Reply #29: True, the other side would have made a fuss [View All]

and that may have backfired on Kerry. Perhaps Kerry really IS playing a trump card by staying low-key. I dearly hope you are right, although my skepticism is skyrocketing.

The thing about Gore was that we did SEE him fighting, yes, but not as vociferously as many wished! Had he conceded early, I believe he would have lost both the election AND his credibility.

Jon Stewart had it right when he was on Crossfire and talked about the freedom Al Sharpton and others had in their campaigns. They knew they weren't going to win the election, so they could really speak their minds. It's the paradox that keeps so many Democrats from gaining strength -- by constantly playing it safe, they're not speaking truth to power and therefore will have less of a platform as effective leaders.

I come back to my hunch that Kerry is just the same -- a politician who believes that to stay in the game, you have to play it safe. Now he's got his sites on 2008. That doesn't work for me, and many other Americans who are looking for bold leadership. I won't consider voting for Kerry again unless he has redeemed himself by proving that he didn't abandon those who voted for him. And, given his track record, I think that probability doesn't exist. I hope he surprises me, but I wouldn't bet on it.