Does Kerry = Tsongas?

[Jack_Dawson]

This is not flamebait. I'm definitely more comfortable with Kerry being the frontrunner than Dean. I more or less like Kerry but he's a career politician who always says the "right" thing, doesn't rock the boat too much, and as a result, puts me to sleep.

Didn't Tsongas have similar charisma? Wasn't Tsongas a "Northeast Liberal"? Didn't Tsongas win Iowa and N.H. also? What happened to his campaign? Where did Clinton come from and how did he grab the "Mo" that Kerry currently has? I want that Mo. I know in my gut Clark can excite more people than Kerry.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

1. Very much so

in that he has strong support from moderates.

[Dark Star]

2. No, silly,

Tsongas is dead.

But, seriously, folks: I agree I have less problems with Kerry than with Dean, but I believe deep in my heart we shall overcome Super Tuesday!

[auntpattywatty]

3. kerry=tsonges both had cancer which is not going to be subject for discus

[Jack_Dawson]

5. I didn't mention anything health-related

you may have noticed...

[AntiCoup2K4]

15. No you didn't, Jack. But it makes the comparison even more fitting.

Obviously Kerry is going out of his way - makeup, botox or whatever, to hide the fact that he doesn't appear healthy. Why, is that, if he's not concealing something?

Granted, it could just be vanity. And I don't believe in rumors of this nature. And there are plenty of other reasons for Kerry not to be the nominee to even bother with such things.

Having said that, I don't think it's a good idea at all for someone with a potentially life threatening illness to take on a job they may not be able to finish.

As far as the other Tsongas factor - early leads meaning nothing in the end - I'm certainly hoping that is the case :)

[Tesha]

29. Surely the Republicans wouldn't stoop so low as to whisper about...

Surely the Republicans wouldn't stoop so low as to whisper about
how they think Kerry, like Tsongas, will be dead from the Big C
in a very few years. After all, prostate cancer can be very
curable! Just look at Frank Zappa!

Err, ...

Surely they would NEVER stoop so low!

(They also wouldn't stoop so low as to also whisper about Kerry's
early hippie-like antiwar stands, his family heritage, his obviously
unpatriotic discarding of his military medals, his first marriage
and annulment, and the like.)

After all, aren't the Republicans decent and, above all else, FAIR
competitors in this little game of politics that we play?

Tesha

[cindyw]

4. No Tsongas won NH by 26%percent to Clinton's 19%.

That is quite a bit different than Kerry's double digit lead. Also
Harkin won Iowa that year. Clinton lost to a hometown senator. Expected. Then he came back from a long time defecit to get close. He was claiming momentum, Tsongas was unable to do that. It is difficult to say that Kerry does not have momentum out of Iowa and New Hampshire.

edited for grammer

[NewYorkerfromMass]

6. let me add to that excellent analysis

that the 92 race became Clinton/Tsongas/Brown until New York, where Clinton won by enough percentage points that Tsongas finally called it quits. (I think it was like 38/26/18 with Tsongas strongly carrying the suburbs of NYC but losing elsewhere)
The moderates then lined up solidly behind Clinton.
In withdrawing, Tsongas graciously said: "My supporters are saying 'look at our numbers, look at our numbers', but I say- 'look at Bill Clinton's numbers'".
Tsongas was a class act through and through.

[liberalhistorian]

27. I disagree, given

his infamous holding up of a panda bear and saying he was giving it to Clinton because Clinton was a "pander-bear", and his strongly bitterness-flavored speech at the convention that year. I was very glad when he lost and when he finally got wise and called it quits.

[Sean Reynolds]

7. Kerry = Dukakis.

If Kerry wins the nomination he'll be just like Dukakis, a boring ass New Englander who lost to a Bush.

[robsul82]

8. Aye.

Rawr.

Later.

RJS

[Sean Reynolds]

10. Yup! ;-)

And with that I'm off to my international politics class!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. obviously

your domestic politics seem to need some beefing up.

[Jack_Dawson]

11. Gawd I hope not

Yecchhh

[YNGW]

13. I agree

Kerry=Toangas=Dukakis=Ted Kennedy

[liberalhistorian]

28. No, he won't, because

Kerry is far stronger, with a better record in almost every way, than Dukakis was. His military and foreign policy experience alone are volumes better than Dukakis. And you want to talk about a boring New Englander without a chance against Bush, I have two words: HOWARD DEAN.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. Tsongas was not very charismatic

Which was part of his appeal. He was a nerdy guy who was a straight talker. It wasn't enough to overcome Bill Clinton.

[copithorne]

14. Nope

Kerry is more Dukakis than Tsonagas.

Tsongas laid claim to the straight shooting, "take stands because they are right even if it isn't the popular thing to do" mantle that Howard Dean is claimin.

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. Kerry won't have one of Dukakis's problems

[blm]

16. You don't know Kerry.

Kerry was ostracized by most of Washington for his dogged investigations.

>>>>>
Kerry and the Iran-Contra Fight
Before the conventional wisdom sets in on Kerry as some kind of careful pol with no bite, folks should reach back and remember his role back in the 1980s in challenging the whole Reagan administration ties to money laundering, drug running and the Contras down in Central America. Kerry was willing for years to face down the CIA, the Justice Department and narco-terrorists in pursuing the dirty dealings of the Reagan-North network of rightwing drug-linked paramilitaries.

http://www.nathannewman.org/log/archives/000945.shtml

[pnziii]

17. Iran-Contra????????

Do you really think the American public remembers Kerry was dogged 20+ years ago? I think average America will see Kerry as a Liberal New Englander from Taxachussets.

[bigtree]

26. Those who forget (or ignore) their history

are doomed to repeat it.

[TopesJunkie]

18. Kerry is more like Dukakis --

The "safe" choice that doesn't stand a chance come November.

[mastein]

19. Tsongas lost Iowa to Harkin

As I recall, the finish order was Harkin, Tsongas, #3 who I forgot, and #4 Clinton (at about 4%)

[Freddie Stubbs]

23. Iowa '92 was a homestate guy landslide

You can't beat a candidate in the primary in his homestate unless he is very weak.

[demon67]

20. Here is the math

Tsongas = McCain + (Bill Bradley - 18 inches)
Kerry = Dukakis + Lincoln - (1 beard + 1 hat)
Edwards = Clinton - Lewinsky
Clark = Perot + Eisenhauer
Dean = Truman + Rowdy Roddy Piper

[Jack_Dawson]

21. LOL!

Rowdy Roddy Piper - now you're dating yourself.

[robsul82]

22. Hahahaha...

Lieberman - George W. Bush + Star of David.

I'd say Dean's more Ric Flair than Piper, but OK.

Later.

RJS

[liberalhistorian]

25. Tsongas was 1992's

version of Lieberman, which is why he lost big-time then and why Lieberman is losing big-time now.

I think Tsongas sunk his campaign for good when he complained about Dems wanting to give the middle-class a tax break, saying the country couldn't afford it, while saying nothing at all about the huge breaks King George I, aka Poppy Bush, was giving his fat cat corporate and elite friends. He also had the philosophy that people should put up with any shit employers gave them because you "cannot love employment and hate employers", and he was against a lot of labor and pro-worker employment legislation. Given the sucky economy and job market at the time (better than now, though), people were in no mood to hear that garbage. In short, another repuke-lite.