Kerry's comments on the SOTU

[Mass]

I also noted that the cameras spent a lot of time on him (a lot more than they would have normally). Not sure whether it is because of the black eyes or because of our junior senator seating next to him, but it was striking compared to previous years (So, all it takes for the media to talk about Kerry is for him to do something silly. Being a serious man is not worth it. Ah, the joy of the infotainment society).

http://kerry.senate.gov/press/release/?id=a3f8676e-f089-41f8-bd40-6d6bce65e83f

Kerry Statement on State of the Union Address
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, January 24, 2012


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) tonight released a statement following President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address:

"If Members of Congress are going to be honest about it, there was a lot of common sense and even more common ground in tonight’s address. We shouldn’t have to wait for another year or another election to act like it. Tax reform, energy security, infrastructure, and jobs matter to all of us and we’re so much closer on these issues than the shrillness of our politics pretends we are. We ought to prove peoples’ suspicions wrong and prove that Congress can actually get something done even in an election year. Dysfunction isn’t defensible."

[karynnj]

1. I suspect it was the black eyes

On MSNBC, they labeled Kerry and stayed on him quite a bit - and did NOT label the guy he had to sit next to.

I like his comment. It is very straightforward and more than suggests his weariness with the dysfunctional last year.

[Inuca]

3. The black eyes, I agree

Unfortunately.

[politicasista]

2. Nice statement,

though it may come across as too optimistic in hopes that the GOP will cooperate, which they never will.

The bottom line is that they want this President to fail no matter what. (see McTurtle's one term presidency comment). The Senator did an interview early last year saying that. It needs to be repeated by Dems and the DNC over and over again. The President is finally realizing that it's impossible to work with these people. He has no other choice but to take his message on the road to the voters in order to get the ball rolling.

[karynnj]

4. Both the President and Kerry have said BOTH

There are Kerry comments that were as strong as anyone's outlining that the Republicans were not willing to work with the Democrats. He was the Democrat who was most prominently out in the media after the supercommittee failed- calling Norquist the 13th member and contrasting the pledge to Norquist to the pledge he took to the Constitution. The Democrats won the spin on why the committee failed - in spite, of the media being more on the Republican side. Kerry was not the only one out then, but he was perhaps the one who framed it best.

Part of his success at that is that he coupled those concise sharp attacks with the idealistic comments on why it was important to work together to deal with the serious deficit problem. These were outlined seriously with a voice that sounded both saddened and weary from having fought hard to do what was best for the country and a look that was choir boy earnest. The latter allowed the former to not sound like nasty partisan soundbites - while letting them work as soundbites making Norquist a bad word.

Look back at Obama's SOTU, he did a similar balancing act - calling for the idealistic possibility of the two sides working together to put bills on his desk - something he called for in at least 5 instances. In his case, with the power of the Presidency, in addition to defining areas where the Republicans did not help - he, with considerable bluster, listed things he would do unilaterally. The combination showed a buoyant, positive, masterful leader - working for the country - any way he possibly could.

Obama's brilliance in this speech was the positive tone and the proactive things that he listed that he can do (or that the Congress can do). The interesting thing is how much his team identified that he can do with very little help (if any) from Congress. His coupling companies and community colleges was one of those areas. More can be done if there is funding, but the example was a case where I think there was no funding. Why I think it is brilliant is that there are many things that he will have future successes on - because he does not need Congress. On the ones that need Congress, one of two things will happen - either the Republicans continue to obstruct or they change course. Either way, it is a win for Obama. If they obstruct, the positive, likable, hard working Obama runs against the sour Boehner, Cantor, and McConnell - as well as their unlikable Presidential nominee. If they work together, it is a HUGE Obama victory in that OTHERS can claim that he is now succeeding in healing and bringing the country together. I wonder if it was a recognition of that that led to the increasingly hard, angry, sad looks on the faces of the Republican leaders.

Don't listen to the message board extremists. They will extravagantly praise Obama when he attacks the Republicans, but will then the very next day exorcise him for caving - saying he always gives in. In fact, it is a balancing act - and part theatre. In some ways the amazing thing is how badly the Republicans have played it since the 2010 election. The more people see them acting just to obstruct for political reasons, the less they like them. The fact though is both parties are forced to obstruct when they are the party out of power. Kerry led an obstruction when he successfully filibustered drilling in ANWR in the early Bush years. In 2008, he spoke of the future saying that he and others got into politics to make good things happen, not just to stop bad things. The difference between then and now is that the reasons and principles behind stopping things were seen as the reason why Democrats were fighting. I don't remember anyone on the right writing about the Democrats obstructing just to obstruct.

What I hope the Republicans face is a tough decision. Either they continue to obstruct and very likely face the anger of the voters in many swing districts. The House is totally re-elected each election, they face the real danger of losing the House and not being able to take the Senate in a year where the Senate could easily swing to them because 2006, when this class was last elected, was so incredibly good for us. But, there alternative is to work with Obama - which will given all Obama has already done - insure not just Obama's reelection, but his very likely inclusion in the list of all time great Presidents. This might also lead to Democrats doing well down ticket - though the Republican House candidates may face a lot less anger.

Think of what this could give the Democrats. The Republicans mythologize Reagan and he is someone they rally around. The Democrats' last equivalent to that is FDR. JFK was inspiring, but more for the potential that was destroyed. Clinton's legacy is ... complicated. If things go well, Obama will be seen as the leader who led us out of the biggest economic crisis since the depression and - maybe - who righted our foreign policy. In 2007, in one of the book tour interviews, Kerry spoke of the importance of the next election and argued that if we elect the right person, they would have the chance not just to be a good President, but a great one - because of the tough problems they would face - and this was said before the economic meltdown! Obama is that President.

[politicasista]

5. My bad

Excellent summary.

I will go check out the SOTU again. The "caving" meme was tiresome for the Senator, and is tiresome for the President. (People are so vile).

Made promise this year to not be duped by the shallowness of the Social networking, but will be a work in progress.

BTW and somewhat OT, found out what Obama tried to say to Kerry (and Brownie) about hockey and the Enforcer. In hockey, the enforcer is the tough guy- player that takes the punches for the team.

More about the role and tragic price here :http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/09/01/nhl.enforcers.deaths/index.html

Though the President's pun fell flat (even if it was a joke), the "Enforcer of this guy" line was directed at Brownie. Don't think he smiled when O said that either, he probably felt embarrased by that comment more so than Kerry.

[karynnj]

6. Thank you for the link and explanation

I did not see the exchange and know next to nothing about hockey - even though I grew up outside Chicago with family that watched the Black Hawks. I took the two sentences to be related - that Kerry should not play hockey - and that Brown should enforce that. This completely changes that I can imagine that Brown did not like the joke and he really is very thin skinned.

Also - not "my Bad". I had been thinking of the the SOTU and was trying to understand the ebbs and flows of it, trying to understand why I was so happy with it. I also was trying to figure out why the Republican faces got more distorted as it went on - while Democrats seemed to get happier and more relaxed. I don't think I have seen more emotion shown that splits as it did. It was subtle, but it seemed to consistent to just be random.

So, I had already worked out some of the Obama stuff - when I saw your post, and started to defend Kerry, I realized the fact that Obama and Kerry essentially did similar things. The Kerry interview was far simpler and the duality (idealism, love of country, wanting to do right by people, fairness AND on the other hand, willingness to call out the Republicans in polite, accurate accounts of what they did) more obvious. Though very different in other ways, both Obama and Kerry share a genuine niceness and a calmness that leads to them taking the extra step to try to make peace - and I admire it in both of them. Where it helps them - and it is obviously more important in Obama's case - is that it is very obvious and it means the Republican charge that the Democrats would not compromise just doesn't hold water. More and more, the republicans are getting the blame.

So, I don't know if I am seeing things as I think they should be, rather than what they were, but there did seem to be a lot of really down in dumps Republicans. (Even in the Kerry/Brown photos, the one who more often looks happy and animated was the one with the black eyes.)

[politicasista]

8. No problem

Had remembered a sports story about a Nashville Predator hockey players being in rehab (in TN), and all footage they showed was him fighting the opposing player. DD (Dear Dad) ask was he the "Enforcer?" Not knowing much about hockey, I said guess so. So after thinking about O's pun, Googled the words "hockey, enforcer," and those words popped up. Didn't know until recently, one of my cousins from Detroit, now a fireman, used to play hockey, so he still follows the Red Wings team.

It is very possible he did not like the joke and gave a forced grin and a frown. (He was surrounded by Kerry, Leahy, and somebody?) A pol who has had nothing but softball stories about him the last two years is thin-skinned? And uses the "liberal media" as a scapegoat? Interesting..

The "My bad" comes from be because it may seem like there has been more ranting from me than reading facts. Still do that alot, but a work in progress. (Guess it is because I like both dudes.

Agree that Kerry and Obama have done similar things, and it is going to more important for Obama, since he is the one that has to be re-elected, but for him and Dems to make sure the GOP continues to get the blame, and Newtie, Mittens, and Ricky (ok Pauly too) politically destroy each other before the general election. While it won't be a slam dunk, it is important to just spread the word of what the President (and the Pelosi-led Congress) have accomplished in contrast to the gridlock, dysfunctional (Boehner-led Congress; McConnell minority Senate).

Amazed that the Senator can take this all in stride in the midst of the silly season of politics.

[beachmom]

7. Ha! My first reaction to seeing JK got a broken nose was that HE was the Enforcer.

And took a punch for someone else.

[politicasista]

9. Hee, hee!