2008 Presidential Election: Game Thread

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Kerry 2008


Boston, Massachusetts, Early 2007

(Slightly adapted version of the 2004 Kerry speech)

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I have an announcement that many of you were expecting. I have decided to run for President in 2008.

This is no ordinary campaign because this is no ordinary time. We have lived through the most deadly attack on our people in American history, the greatest job loss since the Great Depression, and the greatest loss of wealth and savings ever recorded.  But every time our country has faced great challenges, we have come through --  and come out stronger --  because courageous Americans have done what’s right for America.

This is a time for the same kind of courage.

I learned something about service from two people I wish could be here today.  My father, who as a member of the Greatest Generation, enlisted in the Army Air Corps even before Pearl Harbor, and served in the State Department at the height of the Cold War.  And my mother, 50 years a Girl Scout leader, a community activist with a passion for the environment who took me into the woods as a young boy and simply said “listen.”

My wife Teresa reminds me of the ideals of America.  She is a naturalized citizen who came here from a dictatorship.  And she loves the freedom and optimism America has to offer. She is caring and strong, a leader on many causes, and she speaks the truth -- and I love her for that too.

Vanessa, Alex, and Christopher are here, and I thank them for taking time out of their lives.  For Teresa and me, all our children and now our first grandchild give us joy and pride everyday.

As I look around at my crewmates and the veterans here today, I am reminded that the best lessons I learned about being an American came in a place far away from America -- on a gunboat in the Mekong Delta with a small crew of volunteers.  Some of us had been to college; others were just out of high school.  But we grew up together on that tiny boat.  It was our sanctuary -- and a place for bridging distances between California and South Carolina, Iowa and Massachusetts.  We were no longer the kid from Arkansas or the kid from Illinois.  We were Americans -- together -- under the same flag -- giving ourselves to something bigger than each of us as individuals.

We arrived as strangers; we left as brothers. We didn’t think we were special.  We just tried to do what was right.

And when we came home, we had a simple saying: Every day is extra.  I used my extra days to join other veterans to end a war I believed was wrong.  I saw courage both in the Vietnam War and in the struggle to stop it.  I learned that patriotism includes protest, not just military service. But you don’t have to go half way around the world or march on Washington to learn about bravery or love of country. Again and again, in the causes that define our nation, we have seen the uncommon courage that is common to the American people.

Today, with confidence in the courage of our people to change what is wrong and do what is right, I come here to say why I am a candidate for President of the United States.

...

I believe the courage of Americans can change this country.

I believe the idealism of Americans can match our power to our principles – so that this nation will advance the best hopes of the world.

I believe the genius of Americans can make us energy independent.

The resolve of Americans can break the grip of special interests and bring back jobs and economic justice.

The vision of Americans can save our environment, raise up our schools, and finally open up health care to all.

The conscience of Americans can guard our fundamental liberties and preserve them for generations to come.

Your courage can make sure we do what’s right for our country.

Your courage can give America back its future, its strength and its soul.

I am honored to join you in this endeavor as a candidate for President of the United States.

Thank you and God bless you all.



Campaign Manager: Jim Jordan
Finance Director: Peter Maroney
Senior Policy Director: Sarah Bianchi
Communications Director: Stephanie Cutter
Director of Scheduling: Kaaren Hinck
Senior Strategist: Jill Alper
Senior Advisor: Michael Meehan

Website: http://www.johnkerry.com
Kerry '08 HQ: 197 Portland Street, Boston, MA and 519 C Street NE, Washington, DC

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Campaign Manager: Jim Jordan
Finance Director: Peter Maroney
Senior Policy Director: Sarah Bianchi
Communications Director: Stephanie Cutter
Director of Scheduling: Kaaren Hinck
Senior Strategist: Jill Alper
Senior Advisor: Michael Meehan

September 1, 2007-With Kathleen Sebelius
Meet Voters in Dubuqe, Iowa
Meet Voters in Ames, Iowa
Meet Voters in Council Bluffs, Iowa
Meet Voters in Waterloo, Iowa
Meet Voters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

September 2, 2007-With Kathleen Sebelius
Meet Voters in Sioux City, Iowa
Meet Voters in Davenport, Iowa
Meet Voters in Des Moines, Iowa
Speech at University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa
Fly to New Hampshire

The story of people struggling for health care is the story of so many Americans. But it's not the story of senators and members of Congress. Because we give ourselves great health care and you get the bill. Your family's health care is just as important as any politician's in Washington DC. When I'm President, America will stop being the only advanced nation which fails to understand that health care is not a privilege for the wealthy, the connected, and the elected - it is a right for all Americans.

September 3, 2007-With Edward Kennedy
Meet Voters in Claremont, NH
Meet Voters in Laconia, NH
Meet Voters in Portsmouth, NH
Meet Voters in Keene, NH
Meet Voters in Rochester, NH

September 4, 2007-With Edward Kennedy
Meet Voters in Dover, NH
Meet Voters in Concord, NH
Meet Voters in Nashua, NH
Speech in Manchester, NH
Fly to South Carolina

We value an America forever independent of Mideast oil. What does it mean for our economy and national security when we only have 3% of the world's oil reserves, yet we rely on foreign countries for 53 percent of what we consume? We will rely on our own ingenuity and innovation, not the Saudi royal family. We will invest in new technologies and alternative fuels and the cars of the future so that no young American in uniform will ever be held hostage to our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

September 5, 2007-With Kathleen Sebelius
Meet Voters in Lexington, SC
Meet Voters in Greenwood, SC
Meet Voters in Anderson, SC
Meet Voters in Aiken, SC
Meet Voters in Florence, SC

September 6, 2007
Rest
Celebrate Family Birthdays (Brother Cameron and Daughter Alexandra)

September 7, 2007-With Kathleen Sebelius
Meet Voters in Spartanburg, SC
Meet Voters in Greenville, SC
Meet Voters in Columbia, SC
Meet Voters in Sumter, SC
Speech at College of Charleston

I believe public financing of vouchers for private schools is pushing the country in the wrong direction. Vouchers allocate resources not among competing public schools but out of the system entirely. Private schools accepting vouchers do not agree to accept kids on an equal basis & also do not guarantee that the voucher will cover the cost of education. And most objectionably, voucher schemes do not hold private schools accountable in any way for the educational results they achieve-or do not achieve.

(OOC: These are all actual Kerry Quotes)

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KERRY ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN REGIONS



Each region will have a director and a honorary chair. Senator Kerry will have spent one week in each region by the end of October.

West: Director-Leonard Joseph, Chair-Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Great Plains: Director-Amy Dacey, Chair-Sec. Henry Cisernos
Rust Belt: Director-Crystal King, Chair-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius
South: Director-Jonathan Epstein, Chair-Sen. Max Cleland
Northeast: Director-Lisa Garcia, Chair-Sen. Edward Kennedy

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Debate Answers

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If you take the tax cut that Bush and Guliani gave to Americans in the top 1 percent of America-just that tax cut that went to the top 1 percent of America would have saved Social Security until the year 2075. Bush decided to give it to the wealthiest Americans in a tax cut. I support Bush's tax cut for the middle class, not that part of it that goes to people earning more than $200,000 a year. When I roll it back and we invest in the things that I have talked about to move our economy, we're going to grow sufficiently, it would begin to cut the deficit in half, and we get back to where we were at the end of the 1990s when we balanced the budget and paid down the debt of this country.

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My priority is tax reform and ending the border crisis.

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We need a guest-worker program. We need is to crack down on illegal hiring. And thirdly, we need an earned-legalization program for people who have been here for a long time, stayed out of trouble, got a job, paid their taxes, and their kids are American. We got to start moving them toward full citizenship, out of the shadows.

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I will support the eventual Democratic nominee, no matter who it is.

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Kerry September 8-14, 2003

September 8
Barnstorm in NJ with Edward Kennedy

September 9
Barnstorm in CT with Edward Kennedy

September 10
Debate Prep in NH
Debate

September 11
9/11 Ceremony in New York, NY
Rest

September 12
Barnstorm in RI with Edward Kennedy

September 13
Barnstorm in VT with Edward Kennedy

September 14
Barnstorm in ME with Edward Kennedy


I am a hunter. I'm a gun owner. I'm also a former law enforcement officer. I ran one of the largest district attorney's offices in America. I know something about prosecuting. Most of the law enforcement agencies wanted that assault weapons ban. They don't want to go into a drug bust and be facing an AK-47. Because of the president's decisions , law enforcement officers will walk into a place that will be more dangerous. Terrorists can now come to America, go to a gun show and, without a background check, buy an assault weapon. We need to ban assault weapons.

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September 15-21: Rust Belt

September 15
Barnstorm in Ohio with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius

September 16
Barnstorm in Michigan with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius

September 17
Barnstorm in Wisconsin with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius

September 18
Barnstorm in Indiana with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius

September 19
Barnstorm in Illinois with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius

September 20
Barnstorm in Iowa with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius

September 21
Barnstorm in Kansas with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius

"We need to hold on to equal pay. Women work for 76 cents on the dollar for the same work that men do. That's not right in America. We had an initiative that we were working on to raise women's pay. The Republicans have stopped it. They don't enforce these kinds of things. It's a matter of fundamental right that if we raise the minimum wage, 15 million Americans would be positively affected. We'd put money into the hands of people who work hard, who obey the rules, who play for the American dream. If we did that, we'd have more consumption ability in America, which is what we need in order to kick our economy into gear. I will fight tooth & nail to pass the minimum wage."

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September 22-30: South and Great Plains

September 22
Barnstorm in Florida with Sen. Max Cleland

September 23
Barnstorm in Georgia with Sen. Max Cleland

September 24
Barnstorm in South Carolina with Sen. Max Cleland

September 25
Barnstorm in Virginia with Sen. Max Cleland

September 26
Barnstorm in Tennessee with Sen. Max Cleland

September 27
Barnstorm in Arkansas with Sec. Henry Cisernos

September 28
Barnstorm in Texas with Sec. Henry Cisernos

September 29
Barnstorm in New Mexico with Sec. Henry Cisernos

September 30
Barnstorm in Colorado with Sec. Henry Cisernos

"The borders are more leaking today than they were before 9/11. We haven't done what we need to do to toughen up our borders, and I will. We need a guest-worker program, but if it's all we have, it's not going to solve the problem. We need to crack down on illegal hiring. It's against the law in the US to hire people illegally, and we ought to be enforcing that law properly. We need an earned-legalization program for people who have been here for a long time, stayed out of trouble, got a job, paid their taxes, and their kids are American. We got to start moving them toward full citizenship, out of the shadows."

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Kerry During The Break

Kerry makes good on his progress, and visits all 50 states spreading his message. Various surrogates join him throughout the campaign. He also works with grassroots volunteers as well.

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Eight Weeks With Kerry

Over the course of the eight weeks, Senator John Kerry visited all 50 states. He visited and worked with grassroots volunteers, as well as doing town halls and rallies. He also appeared on some news shows.

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Health: I will work with the Republicans to do whatever I can to get a Public Option passed through, specifically John Conyers's bill.

PATRIOT Act: The inspector general of the Justice Department found that John Ashcroft had twice applied it in ways that were inappropriate. People's rights have been abused. I met a man who spent eight months in prison, wasn't even allowed to call his lawyer. Finally, Sen. Dick Durbin intervened and was able to get him out. They've got sneak-&-peak searches that are allowed. They've got people allowed to go into churches now & political meetings without any showing of potential criminal activity or otherwise. Now, I voted for the Patriot Act. 99 US senators voted for it. And Bush and Guliani have been very busy running around the country using what I just described to you as a reason to say I'm wishy-washy, that I'm a flip-flopper. That's not a flip-flop. I believe in the Patriot Act. We need the things in it that coordinate the FBI and the CIA. We need to be stronger on terrorism. But you know what we also need to do as Americans, is never let the terrorists change the Constitution in a way that disadvantages our rights.

Different: I'm a veteran. I was in Vietnam. I was a fighter then, I'm a fighter in the Senate, and I'll be a fighter in the White House.

Closing Remarks: I'd like to ask all of you that no matter who you support on this stage tonight, that you make sure to vote Democratic before you even think about voting for Rudy Guliani. We need change, and no matter the nominee, the Democratic Party will be an instrument for change. Thank You!

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John Kerry went and barnstormed across the country in early primary states, as well as ST states.

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Lincoln Endorsements!


League of Women Voters


Sen. Ted Kennedy


2006 Texas Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Barbara Ann Radnofsky


New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo


South Carolina State Sen. Vincent Sheheen

I have Ted Kennedy.

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John Kerry this week visited the Northeastern states focusing on NH.

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JOHN KERRY ENDORSEMENTS


Carole King


Bruce Springsteen


Niki Tsongas


Bob Krueger


Mark Pryor

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John Kerry barnstorms throughout NH during this week.

DEBATE ANSWER:

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AD: Kerry's the Man


Sen. Ted Kennedy: In my 40 years in the Senate, I've served with many different Senators, and John Kerry is by far the best. A fighter for America in Vietnam, he has the same fighting spirit in the Senate, and he'll do the same as President. For me this year, Kerry's the man.


Sen. Dianne Feinstein: I've been in politics for 40 years, and I know a good candidate when I see one. Senator John Kerry has been a valuable member of the Senate, and he'll make one of the best Presidents ever. This year, Kerry's the man.


Sec. Robert Reich: When I was President Clinton's Secretary of Labor, I knew we could always count on John Kerry to help pass bills in the Senate. Even though I'm not Secretary of Labor anymore, I know that John Kerry is the best person to advance our progressive values this year. This time around, Kerry's the man.


Rep. Niki Tsongas: I supported John Kerry's fight for America in 1984, and I still do today. Senator Kerry has been a voice for New England in the Senate, and he will be a voice for America as President. This year, when you go to vote, vote for the man who has America's best interests, because this year, John Kerry's the man.


Sen. John Kerry: I'm John Kerry and I approve this message.

Run in all Jan and Feb primary states.

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John Kerry Campaign Schedule Dec 16-26

December 16-22
Barnstorm in NH with Sen Ted Kennedy and Rep Niki Tsongas

December 23
Barnstorm in NH with Kennedy and Tsongas
Meet the Press Appearance

December 24
Vacation
Attend Mass at Cathedral of the Holy Cross

December 26
Vacation

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John Kerry is joined by Sen. Ted Kennedy in NH for the whole week, except for Dec. 31 and Jan 1, in which they rest for New Years. 'Kerry's the Man' ad runs in all Jan and Feb primary states.

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Senator Kerry is joined by Sec. Cisernos and Gov. Sebelius during these last two days. The Kerry's the Man ad plays as well often on TV.

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Thank You. Over the last few months, we have traversed the country, getting to know people like you and your views and how you want to be represented in the White House. As such, the voters are speaking, and I am withdrawing from the race for the Democratic Nomiation. As such, I fully endorse my friend Governor Howard Dean for President of the United States, and I ask that all my voters and volunteers go and work for him to help him reach the nomination. As such, I will be campaigning with him. Thank you for this great experience, and let's all help out Governor Dean win the Presidency!