function openSlideShow1062(){window.open(slideshowpath + 1062,’selectUser’,config=’scrollbars=No,resizable=Yes’);}Whats Happening
Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry accepted the party’s nomination for President Thursday night amidst a flurry of questions about his ability to swing voters as he kicked off his general election campaign.
As he addressed the country in what has been called the most important speech of his political career, many were wondering how he would fare after a convention full of spirited speeches from former President Bill Clinton, Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards and newcomer Barack Obama, a state senator from Illinois.
Associate journalism professor Alan Schroeder, who studies presidential speeches and debates, said Kerry’s remarks were good – for him.
“I don’t think that Kerry’s really a naturally-gifted speaker, but I thought he did quite well, about the best I’ve ever seen him do,” Schroeder said.
At a packed party to watch the speech at the Red Hat on Bowdoin Street, sentiments were mixed, even among Kerry supporters.
“I get that talking about the war is important,” said AFL-CIO organizer Terri Reid of Boston. “I’m going to vote for Kerry, but it’s a vote to get Bush out.”
The “anyone but Bush” attitude helped Kerry gain the nomination. Others, though, thought the speech marked a positive step beyond that idea.
“Honestly, I was very surprised at how phenominal he was,” said Ben Kreider, a student from Bowdoin College who watched the speech at Hurricane O’Reilly’s near the FleetCenter. “He was very passionate and very positive, offering a positive vision for the country.”
But the speech was not only crafted to resonate with Democrats, but also with the crucial swing voters that are said to be the group that will win the election.
“This speech is really targeted at the people who haven’t quite made up their minds yet,” Schroeder said. “It does seem to me that he presented a reasonable alternative to Bush.”
How that contrast will fare over the next few months may be a deciding factor in November.
Still, some were not impressed. Annabelle Guerra, the chair of the Northeastern College Republicans, was particularly interested in a statement at the end of his speech where Kerry challenged President George W. Bush to take the campaigning “high road” by not resorting to negative tactics.
“He focused on how he felt the campaign shouldn’t be based on quabbles,” she said. “Let’s see who’s going to be the gentleman and who’s going to start the attacks first.”
But at the end of the speech, as Edwards joined Kerry at center stage, Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” played over the speakers (a play on their shared first name) and the democrats attending the convention appeared united behind one candidate.
“I think we are ready for November,” said Justin Southern, treasurer of the Young Democrats for America. “It was complete and he addressed the three points that need to be made: defense, economy and health care.”
Kerry will now begin the final push of the election season to Nov. 2, stopping only during the Republican National Convention at the end of August.
-News staff writers Bobby Hankinson, C. G. Lynch and Stephanie Vosk and News correspondent Michael Chin contributed to this report.
