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August 28, 2008

Our Man On The Floor: “And, Four Years Ago…”

Alan-Chin-Dnc-Kerry

Thank you so much. Four years ago, you gave me the honor of fighting our fight. I was proud to stand with you then, and I am proud to stand with you now, to help elect Barack Obama as president of the United States.  In 2004, we came so close to victory. We are even closer now, and let me tell you, this time we’re going to win.

In closing, let me say, I will always remember how we stood together in 2004, not just in a campaign but for a cause. Now again we stand together in the ranks, ready to fight. The choice is clear; our cause is just; and now is our time to make Barack Obama the next president of the United States.

"Four years ago."  "In 2004." 

It was not lost on anyone last night that, had Kerry been even halfway as straightforward and aggressive in ‘04, this would have been his convention.   

It was that recognition that caused our photographer, Alan Chin, to catch this photo, and only this photo, of the fighting Kerry last night.  With Kerry, there is a forlorn quality that is inherent to the man.  Matched to the setting, however, there is a deeper irony here — a recognition, mirrored by those "2004’s", that this was as close to the top as he was ever going to get.

Read the transcript/YouTube.

(Images © Alan Chin.  Denver. 2008)

  • sw

    I love this image of John Kerry. It, along with all of Alan’s shots this week show the extremely thoughtful and serious aspect of the work at hand — in contrast to the glitzy stagecraft of the convention itself. Kerry’s face here is calm, not forlorn. Free of his own presidential aspirations, he can speak the truth, and it shines through.

  • Cactus

    sw, you are right. There is a nobility to his stance that he did not have, could not have, in 2004. How much of that is a passing of the torch, only he can know. Will he now pick up the mantle from Ted Kennedy to become the senior Senator? Perhaps he is finally ready to slip into those shoes.

  • Neal Deesit

    I didn’t see or hear Kerry’s speech, but this picture of him reminds me of a cigar store indian.

  • MonsieurGonzo

    the more fascinating “money shot”, imho was Mesdames Maria Teresa Thierstein Simões-Ferreira Heinz (Kerry) and Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, sitting right next to one another in the stands, chatting away with one another while the Senator, as usual struggled to hold our attent- >CLICK<>CLICK<>CLICK< and here’s more images of Women’s Beach Volleyball

  • Cactus

    I keep thinking about this image. There is so much on Kerry’s face. All at once the crease of his ‘04 defeat softened into acceptance and now he is able to look ahead, to look to the next generation. And not without a bit of pride in his part in making it happen. I like the way he seems to be stepping out in front of the shadows, with the only identifiable object a small image of a man’s head in the lower left, as if he’s finally leaving his youth behind. The blurred fingers of the hand on the right, echo Kerry’s raised hand.

  • http://www.woodka.com donna

    The opposite and hypocritical treatment of Kerry and McCain by the media totally disgusts me. Both with wealthy wives and military backgrounds, but Kerry was ridiculed while McCain is idolized by the media. What a farce this country’s media have become.