James Boyce (best pro-Kerry blogger on HuffPo)

[whometense]

has a new post up. He must have been there too:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-boyce/john-kerry-gets-his-voice_b_19621.html

John Kerry Gets His Voice Back. (6 comments )

READ MORE: Rep. John Murtha, Afghanistan, Saddam Hussein, Global Warming, George W. Bush, Iraq, Dick Cheney, Al Gore, CIA, Supreme Court

The truth is, I wasn't expecting much from the speech. It was billed as a discussion on dissent and patriotism. It was in the same hall where John Kerry conceded on November 3, 2004. Other than the opportunity to meet with the usual suspects from the Kerry Campaign, I walked into Fanueil Hall with low expectations.

But a funny thing happened.

After a young Iraqi veteran named John Powers told his story, and it's quite a story, a remarkable woman named Judy Droz Keyes told hers. Her husband actually did serve with John Kerry in Vietnam (unlike say you're average Rovian Swift Boater) but her husband didn't come back - and it still brings tears to her eyes. She introduced John Kerry, he obviously cares deeply about her, there was a moment of reflection and the speech was on.

You know what? John Kerry was good. Very good. He spoke clearly and with convinction - he understands what needs to be done and he is intent on doing it. it reminded me of Iowa or the first debate in Miami or, most sadly of all, his concession speech. Sure, there was a little too much history lesson for me, it was a few minutes long, and could have used a little tightening up.

But here are two thoughts and then I'll leave you with the speech - you can decide for yourself.

The first is that I hope that whether John Kerry runs again or not, I hope that a lot of people get to see him just like the crowd did yesterday. Smart, intelligent, personally engaged, committed and honest. That's what the people in Iowa saw - that's why he was the nominee - John Kerry came back from a political deathbed in late 2003 and won - no one handed it to him - he won it.

The second is that whether you're a John Kerry fan or not, the Democratic Party needs leaders. We need Ted Kennedy speaking out on Health Care - we need Al Gore speaking out on Global Warming. And we need John Kerry and John Murtha speaking out about the War in Iraq. Let's worry less about figuring out who the one leader should be or is and who the nominee will be or won't be and celebrate the leaders we have.

Do I wish that John Kerry had found his voice earlier? Sure I do. And there were plenty of other Kerry Campaign veterans in the hall yesterday who wished the same thing. Am I glad that finally I know John Kerry's voice isn't gone forever? You better believe it...

[sandnsea]

1. Interesting on Judy Droz

Once again, how can these people claim to have paid attention to the Swift Boat response when they don't know she was one of many who spoke out in August of 2004. Or at least he doesn't appear to know that, I'd think he would have mentioned it if he did.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/bush/articles/2004/08/27/kerrys_medals_were_deserved_says_widow_of_slain_comrade/

And if this is the best pro-Kerry blogger, well, yoiks!!!

[whometense]

3. Unfortunately,

he is the best pro-Kerry voice there.

A little too much "kool kid" in there for me, too.

[sandnsea]

4. Oh I believe you

Just, like I said, yoiks!! I'm afraid some of these young bloggers are becoming the same kind of arrogant snits that are rampant in our liberal magazines too.

[ProSense]

5. I agree. It may be Boyce is trying to appeal to this Huff group:

Scavengers!


"Voice back" plays into the spin.

[kerrygoddess]

2. He could have left

the whining of the woulda - coulda - shoulda, and too much history out!

[Dr Ron]

6. Best or only?

There are certainly some things which we'd say differently, but for the most part he's been backing Kerry pretty consistenlty there. Unfortunatley I don't see anyone else backing Kerry very often.

The one other case I can think of is Tom Hayden having some favorable things to say about Kerry's Iraq opposition; As I only read Huffington sporatically I might miss some other pro-Kerry posts.

[ginnyinWI]

7. He made one really good point

We need every Dem leader to stand up and speak out on something, because there are plenty of issues to go around. Each person should specialize in one or two of them so that all get coverage.

[ProSense]

8. Hahahahahahahahaha

Found in comments:

Personally I'd like to see Kerry moonlight as a speechwriter, and provide these brilliantly constructed dissertations to another candidate with political backbone, workingman affability, street smarts, and less negative baggage than Kerry has accumulated over his many years in the arena. The combination would be hard to beat.

Some really good comments:

From a fellow Vietnam Veteran, I say, "Thank You John Kerry, and keep up the good fight."

I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH VAL, TOO!!

You know, guys, if all the votes had been counted as submitted, John Kerry would already be President, that is if he'd beaten Al Gore who really won in 2000. Yeah, I know, I'm a conspiracy theorist, but the world, as well as old Val, here, will someday come to the realization that this is all true, and what we've experienced since January 21, 2001 was simply a "CREATED REALITY!"

Probably Val, and GEAH, and JonQuixote, and BooBoy, and the myriad other Trolls sent here to dissent and dissuade will NEVER ADMIT THE TRUTH, the Truth will remain all the same.

But, John Kerry has never wavered, not even once, from his beliefs and will most likely be the primary player in whatever rebuilding effort America undertakes to put this BushMess behind us.

It's not too late to recover, unless, maybe, somebody drops the big one on Iran.

Please, General, whoever you are, please do something to put an end to this insanity!

I also strongly disagree with Val. Strongly. I am Canadian, and I closely watched the entire '04 election from start to finish...and I don't blame John Kerry for Bush winning. I blame the uninformed, incredulous dopes who voted for Bush! Kerry was the perfect candidate! He couldn't have whipped his ass more in those debates. He's smart, thoughtful, and yes maybe somewhat 'wooden' or 'plastic'...but he's a goddamn politican!!!!! You want Murtha! Jack Murtha, to run on a national ticket!! That just shows how divorced you are from reality. Look, I agree that it's great that Murtha has been critical of the war, but why do people here have to deify him? Do you, Val, know anything about Murtha other than that he's an old hawk who thinks the war has gone bad? I do know about John Kerry. I know he fought to end the Vietnam war, and was perfectly honest about American atrocities. That might make some spineless democrats think that he might not be the right 'candidate', but I think it would make him an excellent president. KERRY/GORE '08!!!!!

[karynnj]

9. The first one could cause "pulling out hair"

How many threads a week are there that Kerry can't speak. I have seen DU posts comparing him negatively to Clinton (who was charismatic - but is there a speech of his that could make the 100 best speeches of the 20thcentury? ), Edwards (whose followers have posted should have taught Kerry to speak eloquently) and even this week as a comment on this speech , Al Gore( who could teach Kerry to speak so America could understand).

Who precisely could this candidate be: political backbone, workingman affability, street smarts, and less negative baggage than Kerry. I can rule out almost all of them (some I don't know enough). Also, the brillant comments may not fit many others. It really is uniquely Kerry.

The funny think is that if this person could put aside personal bias, we'ld have a new Kerrycrat. This speech more than most is at it's heart, Kerry.

[ProSense]

10. A Kerrycrat, LOL! n/t