NC Edwards Rally had 20/25 Thousand! But there are Unanswered Questions!

[KoKo]

Nothing about the disenfranchised African Americans...and little bones to throw to we Iraq Invasion Protestors...

Lot's of "re-hashed Clinton/Carter Talking Points" in the speeches...great speeches by Elizabeth Edwards and Teresa Kerry, but while I was thrilled to see Kerry AT HIS BEST! (Edwards Energy?) I was left cold by the Clinton/Carter/Kennedy Redux.

It was "Chicken in Every Pot/Health Care/Child Care/We Feel for you "Disenfranchised Americans/Benefits for our Soldiers/No person will go to War unless it's Absolutely Necessary/ etc. etc.

Where will the money come from? Bush has bankrupted us. Where will the money and support come from for their great ALTRUISTIC PLATITUDES?

I really had a hard time as an "older DU'er" not feeling that I'd heard this speech from MY PARTY/MY DEMOCRATICS for DECADES..and little changes, and when the Administration Before You has Bankrupt the System how can you achieve anything?

It was lovely to hear them...but I know it's all "empty promises."

:-(

[whodiedandmadeUSgod]

1. No person will go to War unless it's Absolutely Necessary!

Not an empty promise from Kerry!

[NEOBuckeye]

2. Unfortunately, by the time Bush & Cheney get done, it may be...

...absolutely necessary.

[iamjoy]

3. Look At His Voting Record

yeah, it stinks this year because he's been campaigning, but I mean in the past.

Kerry:
100% ratings from NAACP
100% ratings from Human Rights Campaign
81% from National Hispanic Leadership
Edwards:
94%; 100%; 88%

Such ratings aren't available for George Bush, but let's look at some of his compadres in the Senate and House.

Trent Lott: 4%; 0%; 19%
Bill Frist: 4%, 0%, 13%
Dennis Hastert: n/a; 0%, 0%

Any Questions?

[Still_Loves_John]

4. Uh, Kerry HAS mentioned the disenfranchised African Americans

He doesn't have to do it in every speech. Especially since they're not doing the felons list this year.

[KoKo]

5. Where are They? I was at the NC Democratic Convention...where are they?

Are they now Clarence Page/Thomas/Rice/Tavis and the Fox Black Spokes persons?

I'm not "African-American" but I remember when "drinking fountains" were White only or "go to the back room for the Nigger ones."

Who are Kerry/Edwards talking to? ALL OF US..but there are folks who aren't YET...ALL OF US...

They aren't mentioned...or Martin Luther King or FDR in the Kerry/Edwards Speech! They didn't go back even to Johnson who "spearheaded the Civil Right Movement, gave Federal Money for College Loans for students which allowed all of us and JOHN EDWARDS to go to COLLEGE...inspite of the fact that he was a "hideous WAR MONGER PRES!"

It's what Kerry/Edwards "left out" that makes me sad. The GREAT TRADITION OF DEMS...that they seem to want to downplay in the "ABB MOVEMENT."

Are they losing their SOUL in the PANDERING? is what I'm asking..:shrug:

[SW FL Dem]

10. Kerry talked about it in Ft. Lauderdale and was introduced

by Kendrick Meek.

[Vox_Reason]

6. I hear you...

But I also heard Iraq AND the concerns of African Americans addressed at this rally, and in what I thought were the right ways.

I saw enthusiastic African Americans in attendance, happy about what they heard. And today I saw a massive swell of Democratic support in North Carolina that I haven't seen in years and years. This was a landmark day in the history of the North Carolina Democratic party, without a doubt.

Had the event gone on for another hour, I'm sure that time would have then permitted those issues that you would have liked to have seen more fully addressed to have been covered in the proper depth.

But considering the wilting 100-degree heat, and the myriad issues that WERE appropriately and correctly addressed (including Iraq and issues of concern to minorities), I'd have to call today's rally in Raleigh a huge success, not only for progressives in North Carolina, but across America.

Maybe I'm a 35-year-old youthful idealist, but I saw and heard quite a lot to be excited about at this afternoon's rally.

Yes, the Iraq debacle and the continuing plight of minorities, particularly as it relates to disenfranchisement, are very significant issues. I believe that the Kerry/Edwards ticket will continue to deal with them in the right way as the campaign continues.

But let's not forget the importance of those messages you've heard again and again--that's the heart and soul of this party. And we saw it presented in its Sunday best and received with a truly rapturous reception today. Sure, it could have been just standard stump-speech recycling--but the 2.5-times-larger-than-expected crowd at today's rally were hanging on every word, and loved what they heard.

Not only do I believe that Kerry and Edwards will do a plainly better job addressing the issues you raise than Smirk and Snarl--they'll not just do it better, but they'll also do it RIGHT.

[Cocoa]

7. first you complain they talk about poor people too much

now this.

[KoKo]

8. Hey! They are a GREAT TEAM! But, they've got to do something besides

rehash Clinton's policies. When Bush is out...there won't be money left to do what they want to do. You can't have a "chicken in every pot" when there are no chickens left!

I've heard their speech since JFK. It starts to sound tired to us Democrats who are sick of cleaning up after Repugs Mess with deficits and spending all the money. Dems come in promising everything and they are left with no money for what they promise because Repugs before stole it.

It's a cycle. I want to hear new ideas. Both Edwards and Kerry know Bush has allowed Personal Debt and National Deficit to run the highest in America's history since pre-Depression days.

They don't talk about it. There's no money to do what they say they will do. There will be tax hikes and budget cuts and the Country will blame it all on them and the cycle starts all over again.

They need to REALLY talk about the terrible problems America is facing when the Chimp went wild and cut taxes for the rich and then spent the money on WAR!

[Cocoa]

9. Kerry is calling for rolling back a lot of Bush's tax cuts

he's been calling for it since the primaries.

See www.johnkerry.com

[KoKo]

11. That will be very tough to get through congress. Folks don't like what

they've been given to be taken away...but he HAS TO DO THIS! Will he survive given that things have been covered over so much by Bush we don't even realize how bad a shape this country is in with personal and national debt we've borrowed to keep our "service based" economy going.

The borrowing has covered up the fact that we don't make products (except drugs and arms) to sell to the world. :-( You can't run an economy the size of the US on us buying at Walmart or Gucci for long. Bush had it easy...he could stretch out the economy based on Re-Fi's of Mortgage Debt and easy money. It's a "house of cards" to get him re-elected. When it all "hits the fan" what will Americans think of Kerry/Edwards when it isn't even their fault? :shrug: