I underestimated Kerry. He has proven me wrong.

[Skinner]

For months, I have said that I was choosing from four candidates: Clark, Dean, Edwards, and Kerry. About two or three weeks ago, I posted a thread in this forum indicating that I had narrowed my choice down to Clark and Dean, because I thought Edwards wasn't quite experienced enough to be president, and I thought Kerry had run a really terrible campaign. After all, the guy had been the frontrunner, and he was languishing in third or fourth.

Allow me to eat a little crow.

When I made my post, some Kerry supporters told me not to count their guy out. You were right, and I was wrong.

I made the classic mistake of believing what the pundits told me to believe. They all said Dean was going to win Iowa, which would set the stage for Clark to be the anti-Dean candidate in New Hampshire. And I bought it. I have learned an important lesson, which is not to let the media tell me what to think. I also think I was influenced to some degree by the fact that discussions on DU focused on Clark and Dean. So I guess I learned something about DU, too.

It turns out that Kerry was not a bad campaigner at all. In fact, he's been extremely impressive this month. He knew that the only poll that really matters is the one that happens on election day. And that's the poll he won. Twice.

And now I'm back to liking four different candidates. And that's a good place to be, because I think one of my guys is going to win. :-)

[EXE619K]

1. Skinner is not electable!

The GOP will walk all over him, if he were to be our nominee.

Here's to the opening shots for the "Stop Skinner" movement.

[maddezmom]

3. LOL

:)

[Skinner]

4. Yes, I am a real flip-flopper.

Totally indecisive. The GOP could squash me like a bug.

[name not needed]

5. skinner is a weiner

i cant resist!:P

[leyton]

37. True but in Clark/Skinner

or Kerry/Skinner, we might have a winning ticket.

[La_Serpiente]

2. I remember when he was polling below Sharpton

I think that was the lowest point during the campaign. It would have been hard to stick with Kerry after that.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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

[jpgray]

10. The best way to ensure that is to remain civil ourselves

Golden rule, empathy and all that. I sure hated it when everyone said Kerry was a failure or made gratuitous, unsubstantiated attacks on his record, so I will try not to do the same thing.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

7. No need to eat any crow...

He DID run an awful campaign up til now! There was no reason to believe he was going to win the way he has. And this is from a Bay Stater and a presidential campaign volunteer.

I did foresee the Dean slide - as voters stop thinking angry and start thinking of a way to get Bush out of the White House, and too many people believe Dean is not the man to do it. But I thought either Clark or Edwards would pick up those deserters and not Kerry. He'd been pretty invisible up until now, after all.

Still, I tip my hat to him and his campaign crew.

[displacedtexan]

24. Dean is running a national campaign during state primaries.

Kerry has quietly run targeted demographic-based campaigns in towns, regions, and states... in order of importance as the timeline dictates.

[CWebster]

8. The media makes and breaks everyone

he who writes the history rules the world.

Watch what they do now. Plenty of crow to go around for the next dish they serve up.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

9. Kerry has proven an extremely adept campaigner

It seems he really knows how to get on the stump, and get out the vote. I think his decision to ride the Vietnam vote for all it's worth will carry him all the way.
He looks and acts like an experienced, wise, and crafty candidate.
A lot of people want to see him as President. He is filling in the gaps of a lot of expectations.

Thanks for your frank comments.

[Art_from_Ark]

11. The pundits can take a flying leap

As for the candidates, two small states are out of the way-- the real tests are yet to come.

[isbister]

12. Here's hopin'

bush underestimates Kerry too (should he end up the nominee)

[lovedems]

13. All I can say is the voters in Iowa and NH liked what they saw

and that has to count for something. I hope he is able to carry that personal message he gave to the voters up close in Iowa and NH to the national level.

I will be happy with any of them.

[seventhson]

20. Not really - they seemed to like Dean better on the issues BUT the media

convinced them that Kerry was more electable.

A LOT of folks fell for the media hype IMHO.

I think Kerry will fare far worse in the South.

I think Dean will continue to do better and better and we may have a brokered convention.

Remember Dean still leads in delegates.

[lovedems]

30. I think you are discrediting alot of people's votes. I think they voted

for the individual they liked the best and it does a huge disservice to discount their votes as "falling for the media hype". Kerry isn't my guy either but he deserves a serious look because he did something to the voters in Iowa and NH because he won by a large margin.

[iowapeacechief]

25. I saw him three times in Iowa...

...(June, October, January) and saw him improve his stump speech and get better about coming to the point with answers. Seems to me he presents a more coherent narrative showing who he's been from Vietnam to now, too.

I'm doing all I can for Kucinich, but I'm very happy to see Kerry getting it together.

[Jack Rabbit]

14. A lot of us are eating crow

Months ago, I said that among those with a realistic shot at the nomination the three candidates I felt had the best chance against Bush were Clark, Dean and Kerry. Kerry then proceeded to flounder and, like you, Skinner, I simply stopped paying attention to him until now.

Kerry's comeback is very impressive. He should not be underestimated. He will be a formidable opponent for Bush in November. Kerry is capable of ousting the junta.

Another candidate who has come on to impress me is Edwards. I still don't believe he has a real shot at the nomination this year, but if he entered to make himself known for a possible future run at the White House, then he is accomplishing his mission.

[Skinner]

19. Agreed on all counts.

Kerry would be a formidable opponent for Bush.

And Edwards has been very impressive. I agree that it seems unlikely that he'll get the nomination, but you never know.

[CatWoman]

15. Skinner -- get with the program

It's "misunderestimated" :P

[Eloriel]

16. Well, Skinner

It's a lot easier to win if you:

(1) steal the winning message and rhetoric from the frontrunner 'cause you can't think of dad-blamed original idea of your own

(2) convince people scared out of their minds about 4 more years of Bush that YOU are the more electable one (that factor alone accounted for 56% of Kerry's support in NH)

(3) engage in dirty tricks (push polling in Iowa, among other things) or stealing your

(4) aren't the target of such dirty tricks as someone else robocalling your supporters at all hours of the night to piss them off

(5) get the party machine lined up on your side, working behind the scenes and under the radar, if not the table (Iowa)

(6) haven't been taking damaging hits from ALL sides including your own for weeks (and yes, Kerry took some, but nothing like what Dean has endured)

(7) And oh yes, I really should add: go get botoxed and siliconed so you don't look like the walking dead. Hell, Kerry looks better than Teresa since last Wednesday.

That's not to say the Dean campaign hasn't made mistakes. Or that some of this simply IS the way politics works in some areas (#5 above re Iowa caucus -- that's what they mean when they euphemistically talk about the need to "organize, organize, organize" in Iowa). It's merely to say that all is not quite as clear-cut or clean a "victory" for Mr. Kerry as it appears to be on the surface.

[kiahzero]

21. Way to take a dump all over a positive thread

[NewYorkerfromMass]

36. Really. Let me second the congratulations on that

Smear Kerry with no substantial arguements. Got it. next....

[iowapeacechief]

33. Link to Dean complaints about Iowa?

Seriously. Where can I read it all in one place? I've heard so much unhappiness, and I don't want to dismiss it as sour grapes...

(You got Harkin, for crying out loud, but you still complain about "the party machine"?! I grant I am uninformed about your perspective, but this is my reaction now.)

I truly do not understand. As an active Iowa Dem, I want to. Thanks!

[THUNDER HANDS]

17. that's big of you Skinner

really cool :thumbsup:

[cally]

18. The comeback of Kerry is amazing!

He was my first candidate that I supported. I had written him off. So I'll join you with the apology. Those who stuck with him have my sincere admiration.

When I first heard Kerry speak, he was aloof and did not try to meet anyone other than the largest donors. Kerry is a different person now. He shows his humor, his compassion, and seems to like meeting folks. All those voters who met him in Iowa and New Hampshire saw something that the media and others did not see. Kerry just kept campaigning and it worked. :toast:

[Trajan]

22. Kerry is a War Hero, You know .....

And a damned good Democrat to boot ...

I know its human nature to criticize ... but the interfraternal attacks against our own party members, based on petty, personal peeves and idiosyncrisies, can blind so many of us to the BIG picture: ..

IS Kerry a decent and honest man who upholds the values of the Democratic Party ? ... Absolutely ...

Can WE: ... as Democrats .. pull the lever for Kerry, and be proud that we did ? ..... Absolutely ...

We should be able to say that for ALL the Candidates ...

Even Joe (Whom we know possesses a long record of support for Democratic Party ideals ... Even if he talks as a righty sometimes ... )

Politics is a crapshoot: .... not 'knowing' what an election will show is what nature demands of idiotic ignoramuses like human beings ... Prognostication, and worse yet: BOASTING based on speculation ... is a fools game ...

I would venture to guess that one of the four will win: ...

And I will proudly pull the lever for each and every one ...

[chimpymustgo]

23. We've got several GREAT candidates, and now the democratic process

can play out.

More than the media hooting and hollering (do we expect something else from them?), I felt most betrayed by Democratic party leaders - Al Gore in particular, who tried to use their influence to prop up Howard Dean, who jumped on the bandwagon, and tried to push everybody else off.

Gore's insinuation that everybody should just get behind Dean was disgusting and demeaning to the Democratic process.

Now some votes have been cast. We have watched Kerry resurrect his campaign and his candidacy and snatch the frontrunner status. We have witnessed John Edwards hone his message and his stump speech into a gripping case for his electability. We have seen Howard Dean take a beating, but keep fighting. We're still watching Clark mold his message.

My point is, let the voters decide. Let the candidates get out there and shake hands and kiss babies, and get poked and pinched, even kicked around a bit. Let them go South, and West, to towns and cities and farms and make their case to Democrats young and old, far and wide.

And may the best man win.

[batman]

26. actually the pundits had 5 months to attack dean, they'll have about 8

days to attack kerry. it's no wonder hes considered electable.

[CWebster]

28. What makes you think they will stop?

Kerry may have the luxury of time to lock up the nomination--(and what do you know the convention is right their in his home town--who woulda guessed?) but then we are locked into Kerry and it will be hitting so hard and heavy, goring and deaning will be only the appetizers to the entree.

[drfemoe]

27. Glad you like all four

IIRC only one of those names appeared on your DC ballot? :7

Everyone is learning stuff this time around, which makes the process even more exciting.

[BeyondGeography]

29. Kerry is worthy

I stood up for Kerry when he was under the gun from Dean (mostly because I wanted Clark to rise and Dean to fall; little did I realize that Kerry would rise to the point where Clark's viability would be questioned)and I've dumped on him for some of his anti-Clark tactics, but everyone should respect how he has turned things around in this campaign.

If Kerry's the nom, I think he'll have a great chance to win.

[molly]

31. Thankyou for this!

[xultar]

32. Kerry is my #2. Like the new Haircut!

When I saw Kerry's speech in FL @ their Dem convention I moved him up on my list. I like him. Last night he looked good. His hair looked good. He looked presidential. His make-up artist needs to be beat with a wet towel.
I would happily vote for a Kerry/Clark ticket.

HE needs Clark to beat Bush.

[PAMod]

34. I couldn't have said it better myself. eom

[Sean Reynolds]

35. Na I think the voters proved ya' wrong Skinner.

People didn't vote for Kerry because his ideas were the best out here, they voted for Kerry because he continually played the Dean can't be elected card. Check out the polling, most voters liked Dean better on the issues, felt Dean was more real, actually felt Dean would REALLY make a change. But in the end, they only wanted to beat Bush and that is exactly where Kerry came in.

I'll give credit to Kerry though for overtaking the role as the 'electable' candidate to Howard Dean. But I don't believe for a second he won based on values and I never will.

[sangh0]

38. Good for you Skinner

Politics is an amazing venture. No matter how bright or educated you may be, there's always room for a surprise.

[mmonk]

39. Agree Skinner

I underestimated him as well. The next round of states will be telling.

[Dark Star]

40. Conspiracy Theory:

Originally, Kerry was the presumptive nominee.

All the other candidates were conjured up (bread and circuses) for us to play around with and beat each other up about.

Then, Kerry will become the nominee. :crazy: :silly:



But, seriously: Clark/Edwards

[Feanorcurufinwe]

41. Way to go Skinner!!

It hasn't always been easy as a Kerry supporter on DU, but we haven't given up, JK hasn't given up, we won't and he won't. Yesterday when they reported JK out canvassing for votes at the last minute, some pundits and some DUers said it was a sign of desperation. But it was a sign of someone who is going to fight for every vote, not get complacent even when ahead. That's how we are going to win in November, by taking the fight to George Bush and not backing down.

[gasperc]

42. I held on to Kerry till Dec. before deciding his campaign sucked

but I quess he is running things way better in Iowa and NH than anyone of us has noticed? or the media's been sandbagging him and "trying" to make Dean the nominee via some Rove plot
who the fuck knows, it is somewhat surprising that Kerry has turned around and is on the move. However, I might still vote for Clark to help him have a good showing so that he'll get on the ticket.

[MuseRider]

43. Welcome to the crow eating club!

I have been around long enough in this life to eat my share of the "foul" tasting meal. We all gotta do it sometime.

[TopesJunkie]

44. I don't think it's Kerry that you underestimated --

I think it's the penchant for Dems to vote for the "safe" candidate who will lose in November that you underestimated. Note our history over the last twenty years, with Mondale, Dukakis and Gore. Kerry is another clone in that line of candidates.

[Bread and Circus]

45. Nice post...but I think we are still all "influenced" by the punditry...

Right now, Kerry is on fire. But after 18 months of campaigning
what's different:

Perception, and that's about it.

It is very hard to escape being influenced by the media.