There is a new head diplomat in Washington and his name is John Kerry, this new Secretary of State may be new to the cabinet but he has been around the political block for years now and is ready to take on the grueling international tasks at hand. Whether it is nuclear capabilities in North Korea or the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, he will be taking on the job of keeping our country in good favor around the world and spreading American diplomacy to every corner of the globe.
John Forbes Kerry was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, leading a well off life. His father Richard Kerry was a Foreign Service Officer and an attorney for the Bureau of United Nations Affairs. His mother Rosemary served as a nurse in World War II and is the daughter of the extremely wealthy Forbes family. She was also a descendent of John Winthrop
The Kerry family would, in today’s standards, be considered upper-middle class citizens who lived life comfortably. His well off great aunt put John through some of the finest schooling in Europe and the New England region. Kerry was raised Roman Catholic and served as an altar boy for years.
John Kerry attended St. Paul’s school in Concord, New Hampshire and later attended prestigious Yale University. While attending Yale he soon became part of a secret society known as Skull and Bones, which George W. Bush also belonged to. Ever since he was a little boy, he has been enthralled in politics and at Yale his peers referred to him as “little J.F.K.”
When John Kerry graduated college, he pursued a law career. He graduated from the Boston College School of Law, earned his degree and took up public services. His first major role was District Attorney of Middlesex County in Massachusetts. After a few years of law practice, he developed an interest in national politics. In 1982, Kerry ran for the Senate but failed to be elected. He did succeed in nabbing a position as lieutenant governor of Massachusetts under Michael Dukakis. Kerry was eventually successful and won a seat in Congress when elected to the Senate in 1984. Massachusetts reelected Senator Kerry in 1990, 1996, 2002 and 2008. In the Senate, he was recognized as a moderate-liberal who was in favor of free trade, progression in public education and a push towards the high tech new economy.
In 2004, John Kerry put his talents to the test and ran for president, taking on the incumbent George W. Bush. Bush was not a popular figure in the U.S. at the time for putting America to war and pulling the nation into recession. Senator Kerry easily took out his opposition in the Democratic primaries sweeping 46 states with the next closest finisher being John Edwards who only won 2 states (North and South Carolina). He then made John Edwards his running mate as they took on Bush and Cheney together. On Election Day Kerry was routed by Bush lossing the 2004 presidential election to one of the most unpopular incumbents the U.S. had ever seen.
Fast forward nine years to 2013. John Kerry finally struck gold when he was appointed Secretary of State by President Barack Obama. This was a stroke of luck for Kerry when he was not even in the running for Secretary of State. When former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton decided to resign during President Obama’s second term there were big shoes to fill. Susan Rice, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations seemed to be a no brainer for the position. But the Republican caucus derailed her chances and caused her to withdraw, due to statements she had made about the masterminds behind the attack in Benghazi on the U.S. Embassy that killed Libyan Ambassador Christopher Stevens. The President then quickly saw John Kerry as the next best choice for the country.
President Obama was quoted saying, “John has earned the respect of leaders around the world and the confidence of Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, and I am confident he will make an extraordinary secretary of state “This information was confirmed by news website Politico. There was almost unanimous approval as Kerry received 94 approval votes. He now takes on the job of head diplomat of America throughout the world in a time of global welter.
