Kerry Takes a Pass

I was glad to see John Kerry's decision not to run again, not because I don't like the man, but because the baggage there is so intense that it would have been an excersize in masochism and not much more.

I think the guy gets hated on a lot more than he deserves. He ran a pretty decent--not spectacular--campaign, laid out a lot of policy ideas that have become mainstream (particularly on Iraq), drew more votes than any other presidential candidate in United States history--save one, who happened to be running against him that year--and ultimately lost to a sitting president whose public standing crashed within months of his reelection and has not only failed to recover, but has sunk lower by the week.

All in all, I would think we Democrats would have some kinder things to say about John Kerry than you typically hear. His loss, while crushing, was probably the best thing for the party, but not, of course, for the country. The second term of George W. Bush will likely be remembered as both the breaking point for the GOP and the end of the Bush Dynasty in American politics, which would certainly have continued in a Jeb Bush run to avenge George's loss.

So I think two things strongly: John Kerry made the right decision about '08, and Democrats need to lighten up on the man. His campaign wasn't flawless, but he was beaten in one of the most gamed elections in history. You try to run against someone who spends a year circling America darkly suggesting to anyone and everyone that if they vote for his opponent, they'll die. Let me know how that goes for you. I know how it went for Kerry, and we've all lived with the results.