John Kerry’s rehabilitation

Did the 2004 Democratic nominee salvage his image?

Bill Clinton and Joe Biden were supposed to be the stars of Wednesday night’s Democratic convention, said John Nichols in The Nation, but, “go figure,” the best speech of the night was given by “the guy everyone was trying to forget,” 2004 nominee John Kerry. He “savaged” John McCain and gave Democrats their best “template” yet for the fall campaign. “Had Kerry been as aggressive as this in 2004, this week’s convention might well be nominating him for a second term.”

“Where was that guy in 2004?” said Amy Sullivan in Time’s Swampland blog. “Kerry was tough and direct tonight,” unlike in his 2004 speeches, and he had “an especially strong riff on ‘Senator McCain’ versus ‘Candidate McCain,’” plus some “rarely displayed” humor with his “Talk about being for it before you’re against it” line. The crowd loved it, probably much to their surprise.

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