http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/28/politics/main632367.shtml
Former Rivals Rally For Kerry
BOSTON, July 27, 2004
Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., addresses the delegates at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, July 27, 2004, in Boston. (Photo: AP)
Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun waves on the podium of the FleetCenter at the Democratic National Convention. (Photo: AP)
Former Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean stumps for Kerry at the convention. (Photo: AP)
(CBS) By David Paul Kuhn, CBSNews.com Chief Political Writer, at the Democratic convention in Boston.
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The three former Democratic candidates for president who spoke Tuesday night at the Democratic convention all had high hopes early in the race to be rallying the crowd Thursday night from the winner's time slot.
Howard Dean almost did. Richard Gephardt was a long shot. Carol Mosley-Braun trailed far behind from the start.
But their decision to line up behind a one-time rival illustrated to Democratic supporters just how united their party is in 2004.
Differences remain. Disappointment persists. But as former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean stood before the crowd -- after being introduced as "the man who energized our party" -- the crowd of thousands took to its feet in a sustained burst of applause.
A half year after he dominated in the polls and seemed likely to become his party’s nominee, the one-time frontrunner received the same chants of "Howard, Howard, Howard." But this time, he was seemed content in the role of advocate.
"I may not be the nominee, but I can tell you this -- for the next 100 days, I’ll be doing everything I can to make sure that John Kerry and John Edwards take this country back for the people who built it," Dean said. "Because tonight, tonight, we are all here to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party."
Borrowing the slogan of the late Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone -- a slogan that became Dean’s campaign credo and once divided the party between moderates and the liberal wing -- Dean’s intention Tuesday night was no longer the be a dissenter.
Dean's former campaign manager Joe Trippi was also on the convention floor.
"It kind of feels weird … it feels strange being here and on the other hand, I’m behind Kerry 100 percent, but part of you wishes things were different," Trippi said. "But they aren’t different so you move on."
Dean is working tirelessly for him now," Trippi said. "He has been out there campaigning for Kerry. I think he is going to make a big difference for younger voters especially, and I think younger voters are going to be key to Kerry winning, if they turn out in large numbers."
The three former candidates made a pointed effort to emphasize Kerry’s strength as a commander-in-chief and as an effective leader.
John Kerry will "make America safer," Braun said. Gephardt promised he will "restore honor and dignity." Dean said he will "restore America" as the "moral leader."
"In John Kerry, we have a chance to put a patriot in the White House who will save our great country," Mosley-Braun told the audience.
The former Illinois senator called her speech the continuation of an efforts in her home state -- and throughout the industrial Midwest -- to get Kerry elected.
"Our role is to speak to Democratic voters, Independent voters, and Republican voters," she said.
"You work with anyone for six years, you get a sense of who they are," Mosley-Braun said in an interview before her speech on the convention floor. "I’m confident John Kerry will lead us in the right direction."
She has enough confidence, she said, that she's traveling the country to put her name behind Kerry's "as a former senator, as an ambassador, as a black woman."
"What tonight speaks to is the extent to which the Kerry Campaign has reached out to the campaigns of all other candidates," Mosley-Braun said. "Everybody is united."
Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri led the pack of former hopeful candidates. The one-time congressional majority leader, Gephardt has run for president twice. Both times, obstacles at the Iowa Caucus stunted his campaign.
Speaking of American's working class, Gephardt said, "I ran for president because I wanted to give those people a voice. And I speak proudly at John Kerry’s convention because he speaks for them."
Gephardt said Kerry "understands middle class needs." But noticeably absent in Gephardt's speech -- a man known for his ties to the country's unions -- was any mention of labor unions.
The absence showed clearly Gephardt's conviction to stump for Kerry on the Kerry campaign’s terms. After all, Kerry once said if he would have been forced to resign his candidacy, Gephardt was the candidate who he would have endorsed.
Former senior advisor on the Gephardt campaign Ed Reilly says he thinks all former candidates are prepared to do whatever they can to boost Kerry's campaign.
"I know that Dick [Gephardt] is going to do anything he can do to help the ticket. I imagine he will campaign aggressively in the Midwest," Reilly said.
Dean's former campaign chairman Steve Grossman agrees.
"I saw Howard Dean this afternoon, I was just with him and, you know, Howard Dean is a mature, grounded guy. He was deeply disappointed when he thought things were going so well and went the wrong way."
But nobody is working harder to elect John Kerry," Grossman said. "I think Howard recognizes as a doctor, a citizen, a presidential candidate, that sometimes you have to put your disappointments aside and work for the candidate."
Former Rivals Rally For Kerry
BOSTON, July 27, 2004
Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., addresses the delegates at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, July 27, 2004, in Boston. (Photo: AP)
Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun waves on the podium of the FleetCenter at the Democratic National Convention. (Photo: AP)
Former Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean stumps for Kerry at the convention. (Photo: AP)
(CBS) By David Paul Kuhn, CBSNews.com Chief Political Writer, at the Democratic convention in Boston.
--------------------------------------
The three former Democratic candidates for president who spoke Tuesday night at the Democratic convention all had high hopes early in the race to be rallying the crowd Thursday night from the winner's time slot.
Howard Dean almost did. Richard Gephardt was a long shot. Carol Mosley-Braun trailed far behind from the start.
But their decision to line up behind a one-time rival illustrated to Democratic supporters just how united their party is in 2004.
Differences remain. Disappointment persists. But as former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean stood before the crowd -- after being introduced as "the man who energized our party" -- the crowd of thousands took to its feet in a sustained burst of applause.
A half year after he dominated in the polls and seemed likely to become his party’s nominee, the one-time frontrunner received the same chants of "Howard, Howard, Howard." But this time, he was seemed content in the role of advocate.
"I may not be the nominee, but I can tell you this -- for the next 100 days, I’ll be doing everything I can to make sure that John Kerry and John Edwards take this country back for the people who built it," Dean said. "Because tonight, tonight, we are all here to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party."
Borrowing the slogan of the late Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone -- a slogan that became Dean’s campaign credo and once divided the party between moderates and the liberal wing -- Dean’s intention Tuesday night was no longer the be a dissenter.
Dean's former campaign manager Joe Trippi was also on the convention floor.
"It kind of feels weird … it feels strange being here and on the other hand, I’m behind Kerry 100 percent, but part of you wishes things were different," Trippi said. "But they aren’t different so you move on."
Dean is working tirelessly for him now," Trippi said. "He has been out there campaigning for Kerry. I think he is going to make a big difference for younger voters especially, and I think younger voters are going to be key to Kerry winning, if they turn out in large numbers."
The three former candidates made a pointed effort to emphasize Kerry’s strength as a commander-in-chief and as an effective leader.
John Kerry will "make America safer," Braun said. Gephardt promised he will "restore honor and dignity." Dean said he will "restore America" as the "moral leader."
"In John Kerry, we have a chance to put a patriot in the White House who will save our great country," Mosley-Braun told the audience.
The former Illinois senator called her speech the continuation of an efforts in her home state -- and throughout the industrial Midwest -- to get Kerry elected.
"Our role is to speak to Democratic voters, Independent voters, and Republican voters," she said.
"You work with anyone for six years, you get a sense of who they are," Mosley-Braun said in an interview before her speech on the convention floor. "I’m confident John Kerry will lead us in the right direction."
She has enough confidence, she said, that she's traveling the country to put her name behind Kerry's "as a former senator, as an ambassador, as a black woman."
"What tonight speaks to is the extent to which the Kerry Campaign has reached out to the campaigns of all other candidates," Mosley-Braun said. "Everybody is united."
Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri led the pack of former hopeful candidates. The one-time congressional majority leader, Gephardt has run for president twice. Both times, obstacles at the Iowa Caucus stunted his campaign.
Speaking of American's working class, Gephardt said, "I ran for president because I wanted to give those people a voice. And I speak proudly at John Kerry’s convention because he speaks for them."
Gephardt said Kerry "understands middle class needs." But noticeably absent in Gephardt's speech -- a man known for his ties to the country's unions -- was any mention of labor unions.
The absence showed clearly Gephardt's conviction to stump for Kerry on the Kerry campaign’s terms. After all, Kerry once said if he would have been forced to resign his candidacy, Gephardt was the candidate who he would have endorsed.
Former senior advisor on the Gephardt campaign Ed Reilly says he thinks all former candidates are prepared to do whatever they can to boost Kerry's campaign.
"I know that Dick [Gephardt] is going to do anything he can do to help the ticket. I imagine he will campaign aggressively in the Midwest," Reilly said.
Dean's former campaign chairman Steve Grossman agrees.
"I saw Howard Dean this afternoon, I was just with him and, you know, Howard Dean is a mature, grounded guy. He was deeply disappointed when he thought things were going so well and went the wrong way."
But nobody is working harder to elect John Kerry," Grossman said. "I think Howard recognizes as a doctor, a citizen, a presidential candidate, that sometimes you have to put your disappointments aside and work for the candidate."