 AM
Ya gotta love it when the Ever-Spewing Eye starts to lecture us on who we should run as our candidate. Being such an expert on conservative issues and all............
Watching the Dems is like watching one of those Little League games where the kids are really really young. They run toward third instead of first when the get a hit, they throw the ball the wrong way, they run into each other, they cry, they blame each other, they get the sidelines involved with theories about who did what to whom, and nothing makes sense or is predictable.
There are a couple of Dems who could, probably, lead the country---but if you think Bush is in trouble with the Republicans right now, wait till you see a rational realistic Democrat up against the howling mob of the radical base.
All I know for sure is that nominating either Kerry or Gore will be absolute incontrovertible proof, unassailable, that the party has lost its moorings and is totally out of touch with reality. The last two elections eviscerated both of them, and we have had a lot of years to process what we learned in the relative calm of the between-election years. We have been able to watch Gore disappear and then surface as an entirely new Gore, created out of whole cloth in what he evidently thinks is a winning persona, but which is too clearly evident as a calculated reinvention. And we've had time away from the hysteria created by the Swifties and the response to them to really look at Kerry's record in Viet Nam, his record after Viet Nam, and to realize just how many questions lie unanswered.
Nominating either one of them would be a stunning display of Not Getting It. Dean? He's been in self-destruct mode since halfway through the Dem primaries in '04, and his performance as DNC chair has been an embarrassment.
The Democratic Party has shown us, over and over again, that its strategy for getting out of holes is to just keep digging, so who can guess who they will put up?
But the Republicans have some depth on the bench, and will be more interesting and less of a free-for-all.
Posted by: Almiranta at June 23, 2006 09:52 PM
Post a comment
One of Kerry's biggest problems, something you rarely see or hear mentioned in the MSM, is that he is one of the least liked members of the Senate, even by members of his own party. He personally defines the term "elitist". I can't recall any politician (from either party) in my lifetime who has accomplished less in public office and taken more positions on more issues than John Kerry. Personally, I'd love to see Democrats support him for another run in 2008, but it's not likely. The last time the Donks gave a loser a second chance was Adlai Stevenson a half century ago.
lieutenant kerry - reporting 4 duty...before he didn't report, er - make that genghis khan swiftboating before...
OMG - will some vet please send their actually- earned purple heart to the JKF wannabe.
speaking of which, no way the real JFK would survive the current lefty nomination process in donkland. and that aint a good thing...
The terrorists are waiting and hoping a dem gets in the white house. Pray for America
Kerry can't even figure out from one week to the next, in how many months he wants the US to bug out of Iraq.
And the Dems wanted him to decide the fate of the US?
Is he like 'Two-Face' in the Batman comics, where he flips a coin when he has to make decisions?
wouldn't it be great to see a kerry-gore primary? i mean if you're an insomniac. talk about your hot air and global warming...jeez
They relegated his debate to late last night so that it wouldn't be covered in the newspapers, television, etc.
Liberals eating liberals...always fun to watch.
Warriornation,
Almost as fun to watch as the Repugs try to eat McCain.
Salsa anyone?
I hope the GOP does eat McCain...he's a RINO extroardinaire. Then again, if he's running against Hillary he will get my vote.
McCain is about the GOPs only hope for a viable candidate in '08, so don't chew too quick
Falgore,
You get my nomination for post of the day. Hands down.
"McCain is about the GOPs only hope for a viable candidate in '08, so don't chew too quick"
More nonsense from TEO.
John Kerry is laughable. For the longest time he was complaining that we didn't have enough troops in Iraq and now he wants a date certain pullout. What war was ever fought where there was a specific time limit, like it was a basketball game. The dems are pathetic. Thank God President George W. Bush is our president. The contract was striking today. While President George W. Bush was giving a great speech on freedom in Hungary and achnowledging the courage of the Hungarians to fight for their freedom, the pathetic dems were pushing for their cut and run, retreat and defeat bill in congress. America will defeat the terrorists and the dems. REBUILD THE TOWERS.
Hermie, Two-Face is cooler than flip flop Kerry.
Ya gotta love it when the Ever-Spewing Eye starts to lecture us on who we should run as our candidate. Being such an expert on conservative issues and all............
Watching the Dems is like watching one of those Little League games where the kids are really really young. They run toward third instead of first when the get a hit, they throw the ball the wrong way, they run into each other, they cry, they blame each other, they get the sidelines involved with theories about who did what to whom, and nothing makes sense or is predictable.
There are a couple of Dems who could, probably, lead the country---but if you think Bush is in trouble with the Republicans right now, wait till you see a rational realistic Democrat up against the howling mob of the radical base.
All I know for sure is that nominating either Kerry or Gore will be absolute incontrovertible proof, unassailable, that the party has lost its moorings and is totally out of touch with reality. The last two elections eviscerated both of them, and we have had a lot of years to process what we learned in the relative calm of the between-election years. We have been able to watch Gore disappear and then surface as an entirely new Gore, created out of whole cloth in what he evidently thinks is a winning persona, but which is too clearly evident as a calculated reinvention. And we've had time away from the hysteria created by the Swifties and the response to them to really look at Kerry's record in Viet Nam, his record after Viet Nam, and to realize just how many questions lie unanswered.
Nominating either one of them would be a stunning display of Not Getting It. Dean? He's been in self-destruct mode since halfway through the Dem primaries in '04, and his performance as DNC chair has been an embarrassment.
The Democratic Party has shown us, over and over again, that its strategy for getting out of holes is to just keep digging, so who can guess who they will put up?
But the Republicans have some depth on the bench, and will be more interesting and less of a free-for-all.