John Kerry Loves Democracy
In a showing of utter class and grace, John Kerry chose not to pursue a scorched earth war to obtain the presidency through chicanery and strongarming the courts. In his speech, he displayed exactly the pro-American sentiments that would have actually earned him credit with exactly the Middle Americans he could not or would not connect to. Middle Americans want their President to actually strive for American pre-eminence in the world and not some back-door subservience to the UN, Europe and the nebulous World Community with its NGOs and International Criminal Court.
For once John Kerry sounded sincere in his love for America and Americans. He honestly seemed to have learned from the citizens of this country who he had never really known.
I believe him. I believe that he now has an understanding of who Americans really are. He doesn't understand it completely, and there is a good chance he never will. Its something that must be lived. Its something that bonds with one's soul as you daily breathe the air of freedom. A private school in Sweden will never prepare you to lead and love the United States of America.
Listening to his speech, I realized that, even if it may be late, John Kerry truly has found the love of his country that we red-staters were looking for. President Bush conveys his immeasurable love and understanding of the people of this country with a glance, and even moreso with a quivering lip as he recalls the soldiers and citizens who have died in this War on Terror while accepting his party's nomination. Kerry finally communicated this in the intangible ways recognizable only by Americans. John Kerry seems to realize he underestimated the American people and it seems we have earned his respect. If it had happened sooner, he may have had a better chance.
When the election did not go his way, he looked at the the situation critically. Had there been as small a difference in Ohio as there was in Florida in 2000, it is pretty much given that he would have used the courts to investigate any possible malfeasance that would award more votes to him or remove them from his opponent. But President Bush would have done the same. However, with a difference approaching 140,000 and not nearly enough provisional and absentee ballots to (assuming a 60-40 split in his favor) swing victory to him, he chose to concede the state and the election. This was contrary to the wishes of his campaign, legal team, running mate and supporters. For a man who always seemed a little too inclined to listen the Michael Moore lunatic fringe of his party, he surprisingly decided that rather than drag out another election and cast doubts on the legitimacy of President Bush's election (again), to instead take the step that would best heal the country after such a divisive and emotional election season.
Because John Kerry loves his country more than the office of President (again, would that such a sentiment were communicated prior to the election), he released the pretension to office that has so polluted the mind of Al Gore these last 4 years. Because John Kerry loves Democracy, he respected the outcome of democracy and took the path of the good (rather than the sore) loser. He congratulated his opponent on a well-waged competition, just as we expect our sports "heroes" to do. In every competition we expect both the winner not to gloat and the loser to accept the loss without whining. George Bush and John Kerry both did exactly that, to their immeasurable credit.
By accepting the results of the election without resorting to the courts, I believe that John Kerry saved our electoral proccess. Now the election of 2000 is an aberration and not a precedent. If the Senator had taken the battle out of the hands of the American people and allowed the courts to intervene (or interfere, depending on your view of 2000) in the will of the people again, especially in an election with the highest turn out in a generation, he would have stripped the electoral process that has served us so well for so long of any legitimacy in any future election. The results reported on election night would ever after be tentative until such time as the Supreme Court weighed in on the decision. The voice of the people, the intended final arbiter of the will of the people, would forever be subject to a self-imposed check on itself that can never exist in a Democracy.
We would quickly resign ourselves to living in a Judiocracy. As it is, half the country feels the Judiciary oversteps it proscribed bounds and wanders too far into the Legislature's bailiwick. It would then become established fact.
For saving the country I love, for protecting the process we cherish and need, for being a statesman and not a politician, for loving your country, I thank you Senator John F. Kerry. May the lessons you have learned in this campaign serve you well in the US Senate, the mostpowerful legislative body in the world, for many years to come. I will close with the Distinguished Gentleman from Massachusettes' own words:
We all win, because he had the grace to lose well. Thanks.
For once John Kerry sounded sincere in his love for America and Americans. He honestly seemed to have learned from the citizens of this country who he had never really known.
"I want to especially say to the American people in this journey, you have given me honor and the gift of listening and learning from you. I have visited your homes. I have visited your churches. I've visited your union halls. I've heard your stories, I know your struggles, I know your hopes. They're part of me now, and I will never forget you, and I'll never stop fighting for you."
I believe him. I believe that he now has an understanding of who Americans really are. He doesn't understand it completely, and there is a good chance he never will. Its something that must be lived. Its something that bonds with one's soul as you daily breathe the air of freedom. A private school in Sweden will never prepare you to lead and love the United States of America.
Listening to his speech, I realized that, even if it may be late, John Kerry truly has found the love of his country that we red-staters were looking for. President Bush conveys his immeasurable love and understanding of the people of this country with a glance, and even moreso with a quivering lip as he recalls the soldiers and citizens who have died in this War on Terror while accepting his party's nomination. Kerry finally communicated this in the intangible ways recognizable only by Americans. John Kerry seems to realize he underestimated the American people and it seems we have earned his respect. If it had happened sooner, he may have had a better chance.
When the election did not go his way, he looked at the the situation critically. Had there been as small a difference in Ohio as there was in Florida in 2000, it is pretty much given that he would have used the courts to investigate any possible malfeasance that would award more votes to him or remove them from his opponent. But President Bush would have done the same. However, with a difference approaching 140,000 and not nearly enough provisional and absentee ballots to (assuming a 60-40 split in his favor) swing victory to him, he chose to concede the state and the election. This was contrary to the wishes of his campaign, legal team, running mate and supporters. For a man who always seemed a little too inclined to listen the Michael Moore lunatic fringe of his party, he surprisingly decided that rather than drag out another election and cast doubts on the legitimacy of President Bush's election (again), to instead take the step that would best heal the country after such a divisive and emotional election season.
Because John Kerry loves his country more than the office of President (again, would that such a sentiment were communicated prior to the election), he released the pretension to office that has so polluted the mind of Al Gore these last 4 years. Because John Kerry loves Democracy, he respected the outcome of democracy and took the path of the good (rather than the sore) loser. He congratulated his opponent on a well-waged competition, just as we expect our sports "heroes" to do. In every competition we expect both the winner not to gloat and the loser to accept the loss without whining. George Bush and John Kerry both did exactly that, to their immeasurable credit.
By accepting the results of the election without resorting to the courts, I believe that John Kerry saved our electoral proccess. Now the election of 2000 is an aberration and not a precedent. If the Senator had taken the battle out of the hands of the American people and allowed the courts to intervene (or interfere, depending on your view of 2000) in the will of the people again, especially in an election with the highest turn out in a generation, he would have stripped the electoral process that has served us so well for so long of any legitimacy in any future election. The results reported on election night would ever after be tentative until such time as the Supreme Court weighed in on the decision. The voice of the people, the intended final arbiter of the will of the people, would forever be subject to a self-imposed check on itself that can never exist in a Democracy.
We would quickly resign ourselves to living in a Judiocracy. As it is, half the country feels the Judiciary oversteps it proscribed bounds and wanders too far into the Legislature's bailiwick. It would then become established fact.
For saving the country I love, for protecting the process we cherish and need, for being a statesman and not a politician, for loving your country, I thank you Senator John F. Kerry. May the lessons you have learned in this campaign serve you well in the US Senate, the mostpowerful legislative body in the world, for many years to come. I will close with the Distinguished Gentleman from Massachusettes' own words:
"In American elections there are no losers, because whether or not our candidates win or lose, the next morning we wake up as Americans."
We all win, because he had the grace to lose well. Thanks.
posted by Mister Bixby | 11/05/2004 09:54:00 PM
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