Kerryism of the DayThe senator's caveats and curlicues.

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Question: This comes from our political editor ... who I think has been watching an awful lot of debates and exchanges. He wants to know if you are aware that Sen. Edwards' father worked in a mill all his life.

Kerry: Uh, sure, I'm aware of that.^{₁ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22}
—interview with NPR's "Day to Day," March 1, 2004

[1] 'Course I am.

[2] And I respect it

[3] enormously.

[4] And I respect John Edwards' story

[5] and the way in which he has, you know, gone to college and been very successful.

[6] And I think that's one of the great American stories.

[7] But I think there are also other experiences

[8] that also matter

[9] that other people have

[10] that are different.

[11] And what matters is what you do with your life

[12] sort of

[13] in my judgment.

[14] What matters is what are your values, what you fight for.

[15] And for 35 years, I've been fighting to make sure that everybody else has access to the same kinds of privileges and opportunities that I've had.

[16] And I've stood by those fights.

[17] That's why I'm a Democrat

[18] and that's why I've fought as hard as I have for minimum wage, for opportunity for education, for college.

[19] That's why I fight for civil rights.

[20] And you know, I think those are the things that define the difference.

[21] I'm not sure what the purpose of the question is

[22] but I think those are the things that are important.

Verbatim:
Uh, sure I'm aware of that. 'Course I am. And I respect it, enormously. And I respect John Edwards' story and the way in which he has, you know, gone to college and been very successful. And I think that's one of the great American stories. But I think there are also other experiences that also matter that other people have that are different. And what matters is sort of what you do with your life, in my judgment. What matters is what are your values, what you fight for. And for 35 years I've been fighting to make sure that everybody else has access to the same kinds of privileges and opportunities that I've had. And I've stood by those fights. That's why I'm a Democrat, and that's why I've fought as hard as I have for minimum wage, for opportunity for education, for college. That's why I fight for civil rights. And you know, I think those are the things that define the difference. I'm not sure what the purpose of the question is, but I think those are the things that are important.

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William Saletan is Slate's national correspondent and author of Bearing Right: How Conservatives Won the Abortion War.

Photograph of John Kerry by Luke Frazza/Agence France-Presse; photograph of John Edwards on Slate's home page by Luke Frazza/Agence France-Presse.

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