Kerry is just fantastic at Johns Hopkins during Q&A! Check it out.

[beachmom]

Two days ago, John Kerry was at the Johns Hopkins Center on Politics and Foreign Relations, and while his speech was excellent, it was the Q & A where he was animated, articulate, and full of passion for his beliefs. One of the best parts was when he was asked by a Brit working for the Financial Times a basically Naderite question, which I'll excerpt:

I don’t really see how you are very different, you Democrats, you liberals, from really the administration we have at the moment. . . . So, really, are you politicans and intellectuals in these two parties really very different from each other? Where are you different? Where is the Democratic vision that really puts you apart from the current administration.

Pretty ridiculous question, but Senator Kerry easily but respectfully takes him down. Now mind you, this is completely off the cuff. He has no notes, I've watched him enough that these are not talking points or lines come up with in advance or speeches he's given. This just came spontaneously out of him in machine gun speed:

I have proposed talking with Iran, directly, talking with Syria. That is different from this administration. I’ve proposed a date and summit that brings all the parties together to resolve the differences. That is different from this administration. I’ve acknowledged the occupation is a problem. That’s different from this administration. I’ve said we have to get our troops out. That’s different from this administration. I’ve said we must not have permanent military bases in Iraq. That’s different from this administration. I said we need to move forward with a legitimate policy to free us from the oil that feeds war. That’s different from this administration. So I think we are profoundly different from them not in nuance but in reality.

Now if that has whet your appetite, go to this link to read some of the Q&A:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/465b9e32-4a6b-11db-8738-0000779e2340.html

Better yet, just watch the video, which is right at the bottom of that page in the link above. This is in the morning before that godawful torture bill was passed, and he's in a bit of a feisty madder than hell mood which he channels calmly into explaining what is so wrong and what to do to fix it.

Enjoy!

[MH1]

1. Listening to it now....quite excellent!

:patriot:

[Generic Brad]

2. I would support another Kerry run for president provided....

he promises not to roll over and concede so quickly when there is a major discrepancy between exit polls and election results. Same goes for Al Gore.

[beachmom]

3. Great!

So did you listen to the Q&A? What did you think?

[Generic Brad]

7. Kerry has increasingly sounded more presidential to me since his loss

John Kerry sounds more like a leader with each passing day. The Q & A reinforces that in my mind. Recently he also indicated that he would confront the Swift Boaters head on if he made another bid and I believe him. He clearly seems to have learned from his mistakes and should be considered as the front runner for the Democratic nomination in 2008. But General Wesley Clark will certainly give him a run for his money this next go around. He's making all the right moves too.

[globalvillage]

11. I think

Kerry/Clark will be the winning ticket. They're both working exceptionally hard to get '06 candidates elected, and both speaking forcefully.
I agree Sen Kerry's improved since '04, and he's by far my #1 choice, but I also admire Gen Clark for what he's been doing.
I think they'd be a great team.

I kinda like Feingold, too, but he's not been near as vocal from what I've seen and heard. Still a long way to '08, though.

[bigbrother05]

4. kick and recommend

[globalvillage]

5. Brilliant.

I think he could speak on any topic.
I hate that when I hear Sen Kerry speak in this type of forum, I think of bush* trying and failing to answer the same questions. And bush*'s answer to every question is "It's hard work, we have to stay the course."
I have to figure out a way to stop doing that, it's very distracting.

Great Q&A. Thanks for posting this.

[beachmom]

8. I don't know if you saw Kerry on that Student Forum on C-SPAN3

but they showed a clip from the debate, and Kerry gives a great answer, talks quickly, even throws in a point from a previous question. So then it goes to Bush, and he just blurts out something incoherent about "who's going to pay for this". Then they get Kerry's reaction today, and he just laughs. The host asks him what it was like to debate and he said "it was a lot of fun". And you know what? I think it really IS a lot of fun for him. I think debating is one of his favorite things in the whole "performance" category of being a politician, and really he's loved doing it since at least college, if not before.


That's here on this page (just look for John Kerry) -- another AWESOME Q&A performance:

http://www.c-span.org/VideoArchives.asp?CatCodePairs=,&ArchiveDays=100&Page=4

[globalvillage]

13. Twice.

It looked like he enjoyed being there. He seems to love talking to young people.

[ProSense]

22. This is a great program! n/t

[ShortnFiery]

6. Kerry has grown on me, I honestly respect this man.

He is a very honorable man. One of the few ultra-rich people who I believe truly cares about the welfare of us average working American. :-)

[beachmom]

9. He never tries to pretend he's a "regular guy" like Bush, the phony, did

Instead, he says, hey -- look at my voting record. And that's how it should be. And he does go and talk to people so he can understand what they're going through. I mean, I'm Middle Class, but I don't know what it's like to be, say, in a military family or a lower class family. So a lot of it is caring, talking to people, and doing your homework. I really think he does that.

[kster]

10. Kerry, Bush and all other Politicians are cowards, The are not free

to talk out about the secret vote counting machines, they must be afraid of something, or they are JUST FLAT OUT COWARDS.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[globalvillage]

14. A coward?

:rofl:

I don't think so.

[ProSense]

15. This thread isn't about election fraud, but if you're interested:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2533235

[fedupinBushcountry]

16. So quick to bash

and can tell you are here for one reason and one reason only , to bash.

For if you had listened, you would of heard Kerry talk about our flawed election system.

Take your rhetoric somewhere else.

[TayTay]

17. Gee, I bet if you asked nicely he'd do it

like he did on the Senate floor in July, in recent e-mails to his supporters and in co-sponsoring a bill in the Senate calling for paper ballots as he thinks there is an emergency situation this fall because of faulty machines.

But the again, why let facts get in the way of some blind hatred. It sort of spoils the effect I guess.

[kster]

18. beachmom, down, I luv all you guys, but the counting of votes

Kerry, and all the Honest Dem's and Repubs, have COWARDLY Remained silent, about these machines, you guys may not want to admit it, but the FACT remains that the Government D and R have remained silent, You don't have to admit it, I don't care, but they have all remained silent about the secret vote counting machines.

Secret Vote Counting, is it any different than, Bin Laden Determined To Attack America, I DON'T SEE A DIFFERENCE, AND IT SHOULD BE EQUALLY IMPORTANT , but yet both Parties are ignoring OUR Warning signs.

[fedupinBushcountry]

19. DO YOUR HOMEWORK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 27, 2006



FEINGOLD, KERRY INTRODUCE RESOLUTION URGING BACKUP PLANS FOR VOTING MACHINES

Difficulties with Recent Primary Elections Highlight Need for Back-Up Systems Like Paper Ballots



Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and John Kerry (D-MA) have introduced a resolution calling on state and local governments to have back-up systems in place on election day to ensure that every eligible voter who wants to vote is able to. The Senators’ Sense of the Senate resolution notes the difficulties that voters in many states have experienced with new voting technology and urges states to do whatever is necessary to ensure that voters are actually able to cast a vote on November 7, 2006, including providing emergency paper ballots in the event of a voting machine failure.



“We cannot allow the American people to lose faith in the most fundamental aspect of our democratic system – the right to vote,” Feingold said. “Some of the problems we saw this year, like voters in Maryland being told to come back later because the machines weren’t working, are simply unacceptable. A back-up plan as simple as having emergency paper ballots on hand is essential to preventing election day disasters.”



Kerry said, “It’s a disgrace that a Congress and an Administration which talks about exporting democracy around the world ignores the challenges of our own democracy right here at home. We have seen American citizens disenfranchised in our elections for the simple reason that no effective back up system was in place. That’s a national scandal. But here we are, 42 days away from another election, and Congress has again dragged its feet even after we mobilized 35,000 citizens to demand a hearing for our Count Every Vote Act, even after what we saw just this month in Montgomery County. We need emergency action now. That is why I am co-sponsoring the Dodd-Boxer legislation to provide emergency paper ballots and that is why Russ Feingold and I are introducing our resolution today demanding election day back-up plans. We have a duty to ensure that no citizen will be denied the right to vote in 2006.”



Feingold and Kerry are also co-sponsoring legislation with Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) to help states make paper ballots available in case of election day problems with electronic voting machines. Feingold and Kerry introduced the resolution ahead of Congress’ adjournment for the 2006 elections. With the problems some voters have already experienced during primary elections this year, the senators believe the Senate should be on record supporting state efforts to be prepared in the event of problems on Election Day. Earlier this month, problems with new voting technology were reported in a number of primaries around the country.



A copy of the resolution can be found here. http://feingold.senate.gov/FeingoldKerry_Sense_of_the_S...

[kster]

20. And it all came 40 days AND 40 nights

before the election? Vote Counting and tabulating, lets see we had the Harri Hursti hack, the Funk Hack, Princeton hack, The hack with the monkey, and countless others hacks and STILL SILENCE from the D and R's, and I should do my HOMEWORK?

OK..............

[beachmom]

21. When you start your post with "coward" and JK's name

it means I don't read the rest of your post.

It seems to me that you really don't care to learn about the efforts made by our elected officials on this issue. Fedup gave you something that should have pleased you, and you immediately condemned it for its timing. That strikes me as odd.

What you're interested in is disrupting and name calling. That's why I called you a troll (and if this were dKos I would TR you); you offer nothing of substance except bashing Dems who are on your side on electoral reform.