Kerryism of the Day
The senator's caveats and curlicues.
(For instructions on how to read a Kerryism, click
Question: What kind of Democrat are you?
Kerry: A thinking Democrat. You can call me an old-fashioned New Deal Democrat 1. I'm not going to break faith on Social Security. I'm not going to abandon people who are struggling to earn a decent wage. 2
—Time, Feb. 9, 2004
[2] But call me a New Democrat when it comes to creating jobs and being entrepreneurial and understanding the bottom line of business.
Verbatim:
A thinking Democrat. You can call me an old-fashioned New Deal Democrat on X or Y. I'm not going to break faith on Social Security. I'm not going to abandon people who are struggling to earn a decent wage. But call me a New Democrat when it comes to creating jobs and being entrepreneurial and understanding the bottom line of business.
Got a Kerryism? Send it to kerryisms@slate.com.
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Photograph of John Kerry by Marc Serota/Reuters.