Kerry: Obama can lead a movement

Four years later, U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is back. This time, however, he’s campaigning for someone else.

He spoke on behalf of Barack Obama for nearly a half-hour at the Bangor caucus Sunday. He told the crowd of more than 1,000 that Obama is someone who can lead a movement, and made references to historical leaders such as John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.

In contrasting Obama to rival Hillary Clinton, he responded to her two main criticisms. Inexperienced? Just look at his work in the Illinois Legislature, Kerry said. Young? Look at how old JFK, MLK and Bill Clinton were when they made a difference.

“(MLK) changed the nation because he was able to create that kind of movement among the citizens to hold politicians accountable and force them to do what people wanted them to do.”

Obama is someone who can get the independent vote. He even got a key endorsement in Virginia, a state Kerry lost by 2.5 points in 2004, Kerry said.

On the other hand, “Nobody does better to help John McCain bring conservatives out than Hillary Clinton,” Kerry said.

Kerry hasn’t forgotten the support Mainers gave him in 2004.

“You did everything except to move to Ohio,” he said.

He remembers one thing about Mainers.

“Nobody tells a Mainer how to vote,” Kerry said. “This is an independent minded state, with an independent group of Democrats. I came here with nothing but respect for that.”