Williams Pitt's Editorial: The Trial of John Kerry

[La_Serpiente]

I am doing it right this time.
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You be the judge
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The Trial of John Kerry
By William Rivers Pitt
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Wednesday 10 December 2003

One of these days, this will be a textbook case for political science professors to use as a teaching tool.

Here is a Democratic candidate for the Oval Office in a year when the liberal base of the party is almost completely unified in its disgust for the sitting Republican President. The candidate, a Senator, has a 20-year liberal voting record to admire: He is peerless on the environment, a staunch defender of a woman’s right to choose, completely reliable across the whole spectrum of gay rights issues, totally solid on education, an advocate for campaign finance reform and health care reform, and will fight to the death to keep Social Security fully funded and reliable. It is the liberal base of the party that turns out to vote in the primaries, so the candidate’s record gives him an immediate advantage.

Add to the scenario a campaign season dominated by foreign policy issues. The candidate is a Vietnam veteran who wears Purple Hearts next to a Bronze and Silver Star, giving him a ‘real deal’ quality compared to the sitting President, who used family influence to avoid that conflict. The candidate served for several years on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, affording him the justifiable claim that he is a seasoned professional when it comes to dealing with the rest of the world.

This experience is tempered by wisdom and hard knowledge; the disgust and horror experienced by the candidate during Vietnam had an almost mythic quality, and led him to become a prominent voice against the war upon his return home, so much so that he earned a spot on Nixon’s infamous “Enemies List.” His service in combat, coupled with his principled stand against the Vietnam war and his time on the Foreign Relations Committee, has forged a whole man. This serves him well in the primaries with fence-sitters, and with people who might think Democrats are “soft on national defense.”

more..

The Trial of John Kerry

Discuss Away!!! :-)

[billbuckhead]

1. Dean's biography is pitiful compared to Kerry or Clark

America deserves to be damned if we let this weak ass Dean go to slaughter against the BFEE.

[La_Serpiente]

2. We had another thread here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=866357

[wakfs]

3. Alright, so we all know Pitt's for Kerry...

...and that Kerry is the perfect candidate on paper to oppose Bush. But when the chips were down and he had to make a difficult decision, he CHOSE POORLY. Kerry decided to trust Bush. That poor choice has ruined his chances to be President, probably forever in my opinion.

What I'd like to ask Kerry is why in hell didn't he just come out at the beginning of this Democratic nominating process and SAY HE'D BEEN WRONG TO TRUST BUSH? Had he done that a long time ago, he'd be the front-runner now.

Instead, he has unfortunately waffled and weaseled his way through poorly thought-out answers to this key question of why he voted for the Iraq resolution (sounding oh so Clintonesqe in the process). He never once just simply admitted his mistake. In my opinion, and apparently in the opinions of many other democrats, this demonstrates an inability to make difficult decisions. It shows the Kerry has a tendency to overthink things. It shows the Kerry forgot his primary role in the Senate, which is to OPPOSE. Opposition is the main job of the minority party in Congress. The GOP knows this lesson all to well. The Democrats apparently still have yet to learn it, as demonstrated by Kerry's foolish and naive vote.

I like Kerry. He's a good guy and would make a great president, even if he IS terrible on television. But he failed to show backbone at a critical time, at a time when backbone was needed to counter the dangerously radical Bush agenda. I need a candidate who has the balls to fight Bush, who is well aware of the evil of the Bush agenda and votes accordingly.

The fight for the nomination isn't over yet but let's face it, it'll take a miracle to dislodge Dean.

[dreissig]

4. Kerry Voted for the War

Kerry's vote for the war wasn't just an error in judgement, it was a statement of values. There's no reason to consider this a textbook case because it's straightforward - candidates who are significantly out of step with their constituents won't win.

It's not that he guessed wrong, it's that Kerry saw the war in terms of his own career. That so offended Democrats that it ended his viability as a presidential candidate.

[Metrix]

5. I would argue that Howard Dean's position on Iraq

was adopted solely in terms of what he thought would further his own career. He made statements last year that supported the use of force if the U.N. inspectors were not allowed back in. Remember? A image was created for Howard and he slipped right in.

It would be a tragedy if we do not nominate our best candidate. And I mean a tragedy for this country and for the world. A Kerry/Clark combination would be unbeatable. It's too bad the elves may determine this. Most mature voters won't commit until much later.

[WilliamPitt]

6. Side-note

The verdict is in as far as truthout readers go. The mail I've been getting for this piece is running 10-1 against Kerry. So there it is.

[La_Serpiente]

7. At least this is developing some

controversy.

[VelmaD]

8. That is incredibly sad.

Makes me wonder if they read it with anything remotely resembling an open mind.

[Dover]

9. I don't feel nearly as sad about Kerry's lost opportunity as I do

about Kucinich's denied opportunity. Here we have a guy who
has consistently stood for liberal values and remains very open and inclusive as regards his constituency. Unlike Kerry, one never gets the feeling he is doing anything less than what he thinks is the right thing. And yet he can't get the time of day from the media, and writers like those who showed up to support Kerry
(even if they called it a 'trial').

[hippywife]

11. I totally agree with ya, Dover.

Good article tho, Will. Kerry was my first choice before I heard Kucinich. I was bothered by Kerry's affirmative votes on the IWR and the PATRIOT Act. I think, unlike the other candidates who voted the same way, he is truly remorseful for falling for the PNAC "men behind the curtain" song and dance routine. (Lieberman still hasn't figured that one out yet!)

Anyway, if we had IRV it would be DK first and Kerry second for me because I do think Kerry has learned his lesson and regrets his mistakes.

If I have to vote Dean in November, I will be wearing a gas mask to the polls in protest.

[littlejoe]

10. My knock on Kerry is...

that I do not believe he is genuine. He seems to straddle the fence to see which way the wind blows, before committing himself on an issue. You may call it thoughtful, but I call it the mark of a man who has no real vision or original ideas.