John Kerry has endorsed Biden!!!!!

[George II]

John Kerry will campaign for Joe Biden in Iowa Friday after endorsing the former vice president!

Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will campaign in Iowa Friday for former Vice President Joe Biden.

Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee and winner of the Iowa caucuses that year, endorsed Biden for president on Thursday. He will join the former vice president for campaign stops in Cedar Rapids, Elkader and Decorah on Friday.

"There’s never been a time more urgent for leadership at home that can work for the middle class and tackle existential issues like climate change where we are moving dangerously backwards. Joe is uniquely the person running for president who can beat Donald Trump and get to work on day one at home and in the world with no time to waste," Kerry said in a statement.

Biden is in the midst of an eight-day, 18-county barnstorm across Iowa, which he's calling the "No Malarkey" tour. He's used the visit to emphasize the importance of rural areas of the country and to tout his experience and readiness to serve as president.

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2019/12/05/john-kerry-campaign-iowa-joe-biden-after-making-endorsement-2020-iowa-caucuses/2617918001/

[cilla4progress]

1. Seems to be growing momentum.

How is he going to energize young / new voters? I think that's his vulnerability.

[Skya Rhen]

4. During these times, if people need their hands to be held then they are the ones with a problem.

[cilla4progress]

17. Frick, they aren't asking to have their

hands held! This is electoral reality! They‘ve got to believe he will represent their interests!

[Demsrule86]

27. Biden will be president for all...the only reason some (not saying you) are all excited about the

'young' vote is because it is a demographic that gives their candidate a chance...however, I believe that the young will vote for the Democratic nominee...they know Trump is a dangerous disaster...I have three millenials and a gen z...all will vote for the nominee. One was for Biden from the start...she met him. two were for Warren, but the gen z has switched to Biden...wants Trump gone. She is gay and feels a real threat should he be reelected...you give the young too little credit.

[cilla4progress]

32. This is what I'm talking about.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/2020-democratic-voters-divided-down-demographic-lines-11573214403

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/11/1/20943879/iowa-poll-biden-warren-sanders-older-voter-2020

Margins are miniscule. Every vote counts.

[Demsrule86]

64. We are a big tent party...they will like everyone else have to vote for the nominee or not.

We pick who we think our best candidate will be and go from there...none of my kids dislike Biden. I think it will be fine.

[treestar]

87. Are they dumb enough to think he won't?

Are they so self centered only their interests matter?

[IronLionZion]

28. That's the winning campaign message

for Trump

our side needs to inspire high turnout from all sorts of people

[Demsrule86]

65. I am sure there will be outreach to everyone...but I am sick of the blackmail...if I don't get my

candidate then I take my ball and go home...there is no perfect candidate. I would argue that AA voters have way more votes than the young voters at this point and must also be considered. Trump doesn't appeal to millennial voters or Gen Z either...so if they sit home...oh well. The general will won or lost in the Mid West EC...which has older voters...MI, WI and PA.

[TruckFump]

6. Just so you know, I like Liz a lot.

My main concern is removing the orange stain from the WH.

My thoughts are that Joe can beat Trump and with doing this, we can lead the way to several Dem victories in the future. Liz is smart, well spoken, and let's face it, she has a plan!

[floppyboo]

11. Guess that explains his 'We're enlisted' ad for climate change

When I saw him on Morning Joe (?) this am, I was hoping he would swoop in and tell those other billionaires to cut-it out, that he's gonna run for the centrist vote. A much superior choice to the current Hillary 2.0's in my opinion, but alas, he's just pandering to the youth vote for Biden. So predictable I guess. But the youth won't be fooled. This will back fire.

[MH1]

97. ?? You think Kerry was "pandering" with an ad about climate change?

That is who you're talking about, right?

If so, you may want to read up a little more on Kerry's history.

[floppyboo]

100. Unfortunately, Kerry isn't running, and more unfortunately for the legitimacy of his WW0

he has endorsed the wrong candidate. He wants to 'marry the top roots with the grass roots'? Well, that was a quick engagement. You don't seriously think anyone involved in the sunrise movement is going to have anything to do with this good intentioned initiative now, do you?

[honest.abe]

13. How is Trump going to energize young/new voters?

[usaf-vet]

61. He's not. The repugs plans have always been to restrict as many voters as possible.....

...... from each unfavorable demographic.

While at the same time using gerrymandering, voter ID, Russian interference and other republican voter suppression tricks to try and steal the 2020 election just like the 2016 election.

[Auggie]

74. Moot. The young voters stay home like they did w/ Clinton.

[honest.abe]

78. Yeah, they were convinced that Hillary was no better than Trump.

That concept was pushed even by those who we thought were on our side.

[Auggie]

84. That's why if Joe is our nominee he must choose a dynamic, progressive a running mate

[honest.abe]

85. Yes, a dynamic progressive and less than 70 years old like Kamala Harris.

[Auggie]

86. Would work for me

[treestar]

88. Seems to insult them that they do this to us

because we didn't come up with something good enough for them. Are they really like this? You're accusing a generation of stupidity, short-sightedness, selfishness and inability to consider the good of the country over whether they are "excited" enough.

[Auggie]

89. Doesn't seem like an insult to me. And it really happened.

People are just self-righteously weird sometimes.

[floppyboo]

101. 18-30: - 52-53% (2008-Obama) 18-24: 18% (2016 - Clinton) 31% (2018 - new registered voters)

As for the youth vote, Tufts University’s Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) estimates that 52 percent to 53 percent of eligible voters under the age of 30 went to the polls in 2008. That’s up from 48 percent in 2004. CIRCLE’s figures are based on CSAE’s projections, exit poll data and Census population numbers.

[janterry]

39. regression to the mean

Not momentum.

He can't energize new voters, imo. As I've written before - some of the young progressives I work with say they'll never for him.

Of course, I'm in a very progressive area in a very progressive state - so my sample is limited upon limited .

But he doesn't inspire me at all. It feels like we've been down this road before - and it didn't end well.

[still_one]

43. If they are saying they will never vote for Biden in the primary, that's fine. However, if they

are saying will not vote for him if he is the nominee in the general election, then they are beneath contempt, and they deserve trump

That is the same bullshit that some self-identified progressives did in 2016, using excuses that the Supreme Court really didn't matter

It didn't take much either. In those critical swing states, Hillary lost by less than 1%. In those critical swing states, Jill Stein received 1% of the vote.

Every Democrat running for Senate in those swing states lost to the incumbent, establishment, republican, and those DEMOCRATS were progressive by any standard.

[janterry]

50. I know

I'm just reporting on their antipathy. I think it's helpful to know

The problem is that they might deserve Trump, but I don't

[still_one]

54. I know, and it is what it is. I guess I would ask, how did that work out for them in 2016, because

if trump gets a second term, it will be much worse, and we can kiss the SC court goodbye for decades to come

[emulatorloo]

56. Time for your friends to treat voting as a civic duty: protect the most vulnerable among us

Seniors, minorities, the poor. lgbt, etc. If they choose to throw those people under the bus and allow Trump to win again, they aren’t progressive.

Trump kicking people off food stamps yesterday inspires the hell out of me to vote Democratic.

[Demsrule86]

68. Yeah, they were not progressive in my opinion or they would have voted for say Feingold...

screw them...unreliable and never happy...Stein and Green voters if you ask me ...hate Democrats. We must win without them as they are unreliable.

[BannonsLiver]

77. Problem is Warren is tumbling in the polls

It appears she is “exciting” fewer people than she was a few months ago. Kind of silly to argue Biden is putting everyone to sleep when your candidate isn’t exactly lighting it up either. Anyway, your concern is duly noted.

[Auggie]

73. Exactly. Biden would have to choose the right running mate

[Cha]

109. It's Awesome that SOS John Kerry is Endorsing VP Joe Biden!

"There’s never been a time more urgent for leadership at home that can work for the middle class and tackle existential issues like climate change where we are moving dangerously backwards. Joe is uniquely the person running for president who can beat Donald Trump and get to work on day one at home and in the world with no time to waste," Kerry said in a statement.

[TruckFump]

2. I think John Kerry is a great guy!

Glad he endorsed. I respect him and admire him.

[tritsofme]

3. Wow, big get!

[Arkansas Granny]

5. Yes, he has!

Link to tweet

?s=20


John Kerry
✔
@JohnKerry
Proud to head back to Iowa tomorrow to campaign with my friend Joe. I’m not endorsing Joe because I’ve known him for so long, but because I know him so well: he'll be ready on day one to put back together the country and the world that Donald Trump has broken apart.

48
11:17 AM - Dec 5, 2019

[Cha]

81. That's what I said about Kerry's endorsement down thread..

that he knows Biden so well.. up close and personal.

Retweeted! Thank you for this, AG!

[NurseJackie]

12. Okay.

[Demsrule86]

22. Bernie was not a Senator during the Iraq invasion...I doubt Kerry gave a damn what Bernie thought as

Last edited Thu Dec 5, 2019, 03:21 PM - Edit history (1)

a house member.

[still_one]

45. Exactly. That is not the reason Kerry didn't endorse Bernie.

[Demsrule86]

69. Nope...I can think of one big one...the 2016 general.

[still_one]

75. +++

[tritsofme]

23. lol, I'm sure that was at the very bottom of the list of reasons he would never endorse Sanders!

[MineralMan]

25. I doubt such a thing has anything to do with Kerry's endorsement.

Why do you think that is the case? Please be specific.

[LanternWaste]

26. Post hoc ergo prompter hoc.

[TidalWave46]

8. My favorite statesman. By far. NT

[Demsrule86]

24. I like Kerry very much...I was a Deaniac...adored him and still do...but I was proud to support

Kerry and vote for him.

[still_one]

9. That is a much better endorsement than a Sarandon one

[NurseJackie]

10. Now THAT is a substantive and meaningful endorsement!

It really amuses me that the candidates WITHOUT (or lacking) endorsements from well-respected political heavy-hitters seem to rely on (and take way too seriously) the endorsements of D-list celebrities.

[honest.abe]

14. Cheers! I think this is the biggest endorsement yet.

Only one bigger would be the Big "O" himself.. and I think he said he wont endorse.

[NurseJackie]

15. Well, he's no Mark Ruffalo, but I guess it'll have to do.

[George II]

18. .....

[handmade34]

55. oh my

love your gif

[honest.abe]

34. LOL!

Yeah, we missed that one!

[Sloumeau]

16. George II

Thank you so much for this posting. This is great news for Joe Biden.

[DrToast]

19. To quote a wise man: "This is a BFD."

[George II]

21. Bazinga!

[The Valley Below]

20. But how many Twitter followers does John Kerry have?

[aikoaiko]

29. How the heck did Kerry lose to Bush2? Was the shadow of 9/11 still clouding our...

Last edited Thu Dec 5, 2019, 02:21 PM - Edit history (1)

...judgment that much?

[NurseJackie]

33. ...

[still_one]

46. ya nailed it, though a large amount of it was due to the swift boaters, and the

F**KING media playing those swift puke lies as news stories practically 24/7

From my perspective the media outlets helped the republicans with that crap

[George II]

52. He lost Ohio by only 120,000 votes. Had he won there he would have had 271 electoral votes.

[aikoaiko]

63. It really does come down to the mid-west (rust belt) for us.

I forgot that it came down to Ohio.

[karynnj]

102. Not to mention, the Republicans suppressed the vote by placing fewer voting machines in cities

than they had in the primary leading to 4 hour plus waits oven outside in a November rain. I assume that many people needed to leave for work or to care for children. Given how close it was that and other dirty tricks likely cost Kerry Ohio .. and the Presidency. Had he won, it would have been a huge upset because Bush had been at 60 percent approve a year before the election.

Ken Blackwell, the Ohio SoS, was also the chair of the Bush/Cheney Ohio campaign.

[George II]

103. I remember all of that nightmare, just as bad as the 2000 election.

[Gothmog]

30. This is a major endorsement

Link to tweet

[ritapria]

31. I'll take Grass Roots Organizing Every day of the Week

The Kerry endorsement will be forgotten a week from now ...What matters ? Door knocking ...phone banking ...Enthusiasm Volunteers

[honest.abe]

35. In Iowa and NH this will be a BFD!

[LanternWaste]

37. Your faith-based prophecies are, as always, bemusing.

You are aware that in regards to endorsements and grass-roots, the one does not deny the other? Yes? No?

My guess is that who receives the endorsement (and nothing else) is what drives your... let's be generous and simply call it "analysis lacking any objective data to support it"

[still_one]

47. +++

[NurseJackie]

49. ...

[NurseJackie]

40. Looks like the Kerry endorsement has perturbed many around here...

The Kerry endorsement will be forgotten a week from now

[Demsrule86]

70. I don't think do...the Dem heavy hitters are lining up because Biden is the likely nominee...and is

electable. It will help with Iowa and maybe New Hampshire...but with two are from that area...don't think New Hampshire really matters...as for Iowa...Buttigeig and Warren need a win there. I think anyone else can weather a loss.

[NurseJackie]

71. "Biden is the likely nominee...and is electable."

"Biden is the likely nominee...and is electable."

Yep.

I think we'll know who our party's nominee is by Super Tuesday. At that point, all the others who weren't nominated need to be graceful about their loss and get in line to give a full-throated endorsement of our party's nominee. Any candidate who delays or who offers anything less than an enthusiastic and sincere endorsement of our party's nominee will reveal themselves to be someone who lacks character. I pray that's not the case, however.

[Demsrule86]

79. I do too...I just saw a snip of Booker and Castro attacking the Party...that is a damn shame...and

both are permanently banned in terms of any support from me in the 2020 primary or a future primary. If Biden loses the nomination, I expect him to bow out gracefully and I will be all in for our nominee. Trump must go period.

[murielm99]

44. I can do all that and still support Biden if he is the nominee.

He is not my candidate, but he could be. This is big. This is no time for sour grapes!

[peggysue2]

36. The stars are aligning

And a momentum is rolling underfoot.

Go for it, Joe!

[R B Garr]

38. Nice!

Thanks for posting, George.

[democratisphere]

41. Joe Biden is the only choice that makes sense in these times.

[Hortensis]

42. I expected eventually, although there was speculation

Last edited Thu Dec 5, 2019, 02:52 PM - Edit history (1)

about him running, similar to Bloomberg and Hillary. Is the timing an anti-Bloomberg move, I wonder? Bloomberg is running against VP Biden specifically.

Btw, I was reading something that pointed out the American Conservative Union's ideological voting records of congressmen. Their own scale, of course, but with Sanders still claiming almost (?) daily that we're all practically Republicans, what the Republicans think about that is worth noting.

By their accounting Sen. Kerry as of leaving in 2004 had a lifetime rating of 5.18 out of 100 (100 being as conservative as one could get, of course). A solid Massachusetts liberal vastly displeasing to the right according TO the right.

Biden earned a 4 for 2006, the last year rated, 13.04 over his 34 years.

For comparison, Sanders earned a 15 his first year in congress, 1991, but they had him at 6.28 lifetime rating in 2004 and 6.78 in 2018.

http://acuratings.conservative.org/acu-federal-legislative-ratings/?year1=2007&chamber=13&state1=0&sortable=2

[still_one]

48. Actually, I am not sure what the frack Bloomberg is doing

[PatSeg]

51. That makes sense

They've been colleagues and friends for years. Biden was a foreign policy adviser for Kerry during the 2004 campaign. This is good!

[George II]

53. Yes, and he was Obama's second Secretary of State when Biden was VP. If she endorses....

....before the primaries end, I'm sure Hillary Clinton will endorse Biden too.

[PatSeg]

57. That's very possible

I think they've had a good relationship in the past.

[StevieM]

59. I doubt that Hillary will endorse anyone before the primaries are over.

She didn't endorse anyone in 2004, and I assume she will stay neutral in this race as well.

[world wide wally]

58. Glad to hear that!

We gotta win!

[Vinca]

60. In other Biden news, I was grocery shopping in southern Vermont this morning and

encountered a couple of nice, young men registering people to vote. After thanking them for their efforts, I asked if they were affiliated with any particular organization. They said "the Biden campaign." I was very impressed. Not a bit of campaigning, just registering people to vote.

[LiberalLovinLug]

62. Wow, who would have guessed?

[Peacetrain]

66. That is a little piece of heaven!!!

[TheFourthMind]

67. My vote goes to the obvious threat. Apparently the only threat worth risking impeachment. n/t

[onetexan]

72. BRAVO Secretary Kerry!!

[calimary]

76. Well okay!

I tell ya - Biden is solid with THE voting bloc that Democrats need and can reliably depend upon, every election cycle: black voters.

I’m not terribly interested in other candidates whose appeal to the black vote is slim or none. They’re pretty much non-starters for me. We CANNOT turn our backs on the black community. We can’t afford to!

[Cha]

80. This speaks really well for Joe Biden from John Kerry who

was in their Admin and saw what Biden is capable of.. up close and personal.

John Kerry was a well respected SOS.. Thanks George!

Biden is in the midst of an eight-day, 18-county barnstorm across Iowa, which he's calling the "No Malarkey" tour. He's used the visit to emphasize the importance of rural areas of the country and to tout his experience and readiness to serve as president.

[Arkansas Granny]

82. They served together in the Senate for many years, as well.

[Cha]

83. That's right.. thanks for the reminder, AG!

[NYMinute]

90. That should clinch it ... K&R nt

[jcgoldie]

91. clinch what?

Pretty sure John Kerry gets one vote.

[NYMinute]

92. Clinch the nomination

Kerry is well-respected and well-known as a nominee, a secretary of state and as a senator. He is a known liberal-centrist and his endorsement carries a lot of weight with people vacillating between center-left and ultra-extreme-left. Those middle voters will now support Biden in droves.

[jcgoldie]

93. ok

[maximusveritas]

99. I like Biden, but let's not get ahead of ourselves

Yes, this is a big endorsement, but people who liked Kerry were already going to vote for Biden for the most part. They fit the same mold in many ways and it doesn't really move people out of other camps in droves. If Obama endorsed him, that would be a sign it's over.

[highplainsdem]

94. K&R!

[Scurrilous]

95. K&R

[Tarheel_Dem]

96. K&R

[Gothmog]

98. Kerry-Joe Biden can put the world back together

Link to tweet

[Cha]

104. Kicking!

[Cha]

105. A reminder!

[Peacetrain]

106. A most excellent reminder Cha

[Cha]

107. Hey Good Morning, Peacetrain!

[Gothmog]

108. John Kerry is a patriot who has dedicated his life to serving our country.

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

110. "But none of them, not one of them has a resume that infinitesimally comes close to what Joe Biden

Link to tweet

[betsuni]

111. "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

I saw "Apocalypse Now" on TV yesterday and thought of him on one of those boats.