Will Kerry Detactors Ever Be Satisfied? Will 1-On-1 Debates Help?

[WiseMen]

Will the Kerry detractors ever be satisfied? After 16 victories, they now they want him to debate Edwards.

John Kerry with his “storied past and golden resume” is a unique treasure of the Democratic Party. When Kerry entered the Presidential race he stood head and shoulders above the rest in preparedness for office. But media-magnified attacks began against his presumed “entitlement” to the nomination. He’s too aloof, too nuanced, too ponderous, too distant, too rich, too surrounded by “Washington establishment” politicos.

The 59-year-old John Kerry was one of the most senior and respected leaders in the Senate. But he’s told he is TOO ALOOF to run for president. So the great Senator Kerry reached back to his painful memories of war and war-protest, stripped off the senatorial toga and “Ramboed up” for battle against Bush and his masters who were raping and pillaging the nation as never in history.

Then he’s told he is TOO NUANCED in his positions and PONDEROUS in his speech. So John Kerry reached back to his days as a rabble-rousing speaker and remembered how to strike his fist in the air beat his chest and let loose some angry rhetoric to let Democratic activist know he is serious.

Then he’s told he is too RICH and DISTANT from the problems of real people. So John Kerry camped-out in IOWA and got into the farm trenches with some folks who are mad as hell, till hatred of Bush and his minions oozed out of his pores.

Then his critics claimed he’s surrounded by ESTABLISHMENT POLITICOS, but when the cameras turn on Vets and firefighters surround him. And then there is his Band of Brothers who testify that John Kerry is their Brave Heart who time and again risked his life for theirs and brought them out of that horrible conflict alive.

Now that he has crossed the nation and won the votes of Democrats in 16 of 18 States, North, South, East and West, his detractors are still saying that he has not earned their support for his nomination to lead the Party. Now, to satisfy his detractors, he must win a series of 1-on-1 DEBATES against a 1-term senator whom he has already beaten at the polls 17 of 18 times. If he doesn’t agree then:

“He’s on the run.”

A Question:

Would Kerry finally get respect from this energetic army of critics in his own party if he agrees to Kerry/Edwards debates. Would detractors here at DU agree to get behind Kerry if he debated Edwards and won the March 2 contests?

Or would these detractors just return with other swipes at John Kerry?

[SangamonTaylor]

1. I just want to make sure our candidate has what it takes

and so far the debates have been dominated by who can get out the best 'one-liner'.

I don't want the first one on one debate for our nominee to be against Bush. I don't think that it will help our parties chances.

I don't see what the big deal is, if Kerry wants to have debates with all of the candidates then he should agree to do more debates. It is free press for the entire party.

You must remember, it's up to CNN to decide whether Kucinich and Sharpton are removed from the debate. The network is calling the shots on this because the candidates agreed to the rules.

[GreenArrow]

48. what makes you think

a one on one "debate" won't be dominated by one liners and sound bites? Such is the nature of political debate these days.

When a significant portion of the party is threatening to bolt, it seems counterproductive to remove DK and Sharpton from the debate. Niether is going to win, but their presence is important both symbolically, and in a practical sense, as they can talk about real problems and issues that the two media appointed major candidates are afraid or unwilling to discuss.

[LuminousX]

2. At this point, Kerry really couldn't do much to get me to like him.

If he is the nominee, he will be the benefactor of my anti-Bush vote.

[GumboYaYa]

7. Exactly, nothing Kerry says in a debate can change how he

voted on some key issues.

[WiseMen]

42. So Governors who don't need to vote will by definition the better men?

[Padraig18]

43. Time to make the donuts...

Never mind... :eyes:

[Cuban_Liberal]

54. Or kick the dormant thread yet again?

:P

[Spirochete]

9. Beneficiary, you mean

I agree. I'll vote for him too, but more from hatred of Bush than from any real enthusiasm.
On the other hand, I really hope to hell he wins. I get practically suicidal just thinking of 4 more years of *.

[LuminousX]

24. Thanks for the gentle correction

[WiseMen]

21. From all your posts I know you want to be in the fight. Please join a

Kerry meetup and provide your leadership.

[polpilot]

3. Apologizing for his pro-war vote would be a start. Apologizing for his

pro-NAFTA vote would be nice. Apologizing for his vote for No Child Left Behind would be well accepted. Apologizing seems to be a much needed chapter in the Kerry book.

[Sensitivity]

6. Nafta was Clinton Trade policy. All but 1 democrat voted fro No Child LB

[goobergunch]

16. Wrong on the second part

NAYs ---10
Bennett (R-UT)
Dayton (D-MN)
Feingold (D-WI)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hollings (D-SC)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Leahy (D-VT)
Nelson (D-NE)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Wellstone (D-MN)

That's 6 Democrats, 3 Republicans and 1 Independent.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=1&vote=00371

[polpilot]

18. Was Kerry a senator during Clinton's years?? Did Kerry vote for NCLB?

.

[anti-NAFTA]

15. Yeah, instead of his hypocritical waffling.

It makes me sick. Is there any issue he doesn't waffle on?

[WiseMen]

32. Find 5 senators with a more consistent record: ADA 93%, LCV 96%

[polpilot]

45. Quote those percentages to America's dead and wounded in Iraq.

O.K.?

[WiseMen]

30. What more do you want him to say? He said same as Fienstien

[polpilot]

46. A Fienstein groupie I'm not. Saying 'same as Fienstein' misses the mark.

Excuses..waffling...excuses...nuances...

[Raya]

56. It's called representative democracy. Reflect your constituents

[revcarol]

4. If he agrees to 1-on-1 while Kucinich and Sharpton are still in the race,

he doesn't deserve our votes if he is the nominee.

Period.

[WiseMen]

11. Tell that to the Edwards Folk. I agree it is outrageous at this stage.

[Walt Starr]

5. Kerry is a total wimp if he refuses to go head to head against Edwards

And I'm not afraid to call him a wimp if he takes that road.

[WiseMen]

39. The expert on wimps, I presume?

[polpilot]

47. He rides a motor bike. How much more MANLY can he be. Shoots fowl.

Blam!!! Blam!!!! Blam!!!

[CalProf]

8. WiseMen, bless you for tryin'

but the folks who've posted here already, and a few dozen others on DU, wouldn't be satisfied with Kerry if he was revealed to be the son of God Almighty.

He whupped their boy Dean, and they'll never forgive him for it. There's nothing you can do about that.

[GumboYaYa]

10. Yes, it must be spite...it can't be that people supported other

candidates because they have substantive issues with certain candidates. All that protesting against the war must be spite because George Bush beat Al Gore. I mean there is no way that people really felt that the invasion was wrong...

Sorry, but there is nothing Kerry can do to make me forget that he supported the invasion of Iraq when there was ample evidence that the invasion was not necessary to protect Americans. Still, I guess I will vote for him because he is not Bush. What a ringing endorsement!!!

[Guaranteed]

14. This whole thing has been the story on Kerry since Day 1.

Nothing's changed. It's why I wouldn't vote for him then, and it's why he'll be lucky if he gets my vote in November.

Have a look at the archives.

[NightNurse]

19. 100% Agreement: That's It and That's That.

It's all about getting whupped,as you put-I prefer Pimp Slapped.
No responsibility taken. Just lots of fingers pointed.

Be gone! We'll take our chances.



"PU" is so totally Unreal from the REAL Dem Party out there-where real people get their feet cold and wet from knocking on real doors or caucusing with REAL LIVE Dem's not the 2004 Dem Primary version of Madden's NFL Football.:bounce:

[NightNurse]

20. Psssssssst! DeanFolk? Why don't you channel your $ to Emily's List!

Rather than Joe Trippi's Ad Agency.

It's good for the soul,Ladies (& gentlemen)

[LuminousX]

26. changeforamerica will be good for the soul, too

[WiseMen]

34. LuminousX: you are clearly a leader who could make a great contribution

to the campaign against bush and bringing more passion and spirit
to the fight. Please consider joining wholeheartedly. Win or lose
is will be a great fight.

[WiseMen]

36. What a novel idea. But I think Dean may need help. Hopefull no debt.

[WiseMen]

40. Thanks. I know too many great Dean backers to give up.

[edzontar]

12. I will have to vote for him (or Edwards)...isn't that punishment

Enough?

Do I really have to look at him and listen to him anymore?

I think not....

Cue the DVD collection:

"Green Acres we are there...."

[LizW]

13. Kerry has to debate Edwards

I don't care if it is one-on-one or with Kucinich and Sharpton, but there has to be at least one more debate now that the lightening rod of the field has withdrawn.

No candidate is entitled to my vote. If Kerry wants it, he's going to have to debate.

But that's not all. Kerry is going to have to convince me that he's a liberal NOW (not just in the past) and that he shares my values and my vision of what America should be.

There's no single deal breaker. It will be a combination of his positions on a number of issues that will determine where my vote goes in the general election.

I want Kerry to present a cogent, workable plan for getting our soldiers out of Iraq as soon as possible. I want him to refute the imperialistic Bush doctrine of starting preemptive war on any country we don't like. I want him to promise to make amends with the U.N. and our allies. I want him to promise to reduce out-of-control military spending. I want him to say that he will advance a real, workable plan for protecting the U.S. against further terrorist attacks like 9/11. I want him to be an even-handed leader in negotiations that lead to peace in the Middle East.

I want him to promise to appoint liberal, sane, brilliant people to the federal bench who are not driven by idealogy and activism to destroy our Constitution.

I want him to promise that within 8 years, all American people will have quality, affordable health care.

I want him to promise to fight for equal rights for all people, regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation.

I want him to fight for important social safety nets for children, the poor, and the elderly who need help.

I want him to promise to fight for free, universal, quality public education for every American. I want him to vow to fight the destruction of the public schools through vouchers and the inteference of Christian churches.

I want him to promise to always protect a woman's right to choose.

I want him to promise to protect the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights, and to reverse the provisions of the Patriot Act that infringe on those rights.

Kerry is far from my first choice, but these things could get him my vote.

[WiseMen]

17. Are you what they call a "swing" voter. No, you want to be in the fight

[LizW]

31. In the fight? Yes.

Not so much because I want to be, but because I have to be.

[Nazgul35]

22. Wait....so the media killed his campaign?

I thought this wasn't a viable argument?

Someone please clarify.....or does it only count if it is Kerry?

:shrug:

[loupe-garou]

23. Why are the things the Dean campaign did against Kerry

forgiveable ( Kerry no better than Bush, etc- I consider this a lie borne of a desperation to win), and not the things Kerry Camp have done????????
This is a political campaign, and guess what -Howard Dean is a politician like the rest!!

I'm not sure what all the vitriol against Kerry is about- he is an impeccable public servant with a great liberal record, whose records are not sealed, BTW

Can't we all be friends and defeat the monsters of the right?????

[LuminousX]

25. They were forgiveable?

The shoves Dean gave Kerry a year ago were always used as the reason why it was okay for Kerry to give him body blows. There was no forgiveness from the Kerry camp.

[WiseMen]

27. Here and now, we forgive you. Let's have peace and love.

[LuminousX]

28. Too little, too late.

The Osama ad speaks for itself.

[WiseMen]

29. Kerry had nothing to do with the Osama Ad. Kerry was militantly against

any kind of negative campaigning to the extreme. I can personally
assure you that almost all the people who quit his campaign
left over his opposition to attack adds during the summer when
Dean was destroying Kerry with a great grass roots effort in NH
which really viciously denegrated Kerry. I won't repeat here the
slams, but you should know them.

[GodHelpUsAll2]

33. we forgive you????????

?????????????????????????????????????????????/

[Jacobin]

35. Gee, shall we just crown him King and get it over with?

[Cuban_Liberal]

37. Don't forget the ermine cape.

:eyes:

[WiseMen]

38. Who would look better in the Cape? Kerry or What's his name

[Sensitivity]

41. Aren't we taking this too lightly. I think the slime going against Kerry

is going to get worse and he and his wife are going to just have
to take it. I think what happenned to Dean is going to pale in
comparision. Not like being crowned King I don't think.

[DebJ]

44. Nope. Votes one way, talks another. Can't change that unless he

decides to talk how he has voted....and how in the world could he do that?

[guajira]

49. How can Kerry and Edwards Debating Help Democrats??

That sounds like Democrats doing B*'s campaigning for him!

Are they going to criticize B*, or go after each other, as the media would just love!!
Considering that they're not even close in the number of delegates, Kerry should not participate in a debate that would very likely not do anything to help him. Wouldn't make sense!

[Padraig18]

51. Informing the voters is ALWAYS helpful.

If Kerry WON'T debate, it makes him look weak to the voters. Remember the Chicken that followed Bush 41 around in 1992? Consider that, if you will.

[molly]

50. Sore losers will always be sore losers no matter what

happens. A debate would be a nit-picking event.

[TedsGarage]

52. Kerry could have ducked Edwards

Most front-runners would have. It wouldn't have cost him the nomination. But Kerry doesn't back down from anything or anybody. That's why he's been my candidate for over 2 years.

BRING IT ON!

[Sensitivity]

53. What's the latest on debates?

[Raya]

55. Hear somewhere that Kerry was open to many debates but wanted DK, Al also