John Kerry deserves a national apology.

[Imallin4Joe]

For the lies told about him during the swiftboat campaign.

Kerry was awarded the Purple Heart, three times.(on edit, thanks to karynnj!)

John Kerry has dedicated his life to progressive service.

What else can I say? This man is a hero to me.

[3catwoman3]

1. He would have been a very fine president, and...

...Teresa Heinz Kerry would have done well as First Lady.

[OAITW r.2.0]

2. He's my idea of a real American hero.

Always has been. Why are the people I admire, proven under military circumstances? Been that way since I voted for George McGovern.

[Hoyt]

3. Agree 100%. It hurt when he lost because of those lies/distortions.

I think the Bin Laden tape released the Friday before election drove some folks back to george war bush.

[milestogo]

50. He lost because they hacked Ohio in the middle of the night.

[Hoyt]

52. Don't think so. Hated to see him lose, but like trump not enough people voted for him.

[certainot]

54. like with gore and trump it would never have been close if dems and the left had not ignored

1500 radio stations taking free pot shots at their dem opponents all day long

when dems and progressives complain about money in politics and lament close elections they have some simple math to put it in perspective

if republicans spent $1000 for a 1 hour radio infomercial 1200 stations x 15 hrs/day = $90M/week or about $5B/yr - FREE and paid for by advertisers and endorsed by these 87 universities and a lot of pro sports teams

these shits won't be anywhere near close again if democrats stop ignoring republican radio

[Rhiannon12866]

4. And we were told in 2004 that we wouldn't know the election results for days

Until all the provisional votes were counted. But I woke up the next day to the news Kerry had conceded. There were issues in Ohio similar to those that happened in Florida in 2000. Katherine Harris and Ken Blackwell.

[DENVERPOPS]

40. The owner of Diebold?

Promised, before the election, that he would deliver the election for Bush, and his voting machines did exactly that...........

When the Supreme Court ruled to halt the 2000 re-count in Florida, they did the exact same thing...........

[CrispyQ]

45. I was an election judge that day, before we had mail in voting.

I live in a very blue pocket of a purple state. The lines were crazy long first thing in the morning & all evening, with steady voters all day. Excitement was in the air—people were ready for change. I got home about 9:30PM. They had called PA for Kerry & it was looking like OH was going to go to him, too, & then in a period of just a few minutes, OH switched for Bush & it was over. I went to bed in tears & cried most of the next day.

I hate to sound like a CT, but it was so weird. I don't recall if OH had paper ballots.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

49. I recall Ohio had issues with weight of paper ballots.

It was related to Ken Blackwell. Many were concerned about Ohio for weeks before the election.

I was a poll watcher in Santa Ana in a poor district where lines were long into the night and machines were down. I recall listening to Air America warnings about how people in long lines in Ohiio should be allowed to vote as they arrived before poll closings. But they were turned away.

Horrible night. Was Kerry right to concede?

[yardwork]

51. There was massive voter suppression in Democratic precincts in Ohio.

We'll never know if the election was literally stolen - strange things happened in Hamilton County - but it is certain that voter suppression was deliberate.

[Rhiannon12866]

63. I was watching the returns late at night and that was what Dan Rather said

But then I woke up the next day to hear that Kerry conceded. Greg Palast said that Kerry should have won Ohio and I believe him.

Kerry Won: Here are The Facts
https://www.gregpalast.com/kerry-won-rnheres-the-facts/

[Skittles]

5. if ANYONE deserves an apology

it is HILLARY

[Hoyt]

6. +1000

[Imallin4Joe]

7. Yes! I was planning a similar thread for Hillary..

coming up next.

I just wanted to start with John Kerry.

[Skittles]

9. OK

[ShazzieB]

24. Carry on, then! 😎

Hillary and John both deserve the appreciation!

[Imallin4Joe]

59. Will be done, soon..

[bdamomma]

64. you can add

to the list Al Gore.

[Dawson Leery]

10. Her too.

She told the truth about Trump and the deplorables.

[uriel1972]

20. Al Gore? nt

[ShazzieB]

25. Yes, absolutely!

[calimary]

28. MAN it THAT ever true!

All of America needs to get on that one.

[calimary]

29. Oops - dupe.

Sorry about that.

[stevesinpa]

31. the only ones that deserve an apology is

all of us that worked so hard for John Kerry, and worked so hard for Hillary Clinton. the people that suffered for the last five years. no single politician deserves an apology when they lose, they are running to work for us, when we get stuck with a POS like trump instead of what we need and deserve, we are the ones that deserve the apology from every deplorable idiotic traitor on the right.

[betsuni]

32. The worst things about anyone I've ever heard were said about her.

The ones who said she was corrupt and evil will never apologize. "Enough is enough."

[Skittles]

33. even so-called progressives fell for that propaganda

it was sickening

[betsuni]

34. It was disgusting. People I thought I knew, that I respected, fell for ridiculous

obvious propaganda. The lust for hate. Sickening. And never, ever, apology for being that stupid. I expect stupid from Republicans. Wasn't expecting it from others. Now I do.

[Skittles]

35. and a lot of it was sexism

straight out sexism

it sucked, still does

[betsuni]

36. Yes.

[niyad]

60. YES!!!!!!

[karynnj]

8. Actually 3 purple hearts, a bronze star with Valor and a silver star

His courage in returning and telling the truth to power before the Senate was every bit as impressive. As was his willingness and courage, when no other Senator or Congressperson would, to investigate the Contra gun and drug running in the Reagan years. I really think it was that truth telling, more than the lies, that actually hurt him in 2004.

He will always be the statesman I most admire. Without him, there likely would not have been either a Paris Accord or an Iran deal. On both issues, we would be in a far worse position than we are now. Especially on climate change, where no other country left the accord. It will be tough to succeed, but consider how much harder if we did not already at least have a framework.

[Imallin4Joe]

12. I'm an Army vet. Those are major awards..

thank you for that great reply! I can read that over and over again.

Kerry is as much a statesman as he is a real hero. Thank you for that great eye-opening reply!!

You helped correct my OP! Thanks, again.

[karynnj]

13. Thank you for the thread

[blm]

15. ✔️

And BCCI.

[liberalla]

11. I wholeheartedly agree!

[smirkymonkey]

14. I remember how devestated I was when he lost.

I just couldn't believe it. I was in shock for days. He was robbed, I am certain of it.

He is actually my neighbor. Just lives two blocks up the street, but I never see him. I think he probably spends most of his time travelling or in DC.

[raging moderate]

16. If you ever see him, tell him we all love him!

And we all know he really won ALL of those medals and honors! And he would have been a GREAT President! And he has been a GREAT statesman! Oh, and tell him I said THANK YOU for everything!

[smirkymonkey]

27. I certainly will!

I was pleased to find out recently that my (our) neighborhood was 80% Democratic, which was a surprise to me. I thought we might lean Dem, but I had no idea that it would be by such a large margin. I still think he would have been a great President as well!

[KT2000]

17. Absolutely!

Corson and his ilk are still at it too.

[pazzyanne]

18. I've admired John Kerry since his return from Viet Nam.

Not only did he fight in Viet Nam, but he fought against the war when he came back.
I lost friends in that war, some who didn't come back, and a couple who came back totally different, broken people.

[Tarc]

19. The Swiftboating was disgusting, and also the catalyst for a few of us infiltrating FReeperland

way back then. The intent was to undermine that sorry shitsack JimRob's forum, with fake personas to try to make the place seem even crazier and implode.

Caused a lot of rifts and internal strife for a few years, but ultimately the sheer density of their stupidity just could not be overcome.


I'm still sore that we never got Kerry to the White House that year.

[amuse bouche]

21. He is a great American

[rockfordfile]

22. I agree

[Jon King]

23. The swift boating was the first time we saw how depraved Repugs were.

They actually trashed a true war hero and elevated a drunken bum over him. And they have been getting more and more depraved ever since.

[Warpy]

26. Too many right wing sourpusses can't forgive him for his opposition to that war

including his membership in VVAW and especially his testimony before Congress.

They also have a hard time with his end run around the Reagan administration and their toadies at the DOJ to get the Iran Contra gang charged, tried and convicted.

But yes, this country owes him an apology for a lot of things.

[orleans]

30. nope. he gave up on us too quickly. he conceded the next fucking day.

still not over it. no apology to him from me.

[mopinko]

39. yeah, imma die mad, too.

took that $40m, and walked.

[karynnj]

46. From the statement written by his brother a month or so after the election, it was clear that

there were not enough votes in Ohio left to find that he won. Ohio had massive voter suppression because there were too few voting machines in Democratic strongholds. There were lines between four and ten hours long. There was also a problem with ballots in some places with 2 or more districts leading to votes cast for Kerry possibly counted for unlikely minor candidates. However, you can't count votes not cast or incorrectly cast.

Kerry, like Gore and Clinton, both relied on Marc Elias, who told Gore to challenge, which he did ..all the way to the Supreme Court - and who told both Kerry and Clinton that there was not a feasible case that could win. (n Clinton's case, she would have needed successful cases in multiples of states.) Both conceded honorably and gracefully. It is very likely that the Democratic wins 4 years later might not have happened if they would have done otherwise.

It should be noted that both - at various times - spoke out against the various voter suppression means that were used against them.

[oasis]

37. 100%

[mopinko]

38. i was just reliving him throwing in the towel on ohio.

was talking about a fundraiser that i did a few times, an alumni event for the school of the art institute. called bare walls, alums show up and paint, then auctioned off.
reminiscing w some alums of my era.

i did it 3 times, and it got progressively more miserable.
my work sold the first time, didnt the 2nd, and i bought my own painting the 3rd.
the worst part of that was that i had to hang around to check out. i was chatting in line w a chgo political hack lady who was amused that i thought kerry was going to fight.
said she knew people on the ground there and that they were already wheels up.

how i didnt walk into traffic on my way home i will never know.
i should dig out that painting. i stuck it in the closet and havent seen it since.

[Botany]

41. You forgot 1 bronze star & 1 silver star too

n/t

[Martin Eden]

42. GW Bush, who didn't even fulfill the safe "Texas Air National Guard" post his daddy got for him ...

... came off smelling like a rose compared to Kerry's hazardous duty and medals on swiftboats in Vietnam.

That's what Republicans -- with media complicity -- are really good at; not actual governing, but hammering away with false narratives that manipulate public perception in their favor.

[Catherine Vincent]

43. I agree

It's hard to believe that they got away with it. Liberal media? My A!!

Also, do you guys remember the conservatives tried to cancel Heinz products because Mrs. Kerry ex-husband was the owner (or something like that)?

[seta1950]

44. I'm not convinced

He or al gore lost,after seeing what the gqp can do, I don’t know.

[RazBerryBeret]

47. I was a volunteer for GOTV

for MoveOn for that election. In Ohio. My polling place was a Baptist Church, we were following all the rules, sitting at a table in the parking lot, people yelled at us, swore at us and the church pastor called the police on us twice, the second time we were threatened with arrest. I thought that would be the craziest election of my lifetime... ha.

[BobTheSubgenius]

48. Despite marrying into vast wealth, he was always for 'the people,' beginning with...

...his principled opposition to the war.

[Joinfortmill]

53. Agree

[Ruby Zee]

55. Love John Kerry

I canvassed for him for months in North Carolina. Heartbreaking loss that I question.

[Greybnk48]

56. Max Cleland was treated horribly by pigs like Rove.

He lost both legs and an arm in Viet Nam and the Republicans literally called him a traitor, all to win an election. His treatment haunts me to this day.

[raging moderate]

58. How is Max Cleland these days?

You are right! Max Cleland was treated abominably, with absolutely no justification! He deserved so much better! I hope some influential people have helped him to have some happier times!

[Greybnk48]

62. They have, now that you asked I went and checked.

It looks like he did ok after the horrid political attack on him. I'll post a link to an article I found. President Obama made amends quite well with an appropriate appointment to a war memorial commission.

http://www.allgov.com/officials/cleland-max?officialid=28945

[tecelote]

57. I was at a conference when John Kerry walked around the corner.

I said "Hi" and he stopped and asked me how I was doing and what I thought about the conference.

What he said during our short discussion didn't leave as big an impression as the fact that he stopped and took the time out to talk to me.

He's a great politician.

[czarjak]

61. Republicans don't want it both ways, they want it every way necessary!

[keithbvadu2]

65. RWers questioned his patriotism because he spoke French but no problem with Mitt Romney speaking Fre

RWers questioned his patriotism because he spoke French but no problem with Mitt Romney speaking French.