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John Kerry to Endorse Barack Obama

Senator and former Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry will endorse Barack Obama for President.

The endorsement is considered "a slap at" John Edwards. Edwards beat Kerry in the 2004 South Carolina primary. Edwards' reaction?

"Our country and our party are stronger because of John's service, and I respect his decision. When we were running against each other and on the same ticket, John and I agreed on many issues."

How much effect will the endorsement have?

Since losing the 2004 race, Kerry has kept a national network of supporters intact. He has an e-mail network of 3 million supporters, according to aides. He also has traveled extensively raising millions of dollars for Democratic candidates nationwide.

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    reprising my comment from earlier (none / 0) (#1)
    by Molly Bloom on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 11:03:02 AM EST
    The Democratic party has traditionally been pretty disdainful of its losers since at least 1976.

    Gore is an exception which proves the rule in that it took quite awhile for Gore to rehabilitate himself and I note he did it with a scathing anti-war partisan attack on Bush.

    I'll add its not much of a slap at Edwards considering the two have been distant for quite awhile.

    I don't know (none / 0) (#9)
    by BlueLakeMichigan on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 01:04:20 PM EST
    Many Democrats who are disdainful of Kerry. Many think he was screwed and after his concession speech see him in a better light. I still dislike his Centrist McModerate politics, he's got cred with me, though.

    Parent
    One link I just read talked about (none / 0) (#12)
    by oculus on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 01:46:11 PM EST
    Hillary Clinton criticizing Kerry for his off the cuff remark about go to school or you are fodder for Iraq.  Does Kerry bear a grudge?

    I keep visualizing Kerry emerging from his goose hunt during the campaign.

    Parent

    Hill, Hill, Hill (none / 0) (#13)
    by BlueLakeMichigan on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 02:06:54 PM EST
    Why you gotta go and take Fox News talking points? It's inappropriate, she said. Reading that just infuriates me. I mean, is there something she personally doesn't like about Sen. Kerry, or was that during the "Gotta seem Tough" time?

    Parent
    Apparently Hillary Clinton (none / 0) (#14)
    by oculus on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 02:11:26 PM EST
    sd. this around the time Kerry made the remark.  Not now. But, you are right.

    Parent
    Re: Kerry Slapping at Edwards (none / 0) (#2)
    by scribe on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 11:06:52 AM EST
    I guess it's no coincidence that this article just happens to come out right about the same time Kerry endorses Obama in SC.

    Even taking it with the requisite grain of salt, I guess it's fair to say they don't like each other.

    Then again, given the way Kerry didn't stand up against the Swift-Boating, getting slapped at by him probably doesn't hurt that much.

    that article is dated (none / 0) (#3)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 11:08:32 AM EST
    November 21.

    Parent
    You're right - (none / 0) (#5)
    by scribe on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 11:28:36 AM EST
    And now I gotta wonder how it got coughed to the top of the pile where I found it, and who did the coughing.

    Parent
    I'm guessing not much (none / 0) (#4)
    by andgarden on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 11:09:31 AM EST
    is there anyone that would have supported Kerry who now doesn't have an opinion? I doubt it.

    Kerry (none / 0) (#6)
    by HeadScratcher on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 11:49:06 AM EST
    Well, move a few votes in Ohio and this man would be president. And he is now saying that he prefers Sen. Obama to the man who was to be his Vice President and the woman who was First Lady during 8 years of his Senate term and then a peer for the last 7 years.

    Nothing much here, please move along...

    Yeah (none / 0) (#7)
    by BlueLakeMichigan on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 12:00:13 PM EST
    Not important at all...

    Parent
    Kerry is a very thoughtful intelligent man (none / 0) (#8)
    by Molly Bloom on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 12:34:43 PM EST
    He has personal knowledge of all 3 as you observe. His opinion may be the best informed of anyone and he may have the best basis for the opinion  of anyone.

    Unfortunately for reasons I previously stated,  I don't think he is going to shift a lot of votes. I could be wrong. The donor list could be useful, provided the people aren't already on Obama's.

    Parent

    How much did Kerry have left over from '04 (none / 0) (#20)
    by oldpro on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 04:59:56 PM EST
    campaign?  Am I misremembering it was millions?  Better google that....

    As for the elist...we're all on it...I got the email.  Big deal.  The donor list is something else...Theresa is on it.  Let's see who she endorses...

    For my money John Kerry should have just kept his mouth shut in this instance.  His motives are entirely suspect with me.

    Parent

    Important for three reasons: (none / 0) (#10)
    by Geekesque on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 01:28:45 PM EST
    1.  New Hampshire who?

    2.  3 Million person email database.

    3.  Shows that Obama is 'safe' and has enough experience to handle the job.


    Do you open e-mails from (none / 0) (#15)
    by oculus on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 02:12:09 PM EST
    politicians?

    Parent
    If I sign up to their email lists. (none / 0) (#18)
    by Geekesque on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 03:09:41 PM EST
    If I get sick of reading them, I delete them.

    Parent
    I won't get (none / 0) (#19)
    by BlueLakeMichigan on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 03:32:28 PM EST
    Their cooties will I?

    Parent
    Maybe cookies, or maybe they just (none / 0) (#25)
    by oculus on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 06:22:07 PM EST
    sell each other lists.  I was on a Feingold list and was suddenly absolutely swarmed with e-mails from politicians.

    Parent
    Maddening (none / 0) (#11)
    by commissar on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 01:33:41 PM EST
    Jeralyn,

    Please drop the "I'm neutral" pose.  You're in the tank for Hillary. Fine.

    For you, there are two categories of possible Obama endorsers: the Johnsons, whose endorsement actually repels you, and those like Kerry, whose endorsement to you seems irrelevant.

    Fine. Any Obama endorsement by any Dem, can, for you, only be bad or irrelevant.

    Do you not see this? Am I being harsh?

    on this post (none / 0) (#16)
    by Jgarza on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 02:21:30 PM EST
    I don't think this post is harsh.  She just stated facts.

    Parent
    This was a pretty neutral post by J (none / 0) (#17)
    by BlueLakeMichigan on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 02:29:19 PM EST
    She wasn't being shrill or sneering at Obama's message or supporters. Just trying to call it as it is. Still, when it is slanted, I say just provide balance and context. Not reprisals, just balance and context.

    Parent
    She's never made a secret she prefers HRC (none / 0) (#21)
    by Molly Bloom on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 05:11:39 PM EST
    or Edwards. She has said so on numerous occasions. She says if Obama is the nominee she will vote for him.

    What more do you want? A campaign advisory on the front page declaring her order of preference?

    Parent

    you picked the wrong post to complain about (none / 0) (#30)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 10:11:26 PM EST
    All I did was link to a news article and post a few quotes from it with no commentary.

    Sorry, you are off base on this one. And as others have pointed out in this thread, I have endorsed no one but prefer Hillary or Edwards.

    Parent

    No advisory (none / 0) (#22)
    by jondee on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 05:45:11 PM EST
    necessary; just a convincing argument explaining how this thoroughly demonized woman can ever hope to carry a swing or red state.

    If the idea is to get another Thug elected so that things cant get REALLY bad, Im almost there myself.

    CAN get... (none / 0) (#23)
    by jondee on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 05:54:38 PM EST
    Ned Lamont endorses Barack Obama. (none / 0) (#24)
    by oculus on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 06:15:38 PM EST


    Still Politically Tone Deaf (none / 0) (#26)
    by BDB on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 07:33:06 PM EST
    From Kerry's endorsement (via Steve Clemmons):

    Like him, I also lived abroad as a young man, and I share with him a healthy respect for the advantage of knowing other cultures and countries, not from a book or a briefing, but by personal experience, by gut, by instinct.

    Dear Lord.  Isn't that how W governs, from his gut?  I don't blame Obama for this, I blame Kerry.  Your guy's being called an empty suit and you put this in your endorsement?  Idiot.  

    And I know that's not all of what Kerry said, but seriously, can no one - not even his Senate colleagues - praise him for his substantive knowledge or, you know, something he's DONE.  We're still talking about his childhood overseas?  If he somehow gets out of the primary, the lines about his childhood are going to be used relentlessly in the general election, especially if McCain is the nominee.  How can the Obama camp not see that?  I'm not an Obama supporter, but I find it hard to believe that's the best they have to counter Clinton's experience argument.

    But then according to Lynn Sweet, prior to NH, Obama was saying he thought he was done being vetted by the press.  I'm hoping that was him trying to convince the media to stop looking at him rather than what he really believes because, whatever other criticisms I may have of him, I have never thought of Barack Obama as dumb.  

    Not a terrific idea for Kerry to remind (none / 0) (#27)
    by oculus on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 07:51:17 PM EST
    everyone how he went to a private school in Switzerland and speaks French fluently.

    Parent
    Kerry endorses Obama (none / 0) (#28)
    by Alexisnexus on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 09:03:27 PM EST
    links must be in html format (none / 0) (#29)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 10:08:19 PM EST
    or they will be deleted as they skew the site.

    Parent