John Kerry: "I won the 2004 Election"

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) at a soiree sponsored by our local Democratic Party.  Come here the startling thing he said to me about the 2004 elections.

Several weeks ago our local Democratic Town Committee held its biennial fund raising dinner.  We invited many elected Democratic officials including both our US Senators.  However, we never expect the Senators to attend such a small function.  Well, on the morning of the event I got this phone call, "This is....from Sen. Kerry's office.  If it wouldn't be too much trouble, the Senator would like to attend your dinner tonight."  Once I picked my jaw up off the floor, I was able to use it to speak.  I wanted to say, "Duh...of course he can come", but what I really said was that we would be honored and delighted if he attended.  Not to be cynical, but I am sure the fact that the Senator is running for re-election in 2008 factored into his appearance in our town.

Sen. Kerry and a few staff arrived during the cocktail hour, and he began working the crowd as only an experienced politician can.  I was lucky enough to pull him aside, get my picture taken with him, and have a brief conversation.  I said to him, "You know, you really won the election in 2004", and his response was...

"I know."

He then continued to work the room, and later in the night he gave a good speech meant to inspire the troops to go out and fight for Democratic ideals.  But his simple two word response haunts me.  If he thought he had won the election, why did he concede it so quickly?  His campaign had set aside several million dollars from his campaign for a Florida-2000 type scenario.  Why didn't he fight the tainted results that came out of Ohio?  If he had fought the results we might have been spared the disaster of the second Bush administration and the world would be a much better place.