We need a roll call here:

[TayTay]

Just a check-in.

And a question: What would people like going forward this year. I have been a bit lax lately, for whatever reason and haven't checked in to ask what people want. (I still want a phone call, btw.)

Hmmmm, more pics. More audio references. Would people like an update on how the campaign in 08 is going and so forth? Let me know.

Thanks!

ah, Tay checking in from MA

[karynnj]

1. I'm Karen from NJ

I think what we've had is great. You've done a great job putting up the hearings and other stuff. It's nice to see that stuff that would get lost in the primary stuff. The articles are great and I love that video and audio is progressively more available.

I am interested in how the campaign is going.

[beachmom]

3. Is that on the Kerry Blog or Kerryvision? Admittedly, I have been

missing some of the hearings, partly due to time constraints, but also, maybe I am not looking in the right place.

[TayTay]

4. Going well.

Right now it is a Democratic event and involves engaging active Democrats for the upcoming nominating convention in Lowell, MA on June 7th. (Anyone want to come to Lowell and help out, let me know.) May 6th is the last day to submit nomination signatures to Town Halls for certification. (This process checks that all the sigs are from registered Dems or Independents and they live in the cities or towns listed.) Mass law requires that 10,000 certified signatures be submitted for a state wide office. Most campaigns submit roughly double that number to cities and towns for certification. It's a grinding process for every candidate.

The second part of getting on the ballot is to get at least 15% of the vote of delegates to the State Dem Convention. That will be the focus of the next month or so. There will be more info about this Dem State Convention, eventually, at this website: http://www.massdems.org/index2.cfm. The State Convention will endorse a candidate, but if others get 15% of the delegates and the needed 10,000 sigs, they get on the ballot as well. The Massachusetts Democratic Primary is in Sept, btw. Then there is 7 weeks until the General Election race against a Republican. (There are 2 Republicans running for the nomination for US Senate.)

So, this is not the most exciting part of the campaign, but you have to dot the 'i's and cross the 't's on everything.

[beachmom]

2. Beachmom, checking in from Atlanta metro, Georgia

Yes, all of those things you suggest sound great -- phone in sounds good. I think we all need to "talk" here a little bit more. Maybe people are busy -- I know I have been. But it seems to me that the presidential primary has been a source of energy drain, and well, oftentimes, not much is going on here to decompress. I don't think it is because Kerry isn't doing much -- he is doing plenty. But for some reason, there has been less conversations going on on the forum. If you look at the old links I referred to from 2005, the threads were longer. And there are indeed some names no longer posting here (and not necessarily due to primary wars -- I don't see their names on DU in general much at all).

I think what is lacking is a disconnect: we all love Kerry and admire his life work and what he is doing in Congress now. MOST of us are supportive of his decision to endorse and campaign for Obama. But a lot of us are not as into Obama as we are/were into JK. Perfectly fine. There are a few who post once in a while who support Clinton but still love Kerry. Also fine. But then there are the tears in our "Kerry coalition", and I think that has hurt us. I think it has led to some of us too afraid to really say what we think. But when we DO say what we think, well that leads to problems, too.

Let's face it, we've lost a few folks. And some may be back, while others may never come back. That makes me sad. I cannot tell a lie. And the sadness comes not just from losing friends, but feeling like you don't know them as well as you thought you did. That is hard to take.

[TayTay]

7. It is hard to take.

Politics is so about the now and the future that it is hard to go and look back. There are so many waves that meet for a while and then recede. Maybe those waves will meet again, but some won't.

We have had people who did leave. That is sad. Maybe they will come back when we have a common purpose, after the primary. Maybe not or maybe not until much later in the year.

I think a lot of people still view DU JK as a sort of refuge. We come here to talk about issues and to have some fun. (We are fun-deficient lately though, sigh!) And some of the utter nastiness of this primary has turned a lot of people away.

This is the worst of times. (Was it like this in '04. Maybe, but the primary ended much sooner.) I absolutely hated that the false Mickey Kantor thing was on the blogs today. That was nasty. I understand a hard-fought primary, but, ick, that kind of thing is just awful. (Honestly, I just want a vacation sometimes.) You see and hear this kind of stuff and the hurtful and ridiculous things that people say to defend outright disgusting things and, well, it leads to a sadness and malaise that sucks the energy right out of you.

I do believe it will get better. All marathons end and as soon as we can locate the finish line, this one will too. And people who swore they would never come together will in fact come together. But, sigh, we have to get there first.

[JI7]

5. i'm interested in the campaign and also how it would related to the Presidential election

i get worried sometimes when i see the polls posted about JK, Kennedy, Patrick not doing so well. and how it could affect the national election.

i mean, this is Massachusettes and we should not have to worry about it. but i don't just want to win the state, i want to win big and make sure no more Romney's are able to get in.

i know many times after the election i realize it wasn't anything to worry about. i mean in 2004 where were polls that claimed Kerry might lose some reliably Dem states which didn't end up happening.

election season always has me nervous. especially a Presidential election year. i'm always obsessed with any little thing that has happened and how it might affect an election.

[TayTay]

8. There is work to be done, for sure.

But don't worry. The argument right now is to a smallish group of active Democrats in MA. That means that while Sen. Kerry is doing a lot in MA, the media is not covering it as much.

The polls are going to be all over the place. We are in a recession and the economic times are not good. That leads to up and down polling. And, like it or not, John Kerry had a lot of negative attacks unloaded on him in '04 and people in MA see the same media everyone else does. (Ah, there was about a quarter of a billion dollars or more worth of negative ads dumped on him in '04. MA people saw that as well.) There is repair work to be done. Repair work is always easier when the fundamentals of what is being repaired are sound, as it is in this case.

The greater campaign to all voters will come in the summer, after the Convention. I will keep you posted on that.

I think what I am trying to convey is that this campaign is active, but engaged in building the foundation first. Good foundations result in structures that can withstand all kinds of storms. It has to be done, but it is not yet fun and active. But, it has to be done.

Sen. Kerry, as seen in the American Security Project presentation yesterday, is engaged nationally in helping to put a strong national foreign policy in place so that the next Congress and President has a clear agenda to pursue. He will be involved in many, many ways in the national and Congressional races as the year goes on. But, as I said, foundation first, then add the floors to the building.

[wisteria]

6. Wisteria here. Western PA. I would love all of the above. n/t

[YvonneCa]

9. Checking in from California...

.. :) I agree with most of what has been said. I am VERY sad for the good people who don't post here much anymore, because I always have thought this group is pretty special.

TayTay, I do always appreciate your information because I am VERY interested in what Congress is working on.

Since this election season (for Kerry) is now about Massachusetts, and the group is divided on a national candidate, staying involved from California is a little odd. :7 I will probably do what I did in 2004...work to support the Democratic nominee, pray we elect Obama or Clinton...and then figure out what I can do to support leaders who are doing what's right to repair our country.

But I will ALWAYS value and remember the people in this group and the support all of you have given since 2004. :)

[politicasista]

10. Politicasista from TN

I share what the others have already said. I think this primary season has taken a toll on the group. It's become so nasty and draining because of the silly, tabloid media garbage (i.e. Rocky, bowling, Wrightgate, bittergate, etc.). I have avoided taking part in flame wars, and have stayed out of GDP all day (mostly lurking at the DU Obama/Kerry forums), and plan to all weekend or until after next Wednesday. The upside is that states are having a say, but in the words of Keyshia Cole, I just want it to be over.

I am sad too about the people that used to post here and hope they will come back around when the primary wars are over. I miss them. It's almost feels like we should do a "where are they now" thread. I too would like updates on how the 08 campaign is going.

[Inuca]

11. Inuca, downstate IL

just glad for the "refuge" this group provides, and hoping to get to meet at least some of you someday.

[YvonneCa]

12. I'm glad you said that...

...Inunca. I also hope to meet people from this group some day...and I hope it's in the not-so-distant future. :)

[blm]

13. blm saying for the millionth time that I want to see Dems take up the fight for open government

and expose and POUND ON those who have no respect for us voters who see ourselves duty-bound to be INFORMED citizens.

THAT is the ABSOLUTE best way to get 90% of the Independent vote for this election, no matter what.

I cannot for the life of me grasp why ANY Democrat should be hesitant to take on this battle.

[ray of light]

19. ray of light checking in and saying...like she said but also voting reform, jobs, healthcare and war

crime charges! (against the whole cabal!) AND DOJ reform too!

[Island Blue]

14. Island Blue checking in from coastal NC.

I've been scarce lately (except for lurking) because I feel like I have nothing intelligent to add to the conversation. It was a rough winter my family as far as illness (everything is fine now :)) and I found that I kind of enjoyed my break from political obsession, so here I remain (for the most part) in lurk mode. I do miss you guys though.

Other than that, and if anyone in this group is planning a trip to the Outer Banks this summer, please let me know. I'd love to meet up!

[MBS]

15. I'm here

not going anywhere, want to stay connected.

[MH1]

16. MH, checking in from PA.

:hi:

I've been too absent here lately, for a lot of reasons: 1) company moved offices, and my new one is less, er, private than the one I had before - it's hard to spend much time even reading DU, never mind posting. 2) also I am much busier at work these days than I used to be; 3) I've gotten involved in some local environmental activities and seem to spend all my after-work time on that stuff these days; 4) the primary b.s. just has me hating friggin' politics anymore. I am so disappointed in Joe Sestak. :( No more to be said about that, here.

So those are all my excuses...I do miss the interaction we used to have on this group, though!

If I had more time to absorb it, what I would like to see is: audio / video of committee hearings; wonky discussion of pending legislation in Congress; PIC THREADS; and oh did I mention PIC THREADS?

And kindergarten sagas. Those were fun. And maybe once, not too often but just occasionally, haiku. :evilgrin:

Of course, an occasional reminder of when the MA convention is, or whatever they call that get-together where Eeyore has to get 15% or go away. (Please let him just go away. Please tell me there aren't that many idjits in the MA Democratic Party.)

Yeah, that sort of stuff. If you all could be so kind. :)

[sandnsea]

17. Teresa's chili recipe

I've been noticing several posts lately that ridicule Teresa for supposedly asking what chili is when they stopped at Wendy's for a meal with the Edwards. Considering the number of chili feeds John and Teresa attended during the primary, it is unbelievable that the woman didn't know what chili is. I would bet she was asking what was IN the chili. So if she has a terrific chili recipe, it would be a ton of fun for us to post it all over the internet.

I know that's not what you had in mind, but hey, you asked! :hi:

[ladym55]

18. Checking in from Ohio

I'm more of a lurker than a poster, but this is my favorite place in DU! :hi:

I always visit this group. The posts are great, the people are informed, and the conversations are thoughtful.(And I don't tend to jump into the conversation unless I really think I have something to contribute.)

I appreciate seeing the hearings listed, knowing what JK is doing, and following the campaign in MA this year.

I just got back from the second annual fund-raiser for a progressive Democratic group that was an outgrowth of the Kerry campaign in 2004. JK inspired a lot of bright and talented people to become grass-roots active.

[MBS]

20. your last paragraph really struck a chord. .

As someone else said on this thread a few weeks ago (maybe it was even you!), in so many ways Kerry's 2004 campaign set the stage for the 2008 campaign (at least the good and hopeful parts of this campaign.. .I admit to extreme nervousness at the moment)

[ProSense]

21. I'm here in the state of reality,

NJ. LOL!

[globalvillage]

22. GV here.

I really would like to know more about how things are going with the Senate campaign.
I'd like cookies, too. And a pony.

[BlueIris]

23. BlueIris, still in (Western) Oregon.

That's all I've got for now. I visited GDP today, so my brain is a tad fried.

[WildEyedLiberal]

24. I'm still around... don't post as much as I used to, though

Part of that is because I've been really busy (I leave for the UK in two days!!!), and part of it is disillusionment. After the party effectively threw Kerry under the bus to ensure that he couldn't run again, I kind of stopped giving much of a rat's ass about the nitty gritty details of politics. I like Obama, am glad Kerry endorsed him, voted for him in the primary and sincerely hope he wins the GE. Beyond that... I am totally lacking the inspiration to get involved that I felt so passionately in 04. I don't live in MA so I can't do much to help Kerry win the Senate, and since he's no longer a threat to TPTB as a presidential candidate, I don't have to run all over DU defending him much anymore. I guess I'm more comfortable in the thick of battle, being an attack dog for my guy. Now that that is no longer really needed, I feel kind of rudderless in blogland.

I still read the JK group every day and plan to even while I'm in the UK, and I always will.

[BlueIris]

25. Safe trip! nt

[TayTay]

26. Have a safe and wonderful trip and time in the UK

Let us know how it's going. That sounds exciting. Good luck!

[MBS]

27. Bon voyage, and

please keep us posted on your doings in UK!!! Sounds just wonderful.

[sandnsea]

29. Please keep us updated

Love to hear all about your trip/work, whatever you're doing in the UK!

[Mass]

28. Still around. I've been reading DU less and less in general because I am becoming

disenchanted by this primary process and frankly, reading it makes my blood pressure go up. And life going on (Father in law died in March; oldest son moving to college; youngest to high school). So I spent a lot more time focusing on real life rather than online life.

What this forum needs: more info about what Kerry is doing in general and in MA in particular, and all the good things people posting before me are doing.

[rosesaylavee]

30. Here.

checking in from Illinois. Sure am glad you guys are still rocking in here. I haven't been here for a while. I am for whatever support Kerry needs. Just glad you are in here... acting like normal. Not a lot of forums like this here, you do know that, right?

:hi:

[YvonneCa]

31. I think...

...most of us know DU JK is special. :7

[DU GrovelBot]

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[JanusAscending]

32. Hi Tay and everyone!

I'm still here quite often, just lurking. Not much to say here, as I've been busy fighting for the cause on GDP, when there's something I can add to the discord!!:rofl: Looks like it's winding down, finally. I wish it were November already. My family is all well. Baby Aidan is happy and sassy, and almost a two year old. I feel sorry for my daughter when he finally starts talking. "Pay back is a bitch" Once she started talking (which I couldn't wait for)she never shut up!!! I'm having some health problems again. I'm sick of running here and there to different Dr's. I'm too tired right now to go into it, but I'll get back to y'all soon. Just wanted to let you know I'm still hanging in there. Love ya's DC

[rox63]

33. Rox from MA here

I don't know how I managed to miss this thread for so long. I've been busy with lots of other stuff lately, and haven't had much time to hang out here. I've missed y'all. I hope to have more free time available over the summer.