must read! James Boyce at Huffpo on Kerry and Gore

[ginnyinWI]

...and why they are our best candidates for 2008. And the dangers of believing consultants!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-boyce/2008-only-a-loser-can-wi_b_19839.html

Al Gore not talking about the environment means it's not really Al Gore talking - the environment is his passion - his soul - and what makes him real. John Kerry not talking about veterans, and war, and international relations and patriotic dissent, takes him away from everything that made him the person he is. It's not about polling, it's about authenticity and being true to yourself. This doesn't show up in a focus group of undecided voters in Florida, but the lesson comes through loud and clear on the first Tuesday in November.

Should Al Gore and John Kerry have known better? Yes. Does the buck for their respective losses stop with them and no one else? Absolutely. But what if each man decides to run again? How should we judge them?

I believe that only those who have gone through the vortex of a Presidential Campaign can truly appreciate the enormous physical, mental and emotional toll it takes, and only those who have done it and lost, can truly understand what it takes to win.

Trust me, you might not believe that Al Gore and John Kerry know much, and you have every right to be angry at them for losing and you have every right to disagree with my premise, not to mention that the fact that I fully admit I would support and work with John Kerry first in 2008 and if he doesn't run, I'm going to try and convince Al Gore to run - but please, take it from someone who survived, barely, the 2004 election, these two men who lost everything, they know how to win.

[wisteria]

1. Nice, real nice. I include myself in that survived barely category.

it is wonderful to see the support. I am with him.

[TayTay]

2. WOW! That was awesome.

And so very, very true. (especially the part about keeping people who genuinely care about you close and making sure the barnicles are kept away. The negativity of some Dems is just so friggin toxic it's amazing we have any Dems left after putting up with that bullshit.)

Wow! I am printing this out and keeping it near. Great, great read.

[ginnyinWI]

3. yes, and I have no doubt at all that

JK has learned those particular lessons very well. Yes it's a good one to pull out for those "we need a fresh face" people.

[TayTay]

7. This is part of the reason I am so excited about the Mass Gov's race

this year. There are a ton of people who worked on the '04 races who will be applying those lesosns to Massachusetts this fall.

I. Can't. Wait.

Go get 'em people.

The Rethugs fight like bastards. They lie, they cheat and they do whatever it takes to win. And when they do win they use words and imagery like Grover Norquist did that talks about their opponents basically being castrated and passive now. I hate these people.

They do not play well with others. Lesson learned. no mas.

no mas.

[karynnj]

4. I posted

This really is an excellent blog. I think we're all with him on barely survived.

[ginnyinWI]

5. did your post show up?

Mine never do.:( Maybe you have a different ID there. Or maybe you could just post here what you said?

[karynnj]

6. Nope, I'm not trusted

As usual the Kerry posts are few - annoying as we know they were sent. (I'm half tempted next time to see what happens with say a po-Feingold post.

I mainly said I was fortunate to see Saturday's speech - Boyce was right - speech that deserves to be in the history books.

I assume it will be posted tomorrow.

[TayTay]

8. He was at that speech on Sat too?

Pretty soon this thing is going to start sounding like Woodstock. There were 4,000 people there in a Hall that fit 500 (crammed in.)

Wow. DU had about 16 people there, including us. We met a really really nice woman who was from Nurses for Kerry and her friend. We asked her friend what she thought and she said that it was a good speech and she was glad that she got to hear the Sen. speak, espcially since he is such a 'cutie.' Sigh! Another one. (Honest, I have witnesses.) Rox's friend had a conversion experience. (Rox? Is this right?)

There were 5 from firedoglake. WillPitt, Boyce. I'm telling ya, in a couple of months it will be like Woodstock, everyone was there.

[karynnj]

12. I think you're right about Rox's friend

We were all sitting one row ahead of them. Afterwards, I heard Rox saying things like, "He's always said...." So, yeah, it sounded like a conversion. I just wish the speech got the play it really deserved. Though from past experience, I assume we will hear refrains from it in speeches given in the future.

I think Boyce is right these are issues close to his heart and he speaks with incredible clarity on them. I also think Kerry did do a hugh amount of Bush bashing in at least the last month of the campaign - so I think he was getting it right at the end. He clearly was speaking from the heart when he spoke of the explosives from the unguarged amno dumps being trown "at our kids" That was the very end of the campaign - till the OBL tape came. Without that tape, the end of the campaign would have been Kerry referring very naturally to the soldiers as "our kids" and the plans exposed them to needless risk.

Kerry speaking at the PTSD event was the same. I do think though that there are domestic issues that are from Kerry's heart too - the environment (not specifically global warming), kids' health and welfare, and small businesses are three examples. (Putting all of these together, really shows how wide his interests are and why he was so good at the debates - almost everything hits an interest area.)

[rox63]

13. Yep, it was a conversion :-)

Laurie was blown away by the speech. She was amazed to see someone stand up in front of the people and tell the truth. She also said the whole experience was kind of attending like a rock concert.

Of course, I had to hit her with "Going Upriver" that same evening. And I think that cemented her position as a new-born Kerrycrat. :)

[karynnj]

15. Great going

by the way, it was nice to meet both of you. (I heard some of your comments when we were all standing at the end after Kerry left and everyone was slowly leaving.)

It must have been a really interesting combination - seeing the speeches (of the 27 yr old Iraq war veteran, Judy Droz Keyes, and Kerry) then the movie that had the 27 yr old Vietnam Veteran speaking.

[TayTay]

21. Yeah, she had that look of the newly converted

Our Senator really is quite good. I am always surprised when Mass residents rediscover this. Ahm, really, pay attention. There are a certain number of people in here who have finally convinced me that it might be alright to sort of, well, not brag, but allow for the possibility that Massachusetts is quite lucky to have him, but not in an 'in your face' kind of way. (Sandy, is that progress for me or what?)

Really, he is quote good and always has been. Honest. Swear to God, cross pinkies, I really mean it.

[Luftmensch067]

23. Awesome that you showed her Going Upriver!

I loved seeing you both and do please tell her we'd love to see her thoughts here if she ever feels like posting!

[sandnsea]

14. Nurses for Kerry?

If it was someone named Maura, yeah, very nice lady. If it was someone named Kathy, from PA, er... RUUUNN!!!!

Sounds like the good Senator has definitely tossed a pebble though, and it is rippling! Yeah!!!

[MH1]

19. It was Maura.

She was very nice. Introduced me to Marvin and I got a big ol' hug. :D

[ProSense]

9. This is posted at Yahoo!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20060426/cm_huffpost/019839

[ginnyinWI]

10. wow--I'm shocked!

Something's happening...a sea change? I rated it up.

[emulatorloo]

11. Thanks -- another snip

<snip>

3. "I'm doing it my way."

Both Al Gore and John Kerry followed the path they believed they were supposed to follow. They are smart men who followed conventional wisdom and history and did everything they thought they were supposed to do - and both men lost elections they should have easily won.

This time around, both men would do what they want, when they want. They would speak about what they want, when they want and how they want. Their campaigns would be set up where they want.

Should both men have done it their way the first time around? Maybe. But you have to understand - imagine going to the people you think are the best doctors in the world and they all tell you your leg will get better if you wear a brace, are you going to wear the brace? Sure. But if your leg gets worse not better, are you going to take it off? Exactly.

<snip>

[sandnsea]

16. Pretty good stuff in there

I personally still don't think we have to set out to run scorched earth campaigns. We just have to be willing to run them, and know that they're going to be run by the right wing. The fact that we have any Senate candidate that still doesn't know that... :scared:

I mostly liked his point about using the media, tv advertising is a branding tool. I also didn't know the record on amounts spent on tv, that kind of knocks out the complaint about Kerry not spending enough.

And it's good they're naming names. I've PM'd a couple people about that, not Boyce obviously, but others. I've seen Mike McCurry, Tad Devine and Steve McMahon named recently. Good, and we ought to keep track of what they're doing so we can knock it down when these guys are the Dem strategists quoted in the media.

[Island Blue]

17. This is absolutely right on the money.

If JK runs again I hope he surrounds himself with people who genuinely care about HIM and his vision for the nation, rather than depend too on hired-guns who obviously care about the country, but who are also out to make a living. I think I know a few people he could hire who would fit that description by the way ... I'm just sayin'.

I think it's obvious that Kerry now knows that putting too much faith in consultants was one of the weaknesses of his campaign. Since shedding them in '04, he seems to be going for broke. His speaking out about Iraq and other issues as publicly as he's done could come back to bite him in the ass (I don't think it will, but it could). He seems compelled though to do the right thing, '08 be damned and for that he will always have my loyalty. He seem fearless.

At this point, Kerry and Gore are the only two people I would happily vote for. Whoever wins better be a grown up with lots of handi-wipes because there's going to be one ginormous to clean up in Washington.

[Inuca]

20. Great post!

Not much to add, just felt the need to say "me too". I 100% agree with what you said, including the Kerry/Gore alternatives... I sometimes daydream about an unconventional alliance between the two of them, stating BEFORE the primaries that if one of them wins the nomination, he will nominate the other as VP, and let the voters in the primaries chose the order of the ticket. I guess this is outside the realm of the possible, but wouldn't be nice?

[ginnyinWI]

22. we can dream.

If any such agreement went down between them, it would probably be kept quiet during the campaign.

[Inuca]

24. I guess so...

But my daydream is for the voters to know that that by voting for one or the other thry would still get BOTH. Wouldn't that be nice? Not to mention the poetic justice of it all... I'll keep dreaming, it cheers me up...

[ray of light]

18. wow! I love it. I'll have to bookmark it. :)