Ed O'Reilly's campaign coordinator Peter Vickery switches to Kerry

[whometense]

Well, look at this, will you?

http://www.bluemassgroup.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=11819

Bush, Cheney & McCain aren't waiting for us. The presidential election campaign does not start in September, after the Massachusetts Democratic primary. It has already started. And judging by past races, the outcome of the 2008 election may be decided between now and September.

So where do we want John Kerry to spend that time -- here in Massachusetts, where his victory in a putative primary is all but a foregone conclusion, or in battleground states fighting to keep John McCain out of the White House and fighting to bring our troops home from Iraq? I choose Option 2.

Reluctant as I am to part company with my friends in Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), I no longer see any legitimate purpose in forcing a contested senatorial primary. Nobody has any doubt that the winner of that primary would be John Kerry (and rightly so). So the question is not "why not just give the other guy a chance?" In fact, the question for progressives is this: How can we justify keeping John Kerry in Massachusetts in stead of letting him campaign nationwide for a Democratic presidential victory?

So if you're thinking of using your vote at the Lowell convention to send John Kerry a message -- that he needs to earn your support in stead of taking it for granted -- please think again. Your message has already arrived. It's been received, understood, and acted upon. Now let's get back together and win the fight that really matters; the fight for the White House.

An interesting turn of events. And Peter? Welcome back.

[Mass]

1. Interestingly, the answers, including those of people who support O'R

are all pretty much the same: Not ready for the job and much more a vanity candidate than anything else.

While I am among those who, while admiring Kerry, would want him to answer more forcefully on some of these issues, and still do not understand why he does not, there is nothing to win to have a challenge of a good senator by less than credible opponent.

[whometense]

2. I agree.

A vote for Ed O'Reilly does seem to be a bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

That said, there is some anger towards Kerry that I hope he can defuse, especially the complaints about constituent services. Some people complain because they are complainers, or because they have a particular policy axe to grind, but some of the complaints do sound legit, and I hope he pays close attention to those.

[karynnj]

3. Wow, this is fantastic to hear

This must mean some of those calls are working. Hopefully, the Senator will ignite the convention with one of his incredible speeches and they will remember why they have always ended up voting for him. IF he simply, modestly speaks of the things that he has led on - it should impress anyone. He is the source of the Democratic position on Iraq. He was also the politician most correct on national security. He is the Senate leader on the environment and Obama has as a key component of his healthcare plan, Kerry's catastrophic re-insurance. Name anyone that much a leader on 4 super major issues.

He actually would be better candidate than O'Reilly if you just compared O'Reilly's career with Kerry's brief years as a young trial lawyer.

[karynnj]

4. The PDA site has messages from Kerry and O'Reilly (one much better than the other)

There's only one comment - from an idiot. I'm leaving to see a college with the youngest in minutes so didn't respond. These are either Deaniacs who can't let go or idiots.

[Mass]

5. Thanks for the info - Great to read. Now, however, this makes me mad.

WHY IS THIS NOT ON THE SENATOR's WEBSITE.

It is not only people from PDA who care about that. There are many other people who do. I am happy that Kerry addressed that with them, but why was this not posted much earlier on his website.

The other point for me is about healthcare. Obviously, Kerry is right that single payer would not pass. Does that mean that there is no point presenting Conyers's bill in the Senate? I think at a point, it is a debate between pragmatism and idealism. None is wrong, but, at some point, idealists have to push things for them to make progress, and it will always be difficult for idealists to understand why no senator did offer the Single Payer Healthcare Bill in the Senate (or even cosponsor Kennedy's Medicare for All bill). Sometimes, a symbolic gesture goes a long way.

[Mass]

6. More on the convention here.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20080606/APN/806061310 (including the usual snarks of Glenn Johnson, who could not be bothered finding a delegate to say nice things about Kerry), and at the end of the article, the fact that Tom Hayden endorsed (will endorse?) Kerry.

And also this article of the Republican

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/sen_kerrys_camp_trying_to_dera.html?category=Politics

I honestly dislike the fact that the media push the idea that Kerry is trying to "derail" his opponent. If O'Reilly is put on the ballot (and there is probably a good chance this happens), the news will be that Kerry is weak for another round.

[Mass]

7. And, while I am at it, this post from The Chimes at Midnight.

http://chimesatmidnight.blogspot.com/2008/06/btw.html

BTW
Humble Elias quietly advises tomorrow's state democratic convention to decline to put Ed O'Reilly on the senatorial primary ballot. Nothing the man has done nigh these past six months indicates he is deserving of ballot access, he is a blustery adventurer, with little money and no prospects to speak. What he is good at is laying down guilt trips on liberals and progressives making them feel somehow antidemocratic if an obscure barrister from Gloucester isn't shoved onto the senatorial primary ballot poste haste.
Humble Elias can't see that the party's ineffable political mission will somehow be corrupted if we overlook Ed O'Reilly at tomorrow convention. He has had almost a year now to demonstrate a following that extends beyond his immediate family and friends and has little to show for it.
Undoubtedly John Kerry will crush him by about 70% of the vote or more, the thirty or so O'Reilly might collect is composed of die-hard Hillary Clinton supporters who wanna pay back JK for backing Obama and those democrats still mad at John for losing in'04.
Seems like a ridiculous price to pay for payback if you asked me.

Moreover, leaving O'Reilly off the ballot gives Kerry a chance to do some power-fundraising for Obama and act as a consensus builder for the national ticket in general. Let us not tie him down when we are so close to finally regaining the White House.
Give me that over O'Reilly any day.

[wisteria]

8. The man is making a lot of sense. n/t

[Mass]

9. We got a primary, according to bluemassgroup

Kerry got an overwhelming majority of the delegates, but O'R got about 20 % according to the post. 15 % is a really low threshold with only 2 candidates.

[beachmom]

10. Oh, that is a disappointment. Sorry to hear it.

[MonteLukast]

11. 2 candidates??

It almost sounds like a filibuster. Just enough votes to cause headaches.

*cough*TomCoburnandGINA*cough*I'mtalkingtoyou