When I come upon a thread in DU that is anti-Kerry --

-- especially the ones that question his campaign savvy or his toughness or his smarts, etc. -- I feel something like I did back in high school when something was said against one of my friends.

This is pure fiction to say I'm related to the man, but my appreciation for John Kerry is a lot more than just the sum total of his career in public service. That would be more than enough to win my vote again, but there's more to him that I like than just that.

Had someone like John Kerry been my older brother, my life would have been affected and impacted so positively as to have changed it outright. I think the emotion of learning something from someone and holding a body-deep abiding respect for that person can be felt whether you're 8 or 108.

That's the source of my respect and admiration for John Kerry. I like most of our other possible Democratic candidates but should Kerry wind up our nominee, I'll donate still more money and way more time to make sure he gets there this time.

I remember the day after the election they announced Sen Kerry would be delivering his concession speech over the intercom at school and a bunch of idiots started chanting a "Four More Years" chant and I was so pissed off. I started screaming all of you hicks don't no shit about this country.

Also the day of the elction at school everybody was all excited and there was posters over the walls of who to vote for and one said,"Vote for George W Bush, then said Sen. Kerry shot himself in the foot to recieve a Purple Heart" and I ripped it off the wall in front of everybody and stepped on it and I ended up getting a detention.

I guess people dont understand that at fifteen years old I could be that much into Politics and John Kerry is truly my idol. I feel closer to him than I do my own Grandpa and sometimes think I like him better than my grandpa.

That was both really great and greatly funny. Thanks Corey! Ahm, well he will be 64 if he runs nationally again, so I guess this is fair.

And thanks for being so involved. America needs people like you. Don't give up!

What's more, I love what you have to say here.

Many thanks for that.

& hang in there. We're with you.

he went to a school attended by mostly wealthy Republican Conservatives. his aunt paid for the school as his own parents didn't have money for it and he was also a Catholic in a mostly Protestant school.

he loved when John Kennedy ran and became President and we all know how much he admired him as you do Kerry.

so next time the bush supporting kids attack Kerry just remember that Kerry himself went through something similar.

It's so silly. In this one respect (and this one only) I wish Dems would take a page from the Repub playbook and respect their past nominees. It's annoying that so many Dems are willing to trash their own. And it's especially annoying this year when Kerry has been a real workhorse for Dem values and his votes and courage in Congress has been so compelling. (The Condiliar votes, ANWR, KidsComeFirst health care, standing up for Veteran benefits, voting against the anti-middle class Bankruptcy bill and so forth. That is a sterling record that is second to none in Congress.)

As I have probably said adnauseum, I am deeply impressed with John Kerry lately. In another thread someone gently upbraided us Massholes for being a teensy bit critical of our Junior Senator. (We were noting a new fire in Kerry, others said they have always seen that fire.) There is some truth to that. We are spoiled, I guess. But I hope I am not so spoiled that I can't see that the Gentleman from Massachusetts has been doing what he said he would do during the campaign. He hasn't quit. He's fulfilling his promises to the 59 million folks who voted for him. And he is doing a great job. And I am very proud of him for not fading away and working through what must be a very painful period.

Can I pick one nit? I would like my Junior Senator to come home and do a town hall session or something near me. There I said it and have revealed myself to be selfish. But I would like this. I would like to see him do a Social Security Town Hall with Teddy K near me. A good old-fashioned rally would also be nice. Maybe when the weather gets better Sigh! (I feel neglected. Quick someone say something to make me feel better.)

You can have my Senator come see ya!! Want him, huh huh???

Although, Wyden must have seen my fire extinguisher comment. Did you see he was one of the Senators that made a fuss about Terri Schiavo?? Couple of other pretty good moves last week too. Knock me over with a feather. Perhaps being a teensy bit critical of their Senators isn't limited to Massholes. :)

Is he a DINO? He voted progressive during the Budget bill session, I think. What's his problem? I saw that the Repub Sen from Oregon sponsored the amendment that put the Medicaid money back into the budget. Are Oregon's Senatorial representatives more moderate than the electorate at large?

(And I do want Kerry to come home. I am miffed that he missed the St. Pat's breakfast. However, as I am obviously a nutcase, I am also miffed at the Breakfast for not having any people of color get up and tell bad jokes. Sigh! I was feeling a bit neglected; after all certain people have gone to New York City to fight for Social Security. What am I, chopped liver?)

Wyden's progressive, for the most part. Then he'll just flip when you need him most, like on Healthy Forests and the Medicare bill. But then, I think everybody in Oregon voted for Healthy Forests. We had to have something. Smith is a Mormon Republican who runs as a moderate. Every now and then I think they let him have a liberal vote to fool the people with. In 2006, he gets to run on ANWR and saving Medicaid. He really shouldn't have to make another liberal vote for the next 2 years. Health care and the environment, that's about all Oregon Dems and Greens pay attention to. The war, but I don't think anybody here ran against the war. Although my Congressman voted against IWR, but I don't think many people knew that or cared. Voters are fickle, I've figured that out.

I don't blame you for wanting Kerry to come home, he is your Senator after all. You guys have dibs, sad for the rest of us. :cry:

said that in April & May he is embarking on a 20 city tour to promote the KidsFirst HealthCare initiative. You may see him before we do!

I am just being selfish. But I want to see my Senators once in a while. Especially on red meat issues like Social Security. It would be nice for them to have a forum somewhere and go after Bush in the Bay State. I would love that!

Well I spent all of election day helping the Kerry campaign from 7 in the morning till like 10 at night. And then the next day I stayed home literally crying, and sick to my stomach. I watched Kerry's concession speech and just laid their crying. Went to school the next day, and to my surprise people shaked my hand and told me even though they didn't like Kerry they knew I truly saw the best in him and pushed really hard for him. That really helped me, and inspired me to open John Kerry For America.

I would never bash John Kerry. He's my hero, and idol. Our generations JFK...literally

Let's get those Republicans out of there next time.

I stood in the reception area of my job and cried when I saw Kerry's concession speech. He stood for the values of so many, knew what this country needed and how to fix it. I could never, ever bash him. He has always done what he thought is right, no matter what scorn others might place on him for that.

The thing that does make me happy is that he is still fighting for us. He hasn't stopped, and is doing his best to bring to fruition all the things he talked about in his campaign.

He is my hero.

I have this loyalty to JK that just won't quit. Maybe because what he said during the campaign seemed so right to me--so true. Maybe because he inspires trust, something you don't see often in a politician. From everything I've heard him say and seen him do, I trust his values and trust him to do the right thing always. You don't find a political leader like this very often. If some day he does win the presidency, I'll feel like I have a true friend in the White House. I know I have one in the Senate right now. :)

A big reason why I've retreated to this board for posting and lurking in a *few* harmless interest-related places.

It is, though. When I read that kind of ignorant juvenile stuff, it's like the person has personally spat in my face and I truly don't trust myself to make a civil, comprehensible response. People who know me personally know that my middle finger is quite flexible and gets a workout just about every time I drive in city traffic, when people do things so stupid that it's the only way I can release the frustration and stress. It's like that when somebody bashes John Kerry. I take it personally.

One thing that frustrates me about having to explain to people who don't "get him" but who seem to actually want to know why I'm so loyal is that my own explanations aren't strictly true. I mean I'll say things about how his values are superb, his record is stellar, he cares about issues that I also care about, and he has these two dynamic sides--the nice tenderhearted guy and the driven, obsessive-compulsive ass-kicker--that work together very well. And all of that is true, but to be honest, it only reinforces why I'm loyal to the man, not why the loyalty started in the first place. There was just this aura of trustworthiness and goodness about him that I sensed, resulting in something that was much more of an emotional reaction than a logical decision. It's very hard to explain that to a person who hasn't experienced it.

For what it's worth, I think you just explained my reaction to Kerry better than I've been able to explain it to myself. I've listed the analytical, logical reasons why I was so enthusiastic that he could become President - because I tend to down play any emotional reasons as somehow less valid. But, reading what you're saying I agree that it was (and is) emotional as well.

Something about him makes me abandon cynicism and accept that he is someone we can trust. This feeling is backed substantially by things he has done over his life, but it goes beyond that. (In fact there were posts where I originally wrote that JK was the most trustworthy, decent candidate of my life time - that I then went back to edit in "except maybe Jimmy Carter" . My initial post was what I emotionally felt, the edit was when I intellectually looked at it.)

I wonder if some of the reporters who have been tough on him may in fact be almost uncomfortable that they feel some of this too, and faced with having to give up some of their world view that all politicians are phony, they chose instead to put Kerry under a magnifying glass in an attempt to find flaws that they would ignore in anyone else.