U.S. News & World Report: John Kerry, the New Comeback Kid

[beachmom]

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/washingtonwhispers/070603/john_kerry_the_new_comeback_ki.htm

Among his Senate moves, Kerry's taken a lead on pushing for troop withdrawal deadlines in Iraq, championed military pay hikes, promoted action on climate change, with his wife penned an environmental hit This Moment on Earth, and used his remarkable E-mail list of 3 million addresses to raise $100,000 in April alone for Democratic Senate candidates. It's not been perfect: Recall when he said kids could either work hard in school or "get stuck in Iraq"? Says a friend: "He's a work in progress."

Party strategist Chris Lehane thinks Kerry's comeback is akin to Al Gore's. "The last two nominees have created their own platforms to affect the type of change that they believe in," he says. Former Gore aide Donna Brazile sees a larger story at work: "I am willing to bet that some voters may like to see Kerry reappear on the national stage."

More at the link

[Blue_In_AK]

1. John Kerry is still my favorite senator.

He would have been a great president.

[karynnj]

4. Mine too, and even if we get a Democratic President

He is the one whose opinions on things I want to hear. He may never be President, but he is a statesman who can be trusted. He will makes mistakes, but if he continues as he has for his entire life, he will say what he believes to be truth.

I would not be surprsied that when someone looks back the 50 year period with a midpoint at 2000, the 2 Americans who most positively affected the world may be Gore and Kerry.

[ElizabethDC]

2. Excellent

I'm glad people are starting to give him credit for his hard work in the Senate - the people of Massachusetts are very fortunate to have him as their Senator!

[beachmom]

3. Agreed. This actually may make me believe in hard quiet work again.

I think that is the best kind of work, by the way. That's how he made sure Agent Orange victims were taken care of -- no resume action, mind you -- just good old fashioned work and doing the right thing.

[sandnsea]

5. Very nice

I'm willing to bet most voters would wonder what they were thinking supporting anybody else if they'd seen JK up on the dais last night.

[mzmolly]

6. Hmmm Gore/Kerry?

;)

[WildEyedLiberal]

8. That is what I am hoping and praying for!!

:)

[YvonneCa]

20. Me, too...

Gore/Kerry or Kerry/Gore...I'll take either. :7

[babylonsister]

7. I'm glad Senator Kerry is getting the recognition he so richly deserves! nt

[welshTerrier2]

9. comeback kid? work in progress? well, maybe ...

the phrase "comeback kid" is generally reserved for someone who lost an election or who had become very unpopular but then recovered to regain popularity and support.

taking nothing away from Kerry's current efforts, it's hard to see whether that renewed level of support either has been rebuilt or is in the processing of rebuilding. does Kerry have more clout now with his own colleagues? how many voted with him on the Kerry-Feingold bill? how many voted with him on the last Iraq supplemental? what is the polling status of his popularity back in Massachusetts?

is it conceivable that Kerry is doing all the right things to "reinvent" himself the way Gore did? absolutely! it's just not at all clear to me, today, that a "comeback kid" title is appropriate.

Gore's monumental resurrection was caused by several factors. First, and I think it's no small thing, Gore won the popular vote but was deprived of the nomination through a "somewhat contrived" process. I think it's not entirely implausible that Americans want to see things "made right."

Second, Gore has garnered incredible visibility with his mega-successful movie. That will be tough to match.

And third, and this is the path I think Kerry can walk on but has yet to find his way, Gore tapped into a huge constituency. He did this in two meaningful ways. First, he rose above politics and touched a nerve with the critical issue of global warming. And second, his speeches to MoveOn and his early position against the invasion of Iraq strengthened his bond with an important and active constituency.

I have not read Kerry's book. Perhaps the themes it espouses will similarly tap into a constituency waiting for a messenger. Like it or not, Kerry has not found much of a home among the anti-war movement. The movement is certainly not the only game in town but it is a movement and it is always looking for support and leadership. Are they judging Kerry unfairly? I expect his supporters would argue they are. Nevertheless, Gore has the buzz; I don't think Kerry does.

Could that change? Is that the right constituency to try to lead? I have no idea. Could Kerry resurrect his popularity among the broad spectrum of rank and file Democrats? I have no idea. All these things are possibilities but possibilities are not comebacks.

Could a VP slot be an alternative path for Kerry? guess what? I have no idea.

I think this last bit on Iraq and the potent negative reaction it invoked has severely shaken the Party's leadership to their very foundations. After years of stagnancy, perhaps there is an opportunity for a new voice and a new direction. Almost every American knows that our whole system of governance is in very, very serious disrepair. We all understand that special interests have all the power and the little people have none. A "crusading reformer" might just be the spark that Kerry needs. Go out on a limb; risk it all; save the country. Comebacks are rarely successful for the politically calculating and the cautious.

I hope Kerry "goes for it." We can always use another warrior leading the movement. When leaders lead, the people will support them.

[beachmom]

12. Just to be clear, the title came from U.S. News, not me.

This is all about the source -- Washington Whispers is very "inside the beltway", so I think it is incredible that they are calling him a "comeback kid", when not a year ago, he was labeled an embarrassment in the NYT for advocating for a timetable for withdrawal. And, you know, that Reid resolution is simply the Kerry/Feingold amendment, the 2007 version, and it garnered 51 votes, so that is a major leap in support for an idea coming from Kerry. At the beginning of the article(I had to cut the article for fair use reasons), it said he is modeling himself more on Ted Kennedy, as being a statesman in the Senate. So, no, he is not going to be Al Gore. He's also not going to be Ted Kennedy either, btw. He'll carve his own path.

I read This Moment on Earth, and I really enjoyed it, so you might want to check it out in the bookstore or library. I also really enjoyed Teresa's chapter on toxins.

[KurtNYC]

10. Look at this hatchet job

Recall when he said kids could either work hard in school or "get stuck in Iraq"?

of course he was referring to George Bush and USNews had to chop that quote down to 4 words in order to keep the Rovian frame on it. How do you do an article on Kerry and just mix Rove with some complementary stuff? Why?

[Forkboy]

11. And Hillary stuck the knife in with Rove and friends for it.

[Jillian]

17. Oh I almost forgot about how she stabbed Kerry in the back!

Kerry - it's payback time.

I hope he does not endorse her after she kicked him when he was down.

[karynnj]

18. If she gets the nomination, he will and will likely work hard for her

He's a far better person than she is and would do it because of the good of the country. After all he endorsed Webb in the primary and raised much of his get out the vote money for the primary after Webb refused to shake his hand for 30 years and wrote a despicable op-ed in 2004.

[beachmom]

13. I know -- that really bugs me. But the rest of it was so positive, I

suppose they felt compelled to "balance" it with the Karl Rove slant. That's U.S. News for ya.

[blm]

16. You mean the McCain - Hillary - Bush lie that the mediawhores pushed??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk1k0nUWEQg


http://www.depauw.edu/news/index.asp?id=13354

[Tom Rinaldo]

14. The current Democratic field lacks leaders of stature

Kerry is a leader of stature, as are Al Gore and Wes Clark. Although I do not support Hillary Clinton on the issues, she comes off as having the most stature of the current top tier candidates, which is an important reason, IMO, for her relatively strong support. If another major seasoned candidate enters the race, Clinton will leak support.

The public is starting to reevaluate John Kerry, as well they should. He is a good man and would make an excellent President. I think that process is still in a relatively early stage. It took 6 years for Al Gore to be fully recognized as a leader again after the 2000 election. History shows a similar pattern with Richard Nixon who won in 1968 after losing in 1960. I think either Al Gore or Wes Clark would currently make stronger additions to the 2008 Democratic field than John Kerry , but Kerry has an opportunity, which he seems more than willing to seize, to become a real leader in the Senate for our Party right now.

[politicasista]

15. K&R

:kick:

[rockymountaindem]

19. It's such a shame he's not running

The way it's going now out there on the campaign trail isn't encouraging.

[Adelante]

21. Nice to see

:)

[ddeclue]

22. Is he thinking about running after all??? n/t

[beachmom]

23. No, he's running for re-election to the Senate in '08.

I think "national stage" doesn't just refer to presidential races, but simply being a national Democrat, like, say, Ted Kennedy is, and a leader in the Party. A statesman, too.