Photo 8 Highlights of the Convention in Boston. Opinion 10 Daily Opinion picksthe winners and losers oftthe Convention. b E - Iir-tinyrsit riur &Monday, August2, 2004 One-hundred- thirteen years of editorialfreedom Summer Weekly www.michigandaily.com Democratic National Convention Coverage ©2004 The Michigan Daily Visit w w.michigandaily.com for full 1versions of the Daily's Demnocratic Naional Conivention coverage. Kerry accepts democratic nomination David Branson Daily Staff Reporter BOSTON - When New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson called the Democratic National Convention to order at 4:00 p.m. last Monday, every speaker from Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAu- liffe to former Senator Max Cleland set the stage and built up the reputation, strength and record of John Kerry, now officially a presidential candidate. The speakers list preceding Kerry featured many historic Democratic Party leaders like former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, as well as all of the former Democrat- ic presidential-hopefuls, dozens of Capitol Hill members, keynote speaker Barack Obama and running mate Sen. John Edwards. After the four-day drum roll antici- pating Kerry's steps onto the Fleet Center Convention floor, he faced enormous expec- tations by giving a climactic 56-minute acceptance speech Thursday night. "On my first day in office, I will send a message to every man and woman in our (U.S.) Armed Forces - you will never be asked to fight a war without a plan to win the peace," Kerry said. "Saying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn't make it so. Saying we can fight a war on the cheap doesn't make it so and proclaiming Protesters, 'mission accomplished' certainly doesn't make it so." The war in Iraq is widely considered the most important issue this election, an issue Kerry has tackled as a major, but not only, failing of the Bush administration. "I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war. I will have a vice president who will not conduct secret meet- ings with polluters and rewrite our environ- mental laws. I will have a secretary of defense who will listen to the advice of our military leaders. And I will appoint an attor- ney general who will uphold the Constitution of the United States,"Kerry said. "My fellow Americans, this is the most important elec- tion of our lifetime. The stakes are high. We are a nation at war, a global war on terror against an enemy unlike any we have ever known before." President George W. Bush, however, criti- cized Kerry's voting record in Iraq, intelli- gence funding, taxes and other issues. "We heard a lot of clever speeches and some big promises," Bush commented Friday after the Convention. Thursday's acceptance speech was marked by Kerry's detailing of the Bush Administration's flaws and calls to "judge me by my record," a notion the Bush Admin- istration is more than eager to do. "After 19 years in the United States Senate, my opponent has had thousands of votes but very few signature achieve- ments," Bush said. Bush and Kerry both began extensive campaign tours of the United States after the convention, both focusing on the Midwest, an area hit hard by the faltered economy. Kerry plans to use his speech during a two- week, 21-state tour of the United States to ride the traditional "bounce" in party support that conventions historically provide. "When I came here my motto was 'let's get America back on track,' and it had nothing to with John Kerry and John Edwards. But after tonight, itsis about the individuals for me," said Karen Gutman, a writer and delegate from California. "Kerry is an individual and an extraordi- nary choice. Before, I was hoping he would be, but now I really feel this candi- date can really be an excellent leader. I've been waiting for him to say something with the authority he did tonight." Kerry's speech received varied respons- es from attendants in the Fleet Center, but many people shared the same sentiment that Kerry's speech was a successful speech to jump-start his campaign for the presidency. "I don't think any candidate can ever live up to the expectations the convention sets out. I think the convention is just to heal some of the wounds of the primaries and calm the infight- ing," said Will Kimlaw, a Cam- bridge resident and graduate of Tufts University. "His speech was excellent though - it addressed all the major issues for voters and the most important point is it was an all positive speech." At one point during the speech, Kerry directly addressed Bush about cam- paigning positively. "I want to address these next words to President Bush. In the weeks ahead, let's be opti- mists, not just opponents. Let's build unity in the American family, not angry division. Let's honor this nation's diversity and let's respect one another," Kerry said. The next day, Bush responded with pointed statements about Kerry's inability to lead a country with any ' competence."My opponent has good intentions, but intentions do not always translate to results," Bush told support- ers. "When it comes to choosing a presi- dent, results matter." supporters rally outside Fleet Center By David Branson Daily StaffReporter BOSTON - Only attendees with proper cre- dentials entered the Fleet Center last Monday through Thursday nights, but the convention never stopped outside the center's doors. Each day before delegates, guests and press packed the security checkpoints on Causeway Street, the convention rushed at a frantic pace from hotel, to library, to city parks from Boston to Cambridge. At the Sheraton Hotel in the Prudential Cen- ter, nearly every state held Democratic Party meals for residents, delegates and politicians of their respective states. In Cambridge, home of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, authors and politicians spoke to eager crowds. But the bulk of protesters assembled in the Boston Common - outside the Fleet Center itself and far from most media sources. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean spent the week traveling the city while Kerry toured the East Coast. At the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Tuesday afternoon, Dean teamed with filmmak- er Michael Moore and former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich to speak about America's future and the necessity of a strong and unified Democratic party. Supporters arrived at the Sonesta and other venues hours before the events began, where lines up to a mile long formed wound down stairs, out doors and around blocks. "John Kerry has cohesive plans for our coun- try, but that's all policy. For right now we need to talk about politics," Dean said. "Politics is too important to be left to politicians." The Sonesta held only 800 people inside, but Dean and the entire speaker's podium moved outside after they finished to mirror the speech- es for the 1400 that had gathered outside the terrace. In both cases, Dean was received by thunderous applause and concluded with a winded rant ending in, "We need to stop being afraid of being Democrats in this country!" When Moore arrived, he placed a similar emphasis on people, not policy, while lambast- ing the Bush administration and the media for its failings. "You can't compare this election to any elec- tion before Sept. 11 because it's cool now to talk about politics and it's suddenly uncool to be apathetic," Moore said. "I, we, the people, we need [the media] to ask the questions, demand the evidence. Don't ever send us to war without sending us evidence. You do us no service by hopping on the bandwagon." But Moore's sharp-tongued criticisms of Bush do not often ring through the entire Democratic Party. Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm spoke Tuesday along with Lt. Gov. John Cherry about the usual lack of shots at the Republican Party during the convention. I think it's a great strategy because I don't think the people who can be persuaded really want to hear all those comments," Granholm said. "In my speech, I had a couple lines that were really red meat, but [Kerry's officials] asked me to take them out. They want us to make sure we are not bashing the administra- tion and I think that speaks to the fact that Kerry is [in] control." Michigan has been hit as hard as any state with job losses, education under-funding and low voter turnout in elections, all factors which cement Michigan's importance in November as a critical swing state. FOREST CASEY/Daily Protesters crowd underneath closed train tracks in front of the Fleet Center in Boston, Mass. last Monday. Many of the complaints voiced involved not being allowed access into the convention.