2008 Woodie Awards
Shooting From The Left
Dan Murphy
Issue date: 1/21/05 Section: Commentary
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It was a cold morning on January 20, 2005. President-elect John Kerry and his wife Teresa Heinz had just attended mass at the National Cathedral in Washington DC. At the strike of noon, with his hand on the bible, John Kerry recited the oath from Chief Justice William Rehnquist and became the 44th President of the United States. His speech was one of humility and grace, thanking his predecessor for guiding the country out of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Kerry outlined his vision for a stronger America at home and abroad. Stressing international cooperation, he reached out to alienated European nations. Kerry then addressed the American people directly.
"America is at war and we have a responsibility to see our commitments in Iraq to the end. However, our brave soldier cannot do this alone. They need your help. They need your sacrifices. They need your prayers. Militaries do not win wars, countries win wars, and the people of this great country, must sacrifice in order for us to succeed...."
And then I woke up and became sad. I suddenly realized that George Bush won the election. John Kerry is still the junior senator from Massachusetts. Many of my fellow liberals never imagined President Bush being sworn in for a second time, yet it is our reality. But I'm not going to be a sore loser. Bush ran the better campaign and he won. For the Democrats, these next four years consist of real soul searching and planning.
As an optimist, I'm already looking to the future of the party. Here is a short list of possible contenders the Democrats can nominate for the presidency in 2008.
Barack Obama: He's young and inexperienced, however he is the future of the party. In a year of horror for the Democratic Party, Obama provided a bright spot when he destroyed Alan Keyes in his Illinois Senate race last fall. Obama received over 70 percent of the vote. His energetic keynote speech at the Democratic Convention gave party members a glimpse of this guy's ability to command a podium.
"America is at war and we have a responsibility to see our commitments in Iraq to the end. However, our brave soldier cannot do this alone. They need your help. They need your sacrifices. They need your prayers. Militaries do not win wars, countries win wars, and the people of this great country, must sacrifice in order for us to succeed...."
And then I woke up and became sad. I suddenly realized that George Bush won the election. John Kerry is still the junior senator from Massachusetts. Many of my fellow liberals never imagined President Bush being sworn in for a second time, yet it is our reality. But I'm not going to be a sore loser. Bush ran the better campaign and he won. For the Democrats, these next four years consist of real soul searching and planning.
As an optimist, I'm already looking to the future of the party. Here is a short list of possible contenders the Democrats can nominate for the presidency in 2008.
Barack Obama: He's young and inexperienced, however he is the future of the party. In a year of horror for the Democratic Party, Obama provided a bright spot when he destroyed Alan Keyes in his Illinois Senate race last fall. Obama received over 70 percent of the vote. His energetic keynote speech at the Democratic Convention gave party members a glimpse of this guy's ability to command a podium.