Kerry was just an ABB candidate.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

I mean people didn't really like him, only felt that he had the best chance to beat George Bush. Like people said my heart was with some other candidate and my mind with kerry. We can now see that this is true. Many of the post are now vindicitive of kerry, and people are bashing him. I guess he was just an ABB candidate.

[WI_DEM]

1. you're right

there was no real passion except from a few die hard supporters. I got to like him from the debates but I doubt I could be called a passionate supporter. I was passionately against W though. I would have voted for a cheese sandwich if it had been on the ballot vs. Bush.

[timeforachange]

2. yes

that was the problem i think.

Kerry had no personality. He was cold. The vote was all against Bush.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[high density]

5. I really liked him

After the DNC I really liked him as a candidate and went from being ABB to pro-Kerry.

[TimeToGo]

6. This is stupid, guys

The idiot is Bush -- the bad guy is Bush

[Flammable Materials]

7. I really liked him.

I felt proud calling him "my president".

I got energized seeing him on the campaign trail.

I was excited on election night.

My daughter and I went out to my polling place and held up signs for him, and I live in Bush country. My 14-year-old daughter was verbally assaulted by Bush supporters entering and leaving the polling place. But you know what? I didn't care, because I knew I had a candidate who would fight for me and for this country.

Hell, I was excited at the prospect of thinking that we had a candidate who was going to go down fighting for once.

Then I found out I was wrong.

EDIT: Additional ranting.

[AuntPatsy]

9. I believe you are right but I still have hope you are wrong...

[Toronto Ron]

8. Who, then?

Who could have prevailed against the army of dittohead religious wingnuts?

[LTRS]

He started out that way for me....

but I really came to admire him and was proud to vote for him as things went on. He was brilliant in the debates as well. I liked him a lot even though I didn't start out that way.

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. To avoid that in the future, the DNC needs to have Instant Runoff voting

in the primaries.

-----------------------------------------------------------
FIGHT! Take this country back one town and state at a time!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm

[slutticus]

11. I really did like him

And I still do.

[Jawja]

12. I LOVED Kerry and he wasn't my first choice.

Both he and Edwards made an excellent team. Nothing wrong with them; it's the stupid Americans who are drinking the KoolAid.

[debatepro]

13. i liked him

888

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

14. I really believed in Kerry and totally disagree with you.

[Toucano]

26. I really believed in Kerry and totally agree with YOU!

America has pissed away a GOLDEN opportunity to increase our security and prosperity.

[Mandate My Ass]

15. "just" an ABB candidate?

A potted plant is ABB, a wad of gum stuck to your shoe is ABB. IOW, not thrilling but better than a sharp stick in the eye.

Bush is the worst president ever. If people didn't vote for Kerry because they weren't excited by him or found him stiff or cold or whatever, I really have to question their mental capabilities.

When there's a grease fire raging in your kitchen, do you wait for someone to bring you crystal blue water from a clear mountain stream or do you use the dirty dishwater and get the job done before it's too late?

I won't tell you where Kerry came in on my list of favorite dem nominees (not high at all), but I ran to the polls on Tuesday like someone being chased by the demons of hell and pulled that lever like my life depended on it.

[AP]

16. People who didn't like him after the debates are fools. Kerry proved he

was a worthy president.

[Awsi Dooger]

20. I agree, but this is what shocked me

I hosted debate watching parties with 19 people in my home. Prior to debate #1 I polled them on likeability, secret ballot written down on paper. Bush came out ahead, 12 positive and 7 negative, to 9 positive and 10 negative for Kerry.

Afer debate #3 I confidently polled them again, exact same group. Bush's number stayed the same, but Kerry's only went up 1, to 10 positive and 9 negative. I was stunned. No matter how well they thought he did, and my group picked Kerry as the winner of all three debates, people simply didn't attach to him. That obviously held up nationwide.

[AP]

23. Which is why we don't need more anger or more complicated personalities...

...running for president.

We need good liberals with clearly understood motivations and easy to understand personalities.

[Meshuga]

17. Speak for yourself. I believed in Kerry!

[bigwillq]

18. I had faith in Kerry even though he wasn't my first choice

But at about the time of the DEM convention he won me over and I went from being a ABB voter to a Kerry voter.


I supported Howard Dean in the primary and love Dean to death but I doubt if Dean would've gotten 48%.

I think Kerry ran a strong campaign. I can't tell you at this point if I thought any other candidate would've done better.

If you can, let me know.

[rndmprsn]

19. i admired kerry to no end

i was ABB, but became very very kerry...

[Renew Deal]

21. I really grew to like Kerry.

He is very smart and tough. It's a shame.

[kiahzero]

22. Some people irrationally didn't like him.

Others justified their dislike with lies.

:shrug:

[JohnKleeb]

24. you got that right

Cant people let us fucking mourn all ready, I dont wanna hear about how Kerry was only an ABB candidiate, blah blah. The last thing I am thinking about is if we nominated the right guy or not honest, what I am thinking about the most is how could my countrymen be so dumb, thats not Kerry's fault, its their fault. Also, people would be giving any other nominee hell too, its not Kerry's fault, we didnt lose because of ten states but because of one and its not Kerry's fault that he doesnt appeal to bigots on Gay isuses.

[Algorem]

25. I can say this now:the salute at convention?:

Herman Munster to the max.In a Boy Scout uniform.I mean Jesus H. Christ!But I thought I liked him a while after Dean dropped out(really wanted Kucinich but you know)but now not a lot.

[Piperay]

35. Yeah it was stupid and fodder for

my asshole repuke neighbor who put up a sign with Kerry saluting an outhouse and saying 'reporting for duty'. I suppose my neighbor being the vindicate asshole that he is will leave that fucking sign up for 4 fucking years! :mad:

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

27. Hey

I really did like him a lot and he wasn't even my first choice.

He wasn't ABB for me.

[JohnKleeb]

31. wasn't mine either

yet he's become my current political hero.

[GRLMGC]

28. Hated him at first

I didn't know much about him other than the fact that he wasn't Dean and had voted for the Iraq war Resolution. I was pissed and I was convinced Bush was gonna win. When I learned about him, I actually grew to respect him. After the debates and learning more about his past I grew to like him. I really put my faith in him.

[LittleClarkie]

29. I still love him

I spent more time and money on this campaign than I have ever done before.

I'm glad he will live to fight another day. I don't need a toothless martyr. How effective is Gore now beyond his original support. I would have gone down fighting and lost.

Hell, the freepers still joke about Gore. But among one of my conservative aquaintances, Kerry earned respect. Even he said, "I don't think he's dead politically. It was probably the smart thing to do. He looks like the better man now."

I'm sad for my country. I didn't want it to have to go through this. But I guess it has to get worse for it to get better. When things get really bad, the country will start to wing left again. There are many more people disgusted now than there were before. We're awake and watching now. We are the sleeping giant.

[Straight Shooter]

30. people voted for bush because they want to LIKE the guy killing them

I hate the stupid high school mentality of fantasy-land Americans. I wanted Kerry in because he had the qualifications to do the job right.

Jeebus, people are more careful choosing their car mechanic than their president.

And I liked Kerry, very much. But then again, my IQ is over 80.

[A Brand New World]

32. I loved Kerry! Speak for yourself. He was my first choice of the bunch.

I think he has the look and personality of a true president. Although when Clark joined the fray, I backed him. Once it was narrowed back down to Kerry, he was my choice 100%. I went to three of his rallies and I thought he was great. He is a genuine American hero (after watching Going Upriver I truly believe that) and I am utterly depressed and also pissed today.

[Piperay]

33. I'm disgusted

he IS a 'flip flopper' promised to stand and fight till the end, then he gives up and concedes (sp?). :mad: I feel betrayed. :grr:

[Arkana]

34. This is idiotic

Why is everyone suddenly bashing Senator Kerry?

[Citizen Kang]

36. And those of us who said ABB wouldn't be enough...

were mocked and jeered. It sucks to be right.

[NAO]

38. Nothing was enough to beat Diebold and Bible-Beater Brainwash

Abe Lincoln or RFK come back from the dead could not have beat W. The fix was in from Diebold, and the brainwash was in from the Bible-Beaters.

[NAO]

37. ABB at first - Admired beyond compare after watching him

I too supported someone else in the primaries, but a few months into Kerry I firmly believed he was the best choice, not just to beat Bush, but to lead the country.

I jumped on Kerry's bandwagon as an ABBer. As I watched Kerry, listened to his speeches, and read his books, I came to genuinely admire him.

I thought he had the qualities of Abe Lincoln, JFK and RFK and that he could have been the finest President the United States has ever had. I say that with utter seriousness and no hyperbole is intended.

If you doubt his passion, his intelligence, and his leadership, I would encourage you to watch his September 20, 2004 speech to NYU. It is available on his website.

Finally, if you think he only got a spine at the end, and finally got a message in October, I would encourage you to look at this article from the Onion. It is a parody article, but it is date stamped 30 July 2003 and it contains many statements people thought he "just came up with in Oct04"

http://www.theonion.com/election2004/news_3929.php

[seaglass]

39. Maybe to those who didn't pay attention.

I always liked and still like Kerry.

What a bunch of fair-weather supporters.

[RafterMan]

42. Aren't we sooo superior

You know, a lot of people kept their many personal reservations locked away when it counted, now you bag on them for speaking out when it doesn't matter any more.

It wasn't "fair-weather" support, it was sacrifice.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

40. kerry was my first choice...so umm no you are wrong

:eyes:

[no name no slogan]

41. Just proves that being "NOT BUSH" is not enough to win

What I hated about the whole campaign was how he tried to frame himself as "better than Bush". For example, how he'd fight the Iraq war "better", how he'd fight the war on terror "better", etc. In essence, he was just selling himself as a "better" version of Dubya.

Once again, why would I vote for the guy who's trying to be Bush instead of the real thing?

WHY do we have to fight a war in Iraq?

WHY is yet another private-sector health plan all we fight for?

WHY do we need to "kill terrorists", instead of bringing them to justice in a court of law?

WHY do we have to support Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine?

WHY is it we can only give tax breaks to corporations who stay in America, but not penalize those that export jobs?

WHY is it we can only tweak unfair trade agreements, and not make new ones instead?

WHY do we continue fighting a "war on drugs" that does nothing to stop drug usage, but turns more of Latin America into a police state?

WHY is every election always the choice between a Giant Douche and a Shit Sandwich?


:shrug:

[Hippo_Tron]

43. I liked him, but a lot of Americans didn't relate to him...

We'll see what happens next time.