============================================= THE NEW DEM DAILY, November 03, 2004 Political commentary & analysis from the DLC =============================================
[ New Democrats Online: http://www.ndol.org ]
A Proud and Gracious Concession
An extremely competitive, and often bitter, presidential contest came to a sudden end today when John Kerry concluded that any further scrutiny of ballots would be futile and divisive, and conceded defeat.
The pain and disappointment that he, his running mate, their families, and their loyal staff and supporters experienced before this decision is shared by many Democrats, especially given the exhilaration they felt in the campaign's final hours. Kerry himself had overcome so many challenges since launching his candidacy nearly two years ago that it must have been inhumanly difficult to let it all go.
His concession speech was warm and touching, proud and gracious. And his call for national unity, an abatement of partisan rancor, and a healing of political wounds, was important and timely, and probably helped convince President Bush to make a similar gesture in promising to earn the trust of all Americans.
Kerry as a presidential nominee kept the Democratic Party united and disciplined, focused and determined. His calm tenacity throughout the campaign reflected his lifelong ethic of service, and a depth of character that in the end showed through all the slings and arrows of partisan attacks and political adversity.
We are fortunate that Kerry will see continued duty in the U.S. Senate, where he will have the opportunity to help his country meet the big challenges he spoke about so often as a candidate, and to serve the common cause he so eloquently invoked today.