John Kerry Doesn't Rule Out 2020 White House Run

[Hortensis]

71. Except for the Clintons (special cases, surely?), huge-scale swiftboating was new.

Who would have thought a true hero's and patriot's record could be so effectively turned againsthim on a national scale? Political scientists, and we, learned a great deal from that about certain elements on the right (and sadly some of us on the left also).

For all too many their vaunted "values" and patriotism really, truly were mere postures. No matter how sincere this type believed they were, given new leadership who instructed new positions, the old principles were changed out/abandoned as readily as wet clothes for dry.

All verifying the theory that large percentage of people don't choose their party and leaders to support preexisting principles, the way we always thought. Instead, they align with a group they identify with and then adopt the leader's ideology and positions. If the leader changes, their "beliefs" change right along with the leader. Scary! Plus, too many people simply don't know enough to have an ideology, and ignorance and emotional reactions add up to a critical weakness that allows easy manipulation.

Which certainly explains a lot about the trumpsters.

Speaking of, would all the people who grew up in that Kool-Aid drenched era and who are now saying "omg no!" here be able to speak 2 knowledgeable sentences of explanation why? Give it a try: Talk to yourselves and find out if you'd care to repeat it into a mike if stopped for one of those dumb-jerk-on-the-street interviews.

It's okay to want younger, newer people, but shouldn't it be based on more than emotional reaction? What kind of president might John Kerry be? (Not to confuse with Bob Kerrey, who was also a senator and also served in the VN war. It would help if one of them were named Adolphus or Rohan).