Is it just me, or was this speech incredibly liberal?

[adamrsilva]

It was a great speech, Kerry was extremely strong and did what he needed to do, but as a liberal, even more I appreciated his subtle comments to the liberal base. The way he talked about war (not *the war*, but *war*), the environment, "misuing the Constitution," energy independence. For once I would agree with Republicans - this was a liberal speech designed as populism (which, of course, shows liberalism is populism!) Did anyone else feel this way? I really think Kerry made an effort here to speak to liberals as well as undecideds, knowing full well the appeal and danger of Ralph Nader.

[JohnKleeb]

1. populist liberalism

of course it was, Kerry has always and always will be a liberal.

[Kitka]

2. A woman on another site I post on....

is saying that he sounded "republican" and that she really didn't see how he was setting himself apart from Bush. I guess she's fucking deaf.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

4. WTF????????

I am guessing in my head who that is, and I think I am right. It's a chronically labeled fence sitter, right?

Anyway, yeah she's gotta be deaf. I mean the references to the Saudi royal family were fucking jaw-dropping and he did lob some serious liberal bombs in there. As a dyed in the wool liberal, I tend to hear them! LOL!

[Kitka]

16. No, it's a repub....

on the election debate board. She just said that he's basically saying "I can slide RIGHT on in and BE your BUSH . . . only I can do it BETTER . . ." and "I did hear that his delagates (sic) are not exactly thrilled about his posturing as a centrist."

Uh, yeah - whatever.

[JohnKleeb]

12. some still dont see it

god he was great.

[Redneck Socialist]

18. What he did was steal every republican theme

that the pubs have been puking up for decades and reclaim them for our own. Totally fucking brilliant. Huge chunks of bloody red meat (tastefully served of course) for us DU types and the rug completely yanked out from the pubs. I'll say it again, fucking brilliant!

[Jade Fox]

19. People have been so mislead about Democrats she probably thought..

Kerry would read from the Communist Manifesto, marry a gay
couple, and then have an Al Queda (sp?) member speak.

[apnu]

25. he hit all the repuke memes... thats where it comes from

he mentioned God, country, and the flag. That stuff is all coded phrases that have been beaten into the heads of repukes for years. Kerry is taking them back for everybody!

[Eric J in MN]

28. Send her this part to show the difference

I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war.

I will have a Vice President who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws.

I will have a Secretary of Defense who will listen to the best advice of our military leaders.

And I will appoint an Attorney General who actually upholds the Constitution of the United States.

[neoteric lefty]

30. Well, some people, including some DUers want nothing less than

him to say he will fully pull out of Iraq, repeal all the tax cuts and hang Shrub (joking about the last one). I am not saying that these people are necessarily wrong. However, I feel Kerry did exactly what he needed to do tonight and appealed to probably 70-80% of the country with his progressive populism.

[democratreformed]

35. Either that - or blind or

her mind is twisted. Has to be one of those.

[WI_DEM]

3. I thought it was incredibly American

and yes, with liberal principles which are the principles which built this country and improved this country.

[kwolf68]

5. It worked

It was nothing short of brilliant. It was Liberal without being Liberal....if you know what I mean.

John Kerry potentially can kill Conservatism as a dominant ideology...Just as he went into war in Vietnam...he too will destroy the propaganda ministries who will seek to discredit him.

John Kerry is bad ass.

[graywarrior]

10. I would be very afraid if I were in the Bush camp

Very afraid.

[Jackpine Radical]

21. Very afraid indeed.

Kerry has killer instincts. If they mess with him (WHEN they mess with him) he'll pull off their heads and shit down their necks before they know what happened.

[kwolf68]

23. Exactly

Bill Clinton started to call them on their bullshit, but by the time he was ready to tear their asses up their penis witch hunt started.

John Kerry won't sit around for their tired bullshit. He is the man who can fight for our values, the dispossed, the environment, the kids, the poor, the women, the people with Diabetes (POTENTIALLY my two children)...and US Democrats.

I must give a kudos to Howard Dean and the rest of our Democratic brothers in arms. Without the unity, this convention doesn't come off near as positive for America.

Good bye Republicans...you sick freaks.

[furrylitldevil]

6. What impressed me was

his appeal to "all Americans" when he kept referencing that his policy would cross boundaries and he would not be strictly partisian.

[MichiganVote]

7. Yes, it was a speech that was liberally kind to George Bush

[furrylitldevil]

8. What impressed me was

his appeal to "all Americans" when he kept referencing that his policy would cross boundaries and he would not be strictly partisan.

[Boomer]

9. That makes two of us

I expected the usual Democratic reticence about appearing too liberal, a carefully calculated and methodical effort to not offend, therefore not stand for anything too strongly.

Instead, it was what I've been craving: an unashamedly DEM speech.

[Rowdyboy]

11. You're not wrong...He's an electable liberal...I'm not sure I believed

they existed before tonight.

[JohnKleeb]

15. thats why he was number 2 for me :)

a liberal electable democrat.

[Swamp Rat]

13. I don't care what folks label it - it spoke to me.

Kerry hit one out of the park tonight!

[depakid]

14. Sure didn't sound liberal to me....

Most liberals wouldn't be talking about adding 40,000 troops to the military. What I heard was vintage 1970's Republican.

[DemBones DemBones]

24. Well, there's liberal and then there's

**liberal**. . .

But I can't recall any 1970s Republican saying "Health care is a right." Can you?

[Jackpine Radical]

26. Believe it or not, Richard Nixon advocated

un iversal health care. Honest to God. It was a most incredible lost opportunity.

[adamrsilva]

33. Nixon advocated employer-mandated coverage

like the Clintons, if that's what you mean.

[adamrsilva]

32. Oh Lord...

Look, maybe the Democratic platform is like the Republican platform in the 1970s, but when up against a modern Republican Party whose platform is virtually indistinguishable from the Democrats of the *1870s* I think we can see which is better.

[depakid]

38. You miss the point

The poster asked whether the speech was incredibly liberal- not whether it was preferable to the reactionary extremism embodied in current Republican platforms.

Of course, the speech did contain some liberal elements, alongside some conservative ones. One of these- the "healthcare is a right" statement, is actually disingenuous- at least when compared with his proposals. It's hard to tell where he's going with that- maybe he'd like it to be a right. If so, he needs to explain how his plans will eventually get us there.

[stavka]

17. ...I think it was just you.

It was mainstream democratic platform stuff with the added twist of perpetual war thrown in.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

20. It was pure Kerry,

mostly liberal on the issues you mention, but hawkish in the TR 'speak softly and carry a big stick' tradition.

And of course, we took fiscal responsibility away from the Republicans a long time ago.

[Jade Fox]

22. Yes it was liberal. It was SANE AND SENSIBLE!

[The Blue Knight]

27. Yes, it was a liberal speech.

And a damned good one at that!

[JohnKleeb]

29. Guys this was the John Kerry

his supporters tried to tell you who he was, this man has always been one of our best senators. I am very proud of what Kerry has done.

[kwolf68]

31. Just think

If the American people elect the Senates "most liberal" and "4th most Liberal" senator what will that say about Conservatism?

I hate that philosophy worse than I hate constipation and it will be great to hear how idiot dicks like rish and shane spin it.

[bobbieinok]

34. NPR commentary--someone said Kerry on the left of the party

Clinton on the right

[Jacobin]

36. This discussion is simply amazing to me

You could have taken every point on policy and plopped it right into the middle of Nixon's re-election campaign speech and not changed a syllable.

Left wing?

This country has gone sooooooooooo far to the right that a Nixonian campaign speech sounds leftist?

Baah.

Health care. YES, Nixon campaigned on universal health care.

Environment? YES. He signed the Clean Air and Water Acts which are the basis for what Smirk is trying to destroy.

Vietraq or IraqNam. YES. He campaigned on getting us the fuck out (of course he fibbed and escalated)

[CaTeacher]

39. Don't forget that Nixon even

created the EPA, started the AmTrek system (alternative to cars) and got many Affirmative Action Programs started. (Plus lots more I could list if I had time)

I guess Nixon would be called a "progressive" if he were running today.

[Lorien]

37. No, it seemed highly centrist to me.

[Selwynn]

40. Not unless you want to redefine the word liberal.

It was a great speech from a moderate new democrat. That's ok, he will take the country in a much better direction that Bush and end that this horrible administration. He stands on the right "side" of issues - just not far enough as I believe this country should eventually go ... that's ok though, one step at a time, we'll get there.