November 3rd, 2004
The Columbia Journalism Review‘s Campaign Desk continues to embarrass itself. They wrote a long, indignant post early this morning insisting that the race is “too close to call” and castigating Fox, NBC, and MSNBC for doing so. This is nonsense. The proof, of course, is that nothing has changed since last night and Kerry is nonetheless conceding the race. Will the Campaign Desk now jump all over John Kerry for his reckless “rush to judgment”?
The other, bigger news is that Kerry is conceding. Good for him. John Kerry ran this whole race on borrowed time. He was left for dead just a few days before the Iowa caucuses and he shocked the world with an amazing comeback. All things considered, he ran a good and honorable campaign. Today he leaves the Democratic party beaten, but, I would argue, in better shape than it was last winter when he rescued it from Howard Dean.
He ran a good race, and is now passing the test of defeat. If his concession speech is as gracious as I think it will be, then I think he’ll deserve to be remembered fondly by America.
I hope the rest of America will applaud Sen. Kerry and thank him for his service. We tend to forget that even people who lose elections are doing good work for our republic. John Kerry deserves our gratitude and well-wishes.
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what i fail to still understand in all of this is what is it that bush will do for this country which makes him more of an american? i ask this with the utmost respect and sincerity. i no longer understand, besides birth, who is and is not an american. i can not grasp the state of mind of a true american. who is the quintessential american?
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Umm…I disagree with the idea of thanking Kerry and wishing him well. He ran a very dishonest campaign. He hid behind his sealed military records…his less than honorable discharge and America deserves to know why. He never stood for any single issue longer than it took to travel to the next podium. He raped and plundered black churches. Stood up and admitted to his litmus test on federal judges in the name of irresponsibility and murder of the unborn. I could go on and on. Let him disappear into historical oblivion along with the 60’s & 70’s.
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I agree Drew,His campaign was indeed dishonest on Tora Bora, jobs, economy, and additionally, he never answered questions about his anti-war activities, never explained his reasoning for voting for the Iraq war then not funding it, never explained why he himself thought Saddam was a threat in his rhetoric of 2002. Why didn’t he explain why he voted against the first Gulf War when it was obvious the “global test” had been applied and he still refused to take down Saddam.So even with a “global test” John Kerry couldn’t be depended upon to make the big, tough decisions.I feel anybody owes Kerry anything for “graciously” bowing out right now. He ran a dishonest campaign full of unsubstantiated rhetoric and the US/World media aiming for Bush, yet he didn’t pull it out…Thankfully.Now he will probably follow in “Uncle” Teddy’s footsteps and live his life out as a Senator after failing to win the Presidency.
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I’ll come to Jonathan’s defense to a degree (though I do not share his unnatural Kerry lust).Kerry did the right thing in the manner in which he conceded (though it could have been timelier…it was clear late last night that they were done). His campaign was nasty, insinuating, vacillating, dishonest, disfigured American Catholicism, and cultivated some of the fever swamps in politics. He deserves no good memory for that. However, given the Gore precedent, he could have made this a lot uglier than he did. Just listen to Edwards’ speech to hear a faint echo of the rancor that could have been.So as bad a candidate as he was, he was a good loser. That’s worth a thank you, even if we can simultaneously be glad to see the back of the man and recall his candidacy with odium.
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Well, Anonymous, I believe you are being very naive. Considering you listed his various examples of subterfuge, how can you possibly take him serious?Do you honestly believe he will NOT continue with liberal filibustering when Bush attempts to appoint Supreme Court Justices?This man cannot be given a single ounce of any benefit of doubt until he PROVES HIMSELF!!!PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW YOUR COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVISM to blind you as the old media has done with a good portion of America. Pray to the good Lord that Kerry learned something from this experience. And perhaps he will get a thank you from me in another 20 years.
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Well, Drew, I don’t take Kerry seriously. I believe he will likely return to reactionary liberalism in the Senate. I think he’s a pretty dreadful person, callow, with a boundless sense of entitlement, and a preening moral vanity and inability to reconsider any decision he’s ever made. He thinks he’s the smartest, best guy who ever lived.BUT, what I’m saying is that in this instance, for whatever reason, he did the right thing. I don’t know if I’d piss on him if he were on fire, but this one action goes into the credit column. He could have pulled a Gore, and one gets the sense that Edwards wouldn’t have minded doing so. But Kerry, to his credit (even if it’s the sole credit you give him ever), did the right thing in not dragging this thing out. (Though, as I said, he should have done so last night.) Even if he only did it because he thought the cause was hopeless. I don’t care why he did it or what evil may lurk in his heart, but the action was correct. So I credit it to him. Even if I’m not likely to agree with him again during his public life.
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Yes, I agree to “credit” but with some serious reservations. Was it just common sense or was he being a man about it? I think he showed some red, white and blue emotion is his appeal for America to unite but I don’t trust his intentions one iota.It’s another con and I will not bite the bait.When the next SCJ is appointed, will Kerry back his words and vote? I will bet my house against yours…..he will filibuster.The man is a rotton apple…perhaps the Salazars and the Obamas, as Hugh wrote this morning, will show the democtatic party that substance and a positive message can get you voted in…in Bush Country.Thanks for the correspondence, we conservatives have been too nice for too long….I am overjoyed that Rove decided to flex some muscle and play hardball this year. Now is no time to get complacent. Save the accolades for after the first SCJ appointment…that is when we will know if Kerry deserves them or not.
Jon Stark November 3, 2004 at 5:35 pm
Typical CJR behavior. But they are after all the enlightened heirs to that populist-of-populists, Joseph Pulitzer, right? Any of the ambitions CJR mentions about this site surviving beyond the 2004 election should be scuttled. No reason to beat a dead horse.