Kerry Rolls

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-17-2004
Kerry Rolls
108
Sun, 07-18-2004 - 3:36pm



Kerry couldn't say no


Hillary waffle was just part of a wimpy week


http://nydailynews.com/front/story/213256p-183572c.html








John Kerry is about to be crowned King of all Democrats and he's got at least a 50-50 shot at being the 44th President of the United States. Hillary Clinton is but one of 100 senators. Any clash between the two should thus be a mismatch - and it was. Kerry never stood a chance.

If you're scoring at home, that's Clinton 1, Kerry 0.

What's amazing about the spat over whether Hillary would get a primetime convention speech was how quickly Kerry retreated. No sooner had his aides insulted Clinton by saying, first, she hadn't asked for a role and second, the convention was about the "future" then they caved and asked her to speak. Begged would be more accurate.

Kerry's the king all right, but Clinton's the unchallenged Queen of Democrats - and the King better not forget it again.

Her supporters rejoiced at her triumph, but Republicans must be delighted, too, for the embarrassing incident reveals a weak spot in the Democratic nominee.

John Kerry is a man who can be rolled. Quickly and often.

His surrender to Clinton was one of three cases in just a week where Kerry took a stand, then immediately folded his cards when challenged. He's definitely not ready for the World Series of Poker.

The first case involved the July 8 Bush-bash at Radio City Music Hall. A day after he praised Whoopi Goldberg and others as representing the "heart and soul of America," Kerry wilted in the face of media and GOP heat. Suddenly, he found Goldberg's lewd act inappropriate.

And on the same day as the Hillary fold, Kerry backed away from some of his own TV ads when black officials called them "lackluster."

Only a week after touting the $2 million buy as the largest ever aimed at black voters, Kerry agreed to scrap the ads. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Kerry flubbed by not showing the ads to the caucus first. "It was corrected," Cummings said as Kerry agreed to the changes the caucus wanted.

Final score: Critics 3, Kerry 0.

None of these incidents is fatal at this early stage, and Dem partisans will even argue they show a nuanced thinker willing to listen and change his mind. Those traits, they say, go to the heart of why they prefer him to President Bush.

But it's also true that the three incidents play into the GOP attack machine theme that Kerry is a flip-flopper who can't be trusted. Even a top Dem stalwart conceded there are doubts about Kerry's "internal gyroscope."

Such doubts worry this Kerry supporter because of how he views the election landscape: A slim majority of Americans have turned against Bush, but Kerry has not yet captured all their votes, especially independents. To win, my Democratic sage says, Kerry must meet two tests:

"He must convince people that he has a strong foreign policy, and he must show middle class families that he cares about them and understands their problems."

He's right, but here's a third challenge. Kerry needs a Sister Souljah moment.

It was 12 years ago, just before his own crowning convention, that Bill Clinton demonstrated strength and independence by scolding the young black rap singer. She had defended Los Angeles riots by saying, "If black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people."

Clinton not only said the comments reflected "hatred," he did so at Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition. Sister Souljah then called Clinton "racist," and Jackson was furious at him, too. But Clinton stood his ground, and the incident established his willingness to say no and risk offending a key party voting bloc.

Kerry has not yet taken such a risk. When he does, he'll be a stronger, more worthy candidate for the Oval Office.

Renee ~~~

Renee ~~~

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2003
In reply to: cl_wrhen
Thu, 07-29-2004 - 9:58pm
Yes, the evolution of war is interesting....no country was fool enough to have done a 9/11, so you now have rogue groups like Al quada.
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-17-2004
In reply to: cl_wrhen
Thu, 07-29-2004 - 10:18pm

<>


The Japanese people I've discussed WWII with have all told me that as horrendous as the bombing of Nagasaki & Hiroshima was, and as many people suffered and died because of it, it utlimately saved more

Renee ~~~

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-16-2004
In reply to: cl_wrhen
Fri, 07-30-2004 - 9:46am
Excuse my stupidity.. I didn't realize a 'demonstration' involved murdering hundreds of thousands of civilians. And excuse also my stupidity for thinking that a WHOLE THREE DAYS was not a short time, especially in that day and age of super-fast communication. After all in 1945 communications were instantaneous, right? Remind me, how many days did the US wait before it stopped the Nazis from killing millions of jews in death camps even though it was being begged to help?


Edited 7/30/2004 9:53 am ET ET by nicecanadianlady
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-16-2004
In reply to: cl_wrhen
Fri, 07-30-2004 - 9:48am
Maybe it's because they don't think a country that thinks mass murder is justified is so nice? Maybe it's because it supports dictators when it suits it? Maybe....
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-16-2004
In reply to: cl_wrhen
Fri, 07-30-2004 - 9:52am
You realize many of those who died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki died horrible deaths. The deaths from it continued for years after that.

So you think WMDs are 'good', because they are 'deadlier' and 'less bloody'.

I'm feeling very chilly right now. What has the world come to?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-16-2004
In reply to: cl_wrhen
Fri, 07-30-2004 - 9:54am
So I guess by your definition, 9/11 was a 'demonstration' by Al Quaeda?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-24-2004
In reply to: cl_wrhen
Fri, 07-30-2004 - 10:15am


Yikes!!! that is a chilling thought is it not?

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2003
In reply to: cl_wrhen
Fri, 07-30-2004 - 12:08pm
See earlier post.....

August 9- Bomb dropped on Nagasaki

August 10- Japan tells its own troops to cease hostilities.

Seems those communications worked quite well when Japan was motivated to use them.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-16-2004
In reply to: cl_wrhen
Fri, 07-30-2004 - 12:37pm
Yes, I'm sure when you get shot once, if you get shot again the next time, you have your gun nearby. Same thing for communications. Besides, how do you know it wasn't because they just got to it on the 10th FOLLOWING the attack on the 6th? Maybe they would have stopped on the very day without the second attack. Not that the FIRST one was justified either.

And I still have no answer from anyone about what constitutes an appropriate 'justification' to use nuclear weapons in your opinion.

And why were three days all that could be waited? Please don't tell me you think they could have figured out how to build their own bomb in three days, because I'll give up on you entirely...

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2003
In reply to: cl_wrhen
Fri, 07-30-2004 - 12:44pm
9/11 was an attack which woke america up... instead of treating the terrorists as criminals, they're being treated as war criminals... instead of responding to terrorist threats as if they were part of some criminal conspiracy, we're treating them as threats from a hostile military power... they won the battle that day... 3 for 4.... a short time later 50% of Al Quada was destroyed by the US.

2 countries have fallen, both hostile to the west and to the United States in particular... more will follow if future events require it... the goal now is to fully defeat Al Quada... to apprehend or kill Osama.... to destroy all finances.... to destroy every 13 year old who launches a rocket propelled grenada at a US troop convoy... outside of war we wouldn't do this... but it's war... and we will fight and kill those who are military hostile to the US, OR those who enable them.

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