Kerry Out in '08, But Wins Contest of Ideas

By now we all know John Kerry has decided not to run for President in 08.

My own feelings are mixed, which is why I couldn't bring myself to post immediately. I'm hugely disappointed Kerry won't be President, but in many ways I think he made the right decision for ‘08. It would have been incredibly hard to repeat as the Democratic nominee and in the end John may be right, he can do more NOW to end the Iraq war by focusing on his job as a Senator over the next 2 years.

Much like Al Gore, Kerry is now completely free to speak his mind about the issues without the media spinning each word as some '08 position statement. While Kerry will eventually play a big role in the Democratic Party's '08 chances with his johnkerry.com email list and fundraising efforts, he is now free to focus on Iraq rather than fundraising for President.

AND, perhaps more important for America. While Kerry lost his bid in '04, he won the contest of ideas, and should set the stage for a Democratic victory in ‘08:

• -American Foreign Policy is re-focusing on international treaties and cooperation.
• -Global warming is commonly accepted as fact now, even by the Bush Administration
• -Stem Cell research is favorably viewed by a majority of Americans
• -National health care is being discussed and promoted by Republicans and Corporations
• -Energy Independence is a major topic of discussion for both parties

This doesn’t even include the things Democrats were strong on to begin with: Protecting social security, education, better wages, environmental protections, etc.

Clearly John Kerry’s priorities in ’04 have become the priorities of Americans going forward. Thank you, John, for leading us into the future.

You can count on us to help you continue your efforts!

As for this blog, I’m not yet sure what will happen. I’d like to focus my attention on global warming and alternative energy solutions, so I may start something new down the road.

Thanks to all who visited and posted here.

Let’s turn our challenges into opportunities. Time to get to work! –IFK Editor