John Kerry: Obama's Public Financing Decision Will Enable Him To Avoid My Fate

[Mass]

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/kerry.php (Audio at the end of the link)

John Kerry: Obama's Public Financing Decision Will Enable Him To Avoid My Fate
By Greg Sargent and Eric Kleefeld - June 19, 2008, 3:05PM

We like this one. To amplify its message that opting out of public financing was necessary to combat the onslaught of outside 527 ad spending that's likely to hit Obama in the months ahead, the Obama campaign has turned to the perfect messenger: John Kerry.

On a conference call with reporters moments ago, Kerry insisted that the decision was necessary if Obama is to avoid succumbing under a barrage of such spending, as he did.

"You know, the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth hadn't appeared in July of my year as a funded group," Kerry said. "And they were funded in August, which was the time I was tied to campaign finance reform and didn't have the money to respond. And it had an obvious, profound impact. So I think in order to control your campaign and your message, it is essential to be able to respond to those and be free to respond to them."

Kerry's fate at the hands of the Swift Boat Vets, of course, continues to haunt Dems. So he's just the person to make this case and to make John McCain's refusal to forcefully rein in the outside groups on his side look that much more ominous.

[ray of light]

1. This is an excellent point! JK. The biggest difference in 2004 was the 2 month

lag between JK and GWB's convention and how much longer the General funds needed to last.

I really appreciate how JK is honest about the issues in his 2004 campaign. I like how he approaches things by admitting flaws but also by showing that he's learned from them and is willing to help others so that they don't get smacked down.

[ProSense]

2. Perfect.

I commented at the post in GDP.

[Mass]

3. I am happy Obama did that. I remember that Kerry considered that for a while.

They already knew they had a problem. They even considered to be creative and not receive the nomination in Boston, in order to be able to raise and use money. But it was not done as the media started to make waves.

[karynnj]

5. It would have been a disaster if he did

Kerry was known as a big supporter of campaign finance reform and he would have had to opt out first. there was then no precedent that he could point to to defend why he was doing it.

I think his very creative idea of promising to accept (rather than accepting) the nomination in Boston was excellent. Too bad that MCAuliffe - as head of the DNC and cause of the 5 week problem didn't back him, lobby for it explaining that the problem was an unintended consequence of the way the McCain/Feingold bill was written. He should then have taken responsibility for setting the date without fully considering the impact of M/F which was in the first year. That would require a noble McAuliffe - and that doesn't exist.

The convention would have been exactly the same - except Kerry would say something about how he was profoundly proud to promise to accept the nomination on (date).

[Inuca]

7. Why the hell was the convention scheduled so early in 04?

I was paying way too little attention at the time, so I have no idea. Was there any reason given for the decision?

[JI7]

8. it wasn't scheduled early, the Republicans scheduled theirs late

just for the purpose of having more time to having unrestricted spending limits, (plus more to spend in a shorter time) than Kerry.

it really shows the lengths they went to in order to win . it's amazing how close the race was considering everything Kerry was against and shows Kerry was a great candidate. a few more vocal supporters would have made a different.

and hopefully with this stuff about Obama not accept public funding because of what happened in 2004 people will see that Kerry was restricted and it wasn't a matter of not doing anything . or keeping the money rather than using it to fight.

[Inuca]

9. Not sure what you mean

without checking and based on possibly faulty memory, it was much earlier than this year, while the Rs had it more or less at the same time as now, didn't they?

[JI7]

10. you know, i'm not sure, but in 2000

the Republicans (who held their convention first) had theirs around the same time the Democratic Convention was held in 2004 (which was held first that year). it was in late July/Early August.

the Democrats held theirs in mid august in 2000.

i'm guessing the Democrats changed their dates to a later date this year also because of the Republican changes in 2004.

[beachmom]

11. Didn't the Republicans want their convention as close to 9/11 as possible?

It was actually done quite cleverly -- they turned it into a memorial service for the 9/11 with smears of John Kerry sprinkled in to good effect. That way, you would be admonished if you knocked their convention -- that would mean not properly respecting the memory of 9/11. The backlash, of course, is that over time this has worn thin, and Guiliani has destroyed it forever. Now they look like craven bumbling politicians trying to exploit the tragic deaths of others. At the time, they were viewed as "heroes".

[JI7]

12. yes, this is correct, i remember more now

they held the convention in New York also.

one of the best things about this election season is that Giuliani lost so badly. he didn't just lose but he lost in an election where only the Republicans would count. even THEY rejected him.

he isn't even being considered for VP now.

[Inuca]

13. Giuliani made a fool of himself

as did Fred Thompson. In both cases, highly appropriate and much deserved. I think it was Chris Matthews with his "big number" who mentioned at the time the most expensive delegate in history, i.e., the single delegate that Giuliani got and the 14 (I think, thereabouts) millions he spent on him/her.

[MBS]

4. listen to the audio!

. In case you didn't see my duplicate post ("Talking POints Memo"-- sorry), I highly highly recommend the audio, which seems to be the entire conference call, starting with the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, then midwestern flooding, then energy and gas prices (uses his great 2004 phrase, but making it sound that it's Obama's words: "You can't drill your way out of the crisis, you have to invent your way out of the crisis").
Then a lovely explanation of his supposed "flipflop" on Iraq, compares to McCain's SUBSTANTIVE flipflops ("he's fast changing on the Mitt Romney road of changing on all the fundamental precepts"). Next comes a question on who should be energy secretary (nice answer, yet again), then the part on public financing.("I urged him to move in this direction" public financing would "cheat America" of a "full-throated" 50-state strategy).

Great, great interview. Serious questions,deep, detailed answers. JK is terrific. Very, very satisfying. Highly recommended.

[beachmom]

6. I know. These "Obama" conference calls are like heaven because

we can get the whole thing, and listen to Kerry speak in a role very comfortable for him: talking about the issues and defending a fellow Democrat. This personal story is nice, too. I can't listen now but will listen later tonght.

[beachmom]

14. Interesting comment by a former senior strategist for the Kerry campaign:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/us/politics/22obama.html?hp

Still, Mr. Obama’s allies said his success at building a huge network of donors should give his campaign the resources to build the sort of far-reaching command-and-control center that Senator John Kerry did not when he was the Democratic nominee in 2004. Mr. Kerry’s depleted coffers and reliance on public funds forced him to count on outside groups to sign up voters and run advertisements on his behalf.

With Mr. McCain’s acceptance of public financing restricting him to a budget of $84.1 million this fall, party officials say Mr. Obama’s decision to opt out of the system is well worth the criticism he has received this week for doing so, even from some allies.

“To have these enormous resources just gives you so many strategic options,” said Tad Devine, a senior strategist for Mr. Kerry’s 2004 campaign. “If John Kerry had these resources and had stayed outside the system of public funding, I believe he’d be president today.”

[wisteria]

15. A painful "what if". n/t

[MBS]

16. Obama will have an easier time on many fronts

Not to say that it's a cakewalk even now, but at least in the general election (Obama did for sure earn his battle stripes in the primary : )), Obama has fewer, smaller obstacles than JK did.JK had to fight an incumbent president, in a time of war, at a time when most people were still in the thrall of 9/11 and still believed the s___ about Iraq coming from the White House. Plus he had to fight without the full-throated support of some of the Dem establishment. Plus, most important of all, people weren't quite in the mindset for change that they are now, reflected not only in vote counts and media commentary, but also in fund-raising.