Nice Article in Politico about Loss and Moving on

[TayTay]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/8811.html">They'll always have the Senate
March 4th, 2008
By: Amie Parnes

In the days after he lost to Bush, Kerry said that he and his wife, Teresa, invited Tom Daschle and his wife, Linda, over to their Georgetown home for a cathartic dinner. Daschle, then the Senate minority leader, had just suffered a mind-numbing defeat of his own, losing his long-held South Dakota Senate seat to Republican John Thune.

“We’d both had tough ends to 2004 in similar ways, but it was just one of those nights in Washington that don’t happen enough these days,” Kerry said.

Kerry had another one of those nights two months later. As Bush bounced from one black-tie ball to the next to celebrate his second inauguration, the Kerrys settled in at their house for dinner with Kennedy and his wife, Vicki, and Chris and Jackie Dodd.

“You never forget those moments,” Kerry said. “The people who are there for you, it just leaves a lasting impression.”

[beachmom]

1. Thanks for posting, Tay Tay. I have to admit I am a sucker for the human interest stories

about politicians. Maybe because politics is, as you say, a blood sport, and politicians are continuously attacked, maligned, and lampooned. They all come out looking like a caricature. If you talk to typical voters, they really think the person is that caricature, and if you protest that they are real people, the response is that, "well, they shouldn't have run for office" if they didn't want to be treated that way. It's a very strange viewpoint since these elected officials so despised affect everyone's lives big time. That is why the cynicism can be so deadly. So ... this story is helpful in moving the veil away at least for a moment to get a glimpse at who the "caricatures" really are.

[Democrafty]

5. My sentiments exactly!

For me, that was the toughest thing about having met JK (and THK, now that I think of it) a couple of times - having to watch and listen as people attacked a real person as though he were just some symbol.

OTOH, how many people have we run into online who have completely revised their opinions of JK after just speaking with him in person? JK has inspired quite a few of these "human interest stories," and I'd like to believe that it's because the good person that we all know JK is keeps breaking through the socially constructed "IMJOHNKERRYANDIAPPROVETHISMESSAGE" that remains from '04.

[karynnj]

2. This is a really nice article

All of their comments were great, but especially Kerry's. He really has done all he said you have to do. He and Kennedy are excellent role models for whichever Senators don't win. I wonder if it was harder or easier for Kerry that his was so very much closer than the others - especially as he and Gore had to deal with the fact that their was some likelihood the other side cheated.

[MBS]

3. this is lovely, thanks

I was especially touched by JK's comment, "The people who are there for you, it just leaves a lasting impression". Oh, I'm sure that has to be deeply true for him. I got a little teary thinking about that.

I also liked this paragraph:

The key, Kerry said, is what you do when you return. “You’ve just got to be resilient, keep up the fight, be creative and look forward. I think maybe the most important one is curiosity, though — just being engaged in how you can change things and find solutions you know are out there but just haven’t surfaced yet.”

That is 100% JK, and why I will always, always, have his back. Go get 'em JK!

[YvonneCa]

4. JK is such a role model...

...for us. As one who has lately been dealing with loss and moving on, the insights of all these leaders is really helpful. I especially like what JK says about curiosity:

" ...the most important one is curiosity, though — just being engaged in how you can change things and find solutions you know are out there but just haven’t surfaced yet.”


It is such an optimistic outlook...looking for solutions...expecting they are there and they are just waiting to be discovered. Talk about hopeful! :)



Thanks, Tay.