Kerry's Thanks(for)giving

Sorry to say, but I agree with the sentiments expressed in Matt Miller's column (excerpted below). Many may not, but it does express how many of us truly feel.

I understand that John Kerry may have even won this election...and of that, I have no real doubts. The problem, you see, is that John Kerry, if he did win, didn't because of who he was....as much as who he wasn't.

Although I have heard and read Kerry supporters say that Kerry won the next to most votes ever, and that makes him a likely candidate for 2008....they are not taking into account that many of the votes that John Kerry got were cast to get Bush out of office and save our nation from certain disaster.

John Kerry wasn't able to deliver and for this I am sorry. What I hope it that it is not expected of me to ever have to cast another vote at another time for John Kerry as a presidential anything. He had his chance with all of the possible resources that came with what some have called "the most important election in our lifetime".
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http://www.mattmilleronline.com/columns.php?id=121
KERRY'S THANKS (FOR) GIVING
by Matt Miller(author of the Two Percent Solution)

Nov 24th, 2004
snip...
"Dear Matt," it began, before "personally" thanking me for having transformed American politics. But there was more: John Kerry was writing to say he'll fight on. "This is not a time for Democrats to retreat ... it is a time to stand firm." And JFK's New Firmness will debut when he introduces a bill on the first day Congress is in session next year to provide every child in America health insurance - a call for action that (in affecting 8 million people) would be nearly one-fifth as ambitious as Richard Nixon's plan for universal health coverage from the early 1970s!

This should be a real public policy breakthrough in a Senate that now boasts 44 Democrats thanks to John Kerry's coattails.

"Normally," Kerry confided, "a member of the Senate will first approach other senators and ask them to cosponsor a bill before it is introduced - instead, I am turning to you." By just signing the "Every Child Protected Pledge" at the link nearby and passing it on to everyone I know, why, we'd transform American politics once again!

"I understand the strength, commitment and passion that are at the core of (ITALICS)what we built together(END ITALICS)," Kerry concluded (my italics). "Let's roll up our sleeves and get back to work for our country."

It's hard to describe the boiling this e-mail set off in my brain as the words rushed to escape in a volcanic, primal scream. "YOU ARE NOT MY LEADER!" I finally burst out. "I AM NOT FOLLOWING YOU. IT WAS NEVER ABOUT YOU! EVER! IT WAS ABOUT BEATING BUSH! DO YOU REALLY NOT GET THAT?"

My wife, as usual, was more practical. "I WANT MY MONEY BACK!" she screamed.

Continued....(the best parts are here.... http://www.mattmilleronline.com/columns.php?id=121 )
about the author.... http://www.mattmilleronline.com/about.php

My support for Kerry was also mostly about getting rid of bush. However I have no problem with him trying to go this root. He is trying to give people more power in the process. That exactly what DFA is about and I applaud anyone who wants to go in that direction.

have you not heard, HE IS still fighting to have every vote counted. There are 17,000 lawyers and countless grassroots efforts to get the job done. I think Kerry is quite admirable for realizing that IF we cannot overturn the election. HE IS READY, WILLING, AND ABLE TO FIGHT TO HAVE OUR VOICES HEARD THROUGH THE POLITICAL POST HE ALREADY HOLDS! What is wrong with you people? Are you saying Kerry should roll over and play dead if we can't overturn the election results? How foolish is that?

:mad: Words cannot express the disappointment I feel over this lame demand for your money back. The goal is to get America on the right track. Don't let the repubs win the battle to divide us! As a result of this thread I am donating right now!

Both to the party and this website!

You are aware that third candidates were denied the right to recount "as they have no chance of altering result" - right?

Of this?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2753687

That's a bit too convenient.

I couldn't tell. I posted a comment, and it seemed to go through, but I have my doubts. Anyway, my comments to him were:

"I'm sorry you feel that way Matt. I'm sorry you don't feel John Kerry is your leader. I would hope that you could see a good idea and act on it, regardless of who was making the suggestion, rather than focusing on your disappointment at the election and forming a circular firing squad with Kerry at the center.

Rather than whining and crying and racing to the next candidate we think is "electable", we need to stand up for the people that the Democrats have always stood for. People still need jobs, health care, security and a voting process we can believe in.

I for one don't plan to be a fair-weather friend. I believe John Kerry would make a great president. That conviction hasn't changed with the results of this election.

Mind you, this election was a travasty of, if not outright fraud, then a whole lot of voter suppression and shameful practices that do not scream "moral values" to me at least. I have no doubt that if any of it could be proven in a court of law, Kerry the prosecutor would be right in there fighting the good fight.

But I fear that if electronic voting is to blame, then proof will be hard to come by. I feel no need to see my candidate fall on his sword as proof that he's still fighting for us. I have no use for a "Gored" candidate. A romantic hero going down in flames can no longer fight. I need Kerry still politically alive to fight another day.

Circumstancial evidence isn't going to win the day. I can hold out hope against hope for recounts in Ohio, but even if by some miracle Kerry would win the state, he'd still has the deficit in the popular vote, and the Republican majority in the government to contend with. Anything that went wrong from here on out would be blamed on him. Now, as bad as it is likely to get, the Republicans will have no one to blame but themselves. Like the Roman Empire, they may have gotten too big for their breeches. I already see signs of dissent within their ranks. I expect that to grow.

Maybe Kerry hasn't been your leader up to this point. But all he's doing in that letter you quoted is to ask you and everyone who voted for him in this election to join him now to fight for things like health care for children and fair election practices. It's a positive step, if nothing else, and has a lovely grassroots feeling about it.

Personally, I love that he's starting with this particular issue. Just as Bush supporters would look at us and ask "Why do you hate the president? Why do you hate America?" I look forward to asking "Why do you hate children?" How does one stand against such an issue without looking like a complete ass.

Regardless of the outcome of the election, the Democratic Party is floundering. In our leaderless state, I'll follow someone with a plan willing to stand up for Democratic values. I'll follow someone who is not speaking the language of compromise (as Clinton did at his Library opening), or voting counter-intuitively, as Sen. Clinton did in voting for an appropriations bill with an anti-abortion rider attached.

Kerry is the only one with power so far that I've heard say we need to fight the Bush agenda and stand up for our values, not back away from them in an attempt to find "electable" values.

"This is not a time for Democrats to retreat and accommodate extremists on critical principles -- it is a time to stand firm," he said.

Why is that wrong? Why, even if you were an "Anybody But Bush" person before, can't you give even minimal support to someone is willing to use the position he still possesses to fight?

I am indeed a Kerry supporter. Oh, I didn't start out that way. I liked Clark in the primaries. It took me a awfully long time to turn in Kerry's direction, but when I did I found a man with integrity that I was proud to support. I could not rely on the mainstream media to tell me about the guy. I had to dig it up for myself for the most part. He's not a "love at first sight" kind of guy to be sure. But he does have a tendancy to grow on one after a while.

I don't care if this year's ABBs are with me next time or not, I will work and vote for Kerry again in 2008 if he decides to run. And as long as he shows sincere signs of fight in the meantime, I will support his efforts.

But, hey, that's just me. You do what you like."