So Kerry wins.... It's gonna happen, kids....What next?

[Blue-Jay]

All indications point to a Kerry win in November. Yeah, it's too soon to count on it, and there's much work to still do. He's polling well in the "swing states", and neither Jebus nor Diebold will be able to sway public opinion...

So. What next?

Sure, we have work to do to retake the house and the senate. That's a much harder fight.

What about Kerry, though?

[PretzelWarrior]

1. what about him? He's gotta win. and he's gotta win big.

it will justify this 4 years of sh!t I've been living through. After that...you really think there is justice for these criminals? Forget about it. All we can hope to do is not allow his presidency to be paralyzed by the fighting factions of the Dems who will break unity and all declare they wear the mantle of Democratic legitimacy.

[bluestateguy]

2. I'll say IF Kerry wins

The party of Adlai Stevenson, Hubert Humphrey, George McGovern, Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis and Al Gore should NEVER get cocky in a presidential election.

IF Kerry prevails he will have to take his case to the American people directly, over the heads of Congress. If a president leads and the people follow, the Congress will do so as well. Don't be reactive to Congress, promote an agenda and use the bully pulpit of the office to drown out the carping, bitching and moaning in Congress.

I would also take on Fox News. End the special privileges conferred upon them by the Bush White House and give those privilges to Air America Radio. Threaten to revoke their press passes unless their coverage of Kerry improves.

[DemsAreAlwaysRight]

36. Yes give special privileges to Air America Radio

That will really shut up the repubs and give us the heart and soul of American radio listeners. The repubs will just disappear and never be heard from again.

[salinen]

3. Kerry who?

Just kidding. But just imagine..................

Clarke as SOD
Spitzer as AG
DK as Sec of Interior
Edwards as VP
Graham as SOS

This is not what will happen, but doesn't that short list look sane?

[Blue-Jay]

5. I don't think that Wes is eligible for SOD

Aside from that, I like your list. Won't happen, but I like it.

[PretzelWarrior]

8. Graham as Sh!t on a shingle? I don't follow.

que?

[salinen]

19. Sec. of State

I just rattled off a few names to show how wonderful it will be when these guys are civilians

Ashcroft
Rice
Rummy
Powell
Cheney

[Not Me]

13. And Mario Cuomo as Ambassador to UN

n/t

[AntiCoup2K4]

4. What about Kerry....

....He better start acting like a Democrat again on January 21st, 2005

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

6. Wingnut shitstorm and GOP noncoperation in Congress.

Kerry will be pretty much hamstrung, I think, by the GOP in Congress..he, like Clinton, is going to have limited to scope of action where Congressional approval is required.

Probably his best hope is to push a foreign policy agenda of some sort as I dont think he will get much support on the domestic front.

[Not Me]

12. What makes you think he's going to have a pug Senate?

I agree the House would be a big fight, but I think the Senate is doable in 2004, or 2006.

[calimary]

41. It all depends on how big he'd win.

If he squirts by, there will be some annoyances and roadblocks and other assorted putzes still to deal with. But... if he wins by a landslide, he can stride straight on over to Capitol Hill and tell THEM what he should also immediately tell the UN - that, hey, folks, we're UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT now. You're dealing with ME now, so let's talk. A large voter mandate in November will help to put the opposition in their places for awhile. They'll be taken aback, no matter what, if/when they lose "their" White House, and it would behoove Kerry to pounce on that and get some business taken care of before their broken egos and out-of-joint noses heal completely. He hast to strike while they're still licking their wounds. The bigger Kerry's win, the longer it'll take that licking to complete. I'm hoping they're knocked so far off their game (preferably because their expectations of unending supremacy were so unreasonably high) that it'll take 'em months to recover, and Kerry can have an effective presidential honeymoon. If he's got a mandate, he's got the people behind him, and Congress ignores that at its peril. And I'd hope to God he'd not hesitate to remind them of that, at every turn.

[taquinas101]

22. My Faith In American Democracy Will Be Restored If

Kerry manages to win, and he manages to make it through his first term without a serious effort to impeach him. The 2000 Presidential Election, the California gubernatorial recall, and the events leading to the invasion of Iraqi have me discouraged.

[OpSomBlood]

7. What happens is we watch him like a hawk.

And prepare for the possibility of Dean's 2008 run.

[Blue-Jay]

11. If Kerry wins, Dean won't run in 2008.

Bank on it. I'm sorry that Dean didn't do better in the primaries, but he's finished (on a national level). You might as well get used to it.

A Kerry loss might result in another Dean presidential run, but I don't see it.

[OpSomBlood]

24. You aren't thinking four years down the road.

Think of where Dean might be in 2008. DFA 2.0 has been a big success. There is talk that he might get his own TV show. He'll probably write a book or two between now and then.

Howard Dean is an incredibly popular Democrat who hit the wall of "electability" in an election where deposing Bush was more important than idealism. It is entirely possible that he will be more popular in 2008, and more people will have a chance to hear his message.

And if Kerry descends us deeper into Iraq, there will be some major infighting within the party. How Kerry handles this war is the key.

[Blue-Jay]

27. Listen - I'm a realist.

I love Dean, and I love what he's done. That said, he's out of the picture.

Deal.

[OpSomBlood]

30. If Kerry screws up enough, Dean might be back in the picture.

It's up to Kerry.

[Jacobin]

15. Egggzactly and well said

I'm scared of him doing an "LBJ" and escalating IraqNam.

He voted for the IWR and he knew better. He has not apologized for it. He wants to send more troops (like LBJ did).

I'm voting for him, but by damn if he sticks another leg in that quagmire I'll be in the streets protesting the fucker.

[Not Me]

9. Executive Orders baby!!!

Left and right, negating everything from faith-based handouts to fundy churches to getting the contractors out of the military, and everything in between.
Then get to work on court appointments.
Then fix healthcare.

Add your own....

[Fone Book]

39. We'll find out the truth about the Bush Administration

If Kerry wins, we can finally have access to Cheneys Energy Task Force and everything hes been keeping so hidden from us (and from Congress).

[calimary]

42. FAIRNESS DOCTRINE. As in, Bring Back The

[JanMichael]

10. I'll still protest the FTAA. I'll still protest the Occupation. The WTO...

...will still suck.

A Living Wage will still be an issue. National Healthcare will still be a concern.

And I'm sure that the centrists will still tell me to fuck off.

[Blue-Jay]

14. You win, Jan!

I support John, but I'm gonna ride his ass as well to the best of my ability. We got lazy when the Big Dog was president. That ain't gonna happen again.

[JanMichael]

23. Yeah! Something had to give eventually!

This should be the mantra "He's got my vote but not my patience!"

[freetobegay]

16. Kerry will have his hand full

Undoing everything the current idiot has done!

[Nlighten1]

17. Ummm

Stay the course?

Same old same old?

Pardons for criminals?

[Blue-Jay]

21. No doubt, he'll not go after the neocon criminals, N.

Kerry will let them slide. It sucks, but it's fact. I've already written that course of action off, sadly.

[JDPriestly]

18. What about Kerry?

A legitimate question. Our work will not be over just because Kerry has won the election. We have to keep the pressure up to keep him on track. Kerry will be the president of all the people. In contrast with the past, we will let him and members of Congress know what we the people really think. We will keep giving personal donations so that Kerry will realize that his re-election depends not just on his corporate donors but also on us.

[rumguy]

20. The right-wing will do everything in its power to tear him down during

his first term...

That's what I will be combatting...

[Senior citizen]

25. Kerry is a decorated combat veteran.

A lot of his popularity and electability stems from the simple fact that he's not an easy man to shoot down. Besides, the RW is so busy with negative ads before the election, that once he wins they'll be out of ammo.

The only question is if he's pragmatic enough to realize that if you don't pardon people, they'll be too busy defending themselves to attack you.

[Fone Book]

40. I don't think there will be any sex scandals

There was that thing already about an affair with his secretary, but that didn't make it past the right-wing fringe press.

[Sugarbleus]

26. It will be interesting if He wins...

Yes, he will have his hands full. Yes, we should watch him closely and remind him who WE are and what WE want.

Depending on how he operates in Office, I will be looking forward to other contenders for the following election--2008.

I'd really like to see someone in office with some charisma--like Clinton but BETTER. Someone who incorporates the full spectrum of democrats and our ideals. Someone with cajones and compassion--like FDR or JFK.

We also have to keep tabs on the congress. Therein lies some rough water. Get the 'pugs out!

I've been donating. I've never donated to a candidate in my life. I sorely hope Kerry doesn't disappoint. We need bush outta there so badly and we need to replace him with someone that can actually LEAD.

[PurityOfEssence]

28. Immediately work to abolish paperless voting, restore fairness doctrine

and thus secure our flank.

Invite in reasonable Republicans (Chaffee, Snowe, Hagel) to bring them into decision making on a grand scale.

Appoint Gary Hart as Ambassador to the U.N.

Release the Reagan and Bush I papers. Open investigations on Iraq deception, 9-11, and the Florida '00 election. Make a serious issue out of Enron, the Energy Papers, and keep the revenge limited to this and done by proxies in the House like Waxman, thus keeping the administration clean.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

29. He's got 18 months to show his colors.

Health Care, Busting BFEE, Taxes, Labor and War will move beyond speculation into reality.

Positive colors will engender support and negative ones will engender the search for a new leader.

[OpSomBlood]

31. "And now I'll answer your questions...Helen Thomas?"

That's what I want to see out of John Kerry.

[calimary]

43. And HOW!

That would be a splendid start.

[GreenPartyVoter]

32. I've already told Kerry some of what I'd like to see happen

---------------------
An open letter to John Kerry and the DNC:
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/OpenLetter.htm

[Old and In the Way]

33. Kerry's effectiveness (as would any Democratic nominee) is a

function of what the composition of the Congress is. If Congress remains in the control of Republicans, you can expect a replay of Clinton's last 4 years. Kerry will be on the defensive and you can bet that the Republicans will try to scapegoat Kerry if the economy sucks and we are mired in Iraq.

If we do take control of the House and Senate, I think you'll see some serious investigations happen....the "War on Terror", Energy, 9/11, Anthra, Patriot Act, Media,Saudi Arabian influence on this administration are all legitimate targets for serious exposure and criminal indictments.

I think Kerry will surprise a lot of people with his willingness to support Congressional investigations.....he knows that this country has to root out the neo-cons who were let off the hook in Iran-Contra, Arms-for-Hostages, and BCCI. Their reconstitution under Bush has been a total disaster for this country and Kerry knows that we have to rid this country of their influence, once and for all.

[Hippo_Tron]

34. Fire Asscroft and kick Tom DeLay in the balls...

Then start undoing the damage that Bush has done.

[DemsAreAlwaysRight]

35. He needs to return back to the left sooner than later

His jump to the right is a disgusting move that needs to be erased.

[MoonRiver]

37. Work to institute true campaign finance reform,

including free and equal air time for all presidential candidates. And clean up the electoral mess ASAP. Especially focus on outlawing the treasonous paperless voting machines. And last but certainly not least, RE-REGULATE THE MEDIA so we can kick Limpballs and the rest of his motley crew off our airwaves.

[CalebHayes]

38. Kerry gets impeached for not being a Republican.