Classy move by Kerry (11/6/04)

It may have been his finest and noblest act in more than 30 years of public service.

When Sen. John Kerry picked up the phone late Wednesday morning to tell President Bush he was conceding the election, Kerry may have acknowledged defeat for himself.

But it was a huge victory for the American people.

Kerry, no stranger to fights both personally and politically, had decided a long, protracted battle such as the country went through in 2000 wasn’t worth it. For that, he deserves our respect and admiration — no matter if it was his name or Bush’s which we selected in Tuesday’s election.

It couldn’t have been an easy decision.

Kerry, like the president, had poured his heart and soul into seeking the most powerful office in the world over a period of almost two years, and there it was, just a few hundred thousand votes away.

But, as all great public servants do, Kerry put the good of the nation ahead of his personal interests.

In so doing, Kerry apparently resisted strenuous arguments from key members of his team — including vice presidential candidate John Edwards — that the battle should go on as long as necessary.

Edwards, a trial lawyer by trade, wasn’t necessarily wrong.

Given the fact the candidates were separated by less than 140,000 votes in Ohio with 150,000 provisional ballots still to be decided on, pressing on made sense on some levels.

But the quick and courageous decision made by Kerry made even more sense.

Our country, which has faced adversity and hard times often during its nearly 230-year history, finds itself at a potential crossroads. Facing great peril from both within (the economy and social issues) and without (terrorism and the war in Iraq), our nation is divided along lines both geographical and political.

We believe that Kerry, less than 12 hours after the final ballots were cast and before the last were counted, was able to analyze the situation and come to a decision that offers us the best chance to move forward together.

It may become one of those ironies of history that a man widely criticized for an inability to stick to positions or decisions forever shaped his legacy with an admirable decision at the end of a brutal campaign.

Thanks, John. We owe you one. — M.S.[[In-content Ad]]