interview with john kerry about the elections!!!

National Journal's Linda Douglass sat down with John Kerry for "National Journal On Air." This is a transcript of their conversation. Audio of the full show is also available.

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Q: I'd like to introduce Sen. John Kerry, former Democratic presidential candidate in 2004, United States senator now. Welcome, Sen. Kerry.
<BLOCKQUOTE>Kerry: Good morning, glad to be with you. Thank you. </BLOCKQUOTE>Q: So, senator, you have endorsed Barack Obama, and this week, of course, the campaign was absolutely consumed with these charges and counter-charges, and it seemed to many of us that Obama's message about hope and change was pretty much drowned out. What happened, here?
<BLOCKQUOTE>Kerry: Well, I think you had an abuse of the truth, is what happened. I mean, being an ex-president does not give you license to abuse the truth, and I think that over the last days it's been over the top. Things have been said about Barack Obama's positions that are just plain untrue. It was said in Nevada, it's been said about Social Security, it's been said about Yucca Mountain, and it's been said in South Carolina. I think it's very unfortunate, but I think the voters can see through that. When somebody's coming on strong and they are growing, people get a little frantic, and I think people have seen this sort of franticness in the air, if you will.
My sense is, Barack Obama offers a better opportunity to pull America together than any other candidate in the race. If you look at the fact that the governor of Arizona, a red state, Gov. Janet Napolitano, has endorsed Barack Obama, former governor and now senator, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, red state, has endorsed Barack Obama. The two senators from North Dakota and South Dakota, the Democratic senators, have endorsed Barack Obama. Claire McCaskill, the senator from Missouri, Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, was asked the question, "Can a Democrat carry Virginia?" And his answer was, "the right Democrat," and then he endorsed Barack Obama.
So, I think Barack Obama has the ability to pull the nation together, to offer the kind of inspired leadership that we need to tackle some very serious problems, and to make America stronger in the world. And that's why I'm for him. </BLOCKQUOTE>Q: Let's just go back to what you said right at the beginning. So you are saying, then, that former President [Bill] Clinton is the one who has been abusing the truth?
<BLOCKQUOTE>Kerry: I think there has been an overreach with respect to what Barack Obama has said and when he said it, and I think it's been unfortunate, but I don't think we ought to spend our time there. I think people want to focus on what are you doing to do to get my health care, what are you going to do to get my job?
I think that Barack Obama, for instance, has a stimulus plan that is important to the workers of South Carolina and to the rest of the country. Because, first of all, it's smart. It's not going to be a long-term budget increase, it's going to be a temporary one; it's targeted to the middle class; it's targeted to poor families who need the relief. But it also provides money to business investment -- business incentive in order to help create the jobs we need to move the Economy and he focuses also on the sub-prime housing crisis, which I personally believe is one of the single most important components of restoring confidence in the Economy. </BLOCKQUOTE>Q: Of course, Hillary Clinton is running a very focused campaign on the economy and now certainly her own stimulus plan was criticized by some but she has former President Clinton's Economic record to run on, how does he push back against that, that's a very powerful asset that she has.
<BLOCKQUOTE>Kerry: Sure it is, but people again need to be able to distinguish. Look, I supported the programs, a lot of things that we did in the 1990s, but I think everyone understands we had a technology boom in the 1990s which was unprecedented, and everybody benefited from that. We made some tough decisions and we ought to be proud of them, about the budget and the deficit. But the fact is, that was not Hillary Clinton making those decisions. It was a different team, at a different time.
In fact, Barack Obama has more legislative experience than either of his two opponents. He served eight years in the Illinois legislature and now several in the United States Senate, in total, he has more legislative years. And if you look back in history, Abraham Lincoln had only two years in the United States Congress, and then he lost. He was sent back to Illinois in shame, ran for the United States Senate, lost his race for the Senate, then was nominated to be the leader of his party. And he became, arguably, our greatest president in history. So I think you have to look at the breadth of experience, and the type of experience.
You know, I look at Barack Obama: He's older than Bill Clinton was Bill Clinton became president. He's older than John Kennedy was, he's older than Teddy Roosevelt was and he has a broad experience and has proven his ability through his campaign to be able to lead and to pull people together. And again, I go back to what I just said -- look at the coalition he is building: Nebraska, Arizona, Virginia, Missouri, North and South Dakota. These are the states where we need to build that kind of new coalition, and I think he's attracting independents and Republicans and Democrats who are fed up with the way things have been. We gotta change. </BLOCKQUOTE>Q: Just a couple quick questions, because you made such interesting points here, senator. The consensus seems to be now though that, for whatever reason, Barack Obama is now identified as the "black candidate." How did that happen?
<BLOCKQUOTE>Kerry: Well, if it happened, I'm not sure that that is accurate at all, and I don't necessarily accept it. But to whatever degree that has been injected here, it has been injected, frankly, by the other campaign, and I think it's unfortunate, but I just don't accept that. And I think the people that are supporting him is evidence of that.
I don't look at Barack Obama and see a black candidate. I see an inspiring, young, American United States senator -- that's what I see -- who happens also to be African American. Just as Hillary happens also to be a woman, and just as John Edwards happens also to be a white. So what? What you look at-- I mean, this is the test of this race.
Are we the country we say we are? Are we the country that holds certain truths to be self-evident, words which incidentally were written by a 33-year-old named Thomas Jefferson. You know, are we the country that judges people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin -- words that were written by Martin Luther King when he was about 34 years old.
So the fact is that, to whatever degree that issue has been put in this race, I think this is a moment for Americans to prove it doesn't matter anymore, and we're beyond that. And that's one of the transformative aspects of this candidacy that I find so appealing and so important to the nation and to the world. If we can elect Barack Obama, the message to the world about who we are, what we believe and what the possibilities are in America, are extraordinary. </BLOCKQUOTE>Q: Well, very strong case made, certainly, on behalf of your candidate. Thank you so much, Sen. John Kerry. I hope you can join us again.
<BLOCKQUOTE>Kerry: It's a pleasure to be with you. Thank you very much</BLOCKQUOTE>

Very strong and logical arguments ,but do they reflect the reality of the country ?I think South Carolina is going to be the response to what Kerry said:Are we a people who judge human beings by the content of their Character?If so race should not matter.But one of the better minds of the Black community wrote a book that says :"Race does matter"Have we changed?Let us hope so.

It would be interesting to see how these people who pretend to endorse Obama will vote in an election between Senator Mac Cain and Senator Obama.To do and to say are different verbs.(lol)

Tonight, it will be the end of a very ambitious dream.

First of all, Obama cannot loose if he expects to stay in the contest.

However, if Obama wins the South Carolina, the Clinton will minimize the values of this victory because of the majority of black voters. They will continue abusing the truth in order to manipulate the majority of the white voters in the remaining states. They will try to create a conflict between white and black voters. Because the blacks are the minority in these states, Obama will certainly loose the primary elections.

Senator Obama is projected by CNN to be the winner in South Carolina.Hillary clinton and John Edwards are beaten by Obama in South Carolina a state that is more likely to be a red state in November.Now what does this victory mean?No matter what percentage of the Black population voted for Senator Obama ,it is now evident that he is a serious contender for the nomination of the democratic party.Although it is too early to predict who will win the nomination ,I must admit that I am impressed by his projected victory in South Carolina.

Is Barack Obama the right choice for the democratic party in the general election in November ?I still have my doubt.However his victory in South carolina proves that his bid for the nomination is not an exercice in futilty as I tought previously.For if ,in spite of all the negatives comments of Bill Clinton,Senator Obama can win in a Southern State,that really proves that something has changed in the political landscape of the country.I am not the doubtful Thomas I was before.

Before South Carolina I wish that Senator Obama and Senator Clinton were more conciliatory toward each other in oder to prevent resentments among democrats after the primaries ,now it is imperative that they do so ,because it is almost certain that the nominee of the republican party will be Senator Mac Cain.No matter how bad the economy is Senator mac cain will not be easily defeated by either Mrs Clinton or Mr. Obama.This election is very important ;it will prove the maturity of the american electorate.Are we really mature enoguh to vote according to the person we perceive to be the best candidate to govern the country or are we sheeps manipulated by politicians and the press?No one can answer this question until November.

she cannot minimize obama's win because obama got one-fourth of the white vote; and he got 27% of the white southern male vote compared to 28% for hillary.
what you do not realize is that a white male can rationally convince himself that he has more in common with obama than he has with hillary. obama is genetically half-white, and a man. a condition that makes him both psychologically and biologically closer to a white male than hillary would ever be.
obama has appeal across the board. he was raised by grand-parents, therefore he can appeal to elderlies. he married a dark-skinned black women, and therefore can appeal to black women. his mother was white, and therefore can appeal to white women; his ancestors were not enslaved here, therefore he does not make white males feel guilty and uncomfortable, therefore he can appeal to white males.
he went to harvard, therefore he can appeal to very educated indivividuals. he grew up in hawai, therefore he can appeal to asians. his name is obama, a latin-sounding name, therefore he can appeal to latinos; he has reached out to republicans, therefore he can appeal to republicans for in his ads, one finds praises from republicans with whom he worked in illinois. he is very young, therefore he can appeal to the youth.
and also the last surviving kid of JFK endorsed him, so he can appeal to people that adore JFK.
Are we so cynical, and negative that we cannot conceive of a non-white person in the white house?
the white people of iowa, new hampshire and south carolina can believe but some of you would not.

“more in common with obama than he has with hillary. obama is genetically half-white, and a man. a condition that makes him both psychologically and biologically closer to a white male than hillary would ever be.” OBSERVER KEEN

It is not a joke. It’s about the future of the power fullest nation in the world. It’s not question to vote for a male rather than a female. It’s question about programs and change to lead the world and grow American economy.

“obama has appeal across the board. he was raised by grand-parents, therefore he can appeal to elderlies. he married a dark-skinned black women, and therefore can appeal to black women. his mother was white, and therefore can appeal to white women; his ancestors were not enslaved here, therefore he does not make white males feel guilty and
uncomfortable, therefore he can appeal to white males.” OBSERVER KEEN

Are you playing with serious issues? It’s a question about Healthcare, Economy, Immigration, homeland security… Obama is black like any other African American. People don’t vote for him because he has a few of every thing: half white, half black, black wife … He has a better program to resolve the issues and that’s why it’s so popular.

“he went to harvard, therefore he can appeal to very educated indivividuals. he grew up in hawai, therefore he can appeal to asians. his name is obama, a latin-sounding name, therefore he can appeal to latinos; he has reached out to republicans, therefore he can appeal to republicans for in his ads, one finds praises from republicans with whom he worked in illinois. he is very young, therefore he can appeal to the youth.” OBSERVER KEEN

All the candidates are well-educated. Edwards grew up in South Carolina and he didn’t win this state. The voters care more about the issues not about the origin or spelling of the candidate name.

Please go to:

http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

and you will see why people are willing to vote for Barak Obama.

listen, i am beating them at their own game. i am showing how ridiculous their own arguments are. i am showing how these arguments could turned against them.
i am using argumentum ad absurdum my friend, relax.

here is what i have written on the obama website. my efforts have been lately to get stats to show that whites are not leaving obama, my argument is to show that the fears that the clintons are tapping into can be reduced ad absurdum.

here is what i have recently written on the obama website:

the majority of blacks in nevada is young.
so, the vast support that obama had among blacks in nevada is due more to generation than to race as the young of all races tend to gravitate toward obama.
the white vote in south carolina says a lot to support my hypothesis. obama does very well among young whites, and captures 27% of the white male vote.
eventhough edwads won the white male vote, a significant portion of that is made of young white males with whom obama does well. so, in the absence of edwards, many of those young white males could have voted for obama since edwards' political philosophy is more in tune with that of obama than with that of hillary.
so when analyzed deeper, the one person that does not do well across demographic differences is hillary. the bulk of her support in her two narrow wins overwhelmingly and consistently comes from blue collar moms and older folks.



even if we get rid of the real issues, the statistical tie between hillary and obama among white males can be interpreted in terms of a combination of race, gender and generation that would not necessarily favor hillary contrary to what the clinton camp would hope; for a young white male may convince himself on many fronts that he is closer to obama than hillary. i say that not because i would approve of this kind of thinking, but because many hillary supporters have been insinuating that white males in the south would not vote for obama. in fact, this is exactly what president bill clinton has meant to convey when he has claimed that "we should not roll dice with the presidency". so, i have got these news for the former president: a young white male may say, "obama, by being a man, young, and half-white, is closer to me than hillary could ever be". that counter-argument may be what we need to crush the clintons' banking on irrational fears to win the white house. did anybody notice that all the former president did was talking about his own economic record as if his experience were automatically transferable, but yet denied that he would play a significant role in a would-be-hillary presidency?
the strong black support of obama is not necessarily due to race, but rather to two things: the changes that obama will bring, and the unfair attacks that he has suffered from bill clinton. in other words, it may the david-goliah thing rather than racial block voting; for i believe that had obama been a young white male with the same philosophy, and candor, black voters may have reacted in a similar manner upon seeing him crucified by the establishment known as the clinton machine.
the primaries are more generationally, and sexually divided than racially.

i also believe that we can close the gaps with older voters. after all, obama was mostly raised by gran-parents. that experience should make senator obama very appealing to older voters if they are made aware of his experience.
i also would like senator Obama to talk more about his mother because oppositional forces are attempting to claim that he has rejected his white mother who took care of him while his father abandonned him.
it is important to let people remember that senator obama visits his mother's grave regularly to deposit flowers.

have you been reading the context? you seem to just read literally.
i have been on this website for a long time, and most people here know that i do not talk about silly stuff such as racial block voting.
my intent was to show how the race-coded arguments put forward by the clinton camp can be reduced ad absurdum.

I hope you don't inject age in the race even though the outcome may confirm your points. This election is not about young against older people. I'm sure that was not your idea, but it could be shifted in that direction when mentioning blue collar moms and older folks support Senator Clinton. They are facts that can unfortunately divide in that race for the White House. Let's focus more on the message and vision of our leader Barack Obama.
Talk to you later.

From now, we are going to call obama honest Obe!!!
obama's fairness as recounted by governor richardson:

"I had just been asked a question -- I don't remember which one -- and Obama was sitting right next to me. Then the moderator went across the room, I think to Chris Dodd, so I thought I was home free for a while. I wasn't going to listen to the next question. I was about to say something to Obama when the moderator turned to me and said, 'So, Gov. Richardson, what do you think of that?' But I wasn't paying any attention! I was about to say, 'Could you repeat the question? I wasn't listening.' But I wasn't about to say I wasn't listening. I looked at Obama. I was just horrified. And Obama whispered, 'Katrina. Katrina.' The question was on Katrina! So I said, 'On Katrina, my policy . . .' Obama could have just thrown me under the bus. So I said, 'Obama, that was good of you to do that.'"

The choice in this election is not between regions or religions or genders. It's not about rich versus poor; young versus old; and it is not about black versus white.
It's about the past versus the future.

Barack Obama

I would like to know what the result of the Florida election means to the electability of the candidates.If Hilary Clinton can not ignore Obama's victory in South Carolina,then Obama can not minimize Hillary's victory in Florida even though the florida's delegates do not count.

I vote for Obama this morning because I realize that the Cintons have had their time and I want changes. ,but friends the game is far from over as Rudlph Giulliani reminded us tonight.In a State where blacks are in minority in the South Clinton wins by more than 1/4 of million people.it is interessing to take into account the spanish votes.At any rate it would be detrimental for the democrats to show animosity toward each other.I did not like what happened in the Congress last night .Obama should have been more gracious to Hilary.

of course, he can minimize it because no one campaigned there. it was a beauty contest, so in a beauty contest whoever has name recogntion advantage wins. it was simply a name recognition thing that allowed clinton to have such a huge margin. hillary only won narrowly when a race was actively contested by obama; just as in nevada where she only won by 5 points after leading all year long by more than twenty points. the florida results does mean much because florida only has 3-percent of blacks, and obama captured more than 33% of the electorate there; so a significant number of non-blacks must have voted for him to get 33% of the electorate.