Kerry whirlwind seeks to sweep all before it

[CHIMO]

For a moment the grey curtain parted. From behind stepped John Kerry, smiling and startling the posse of journalists at the back of his plush campaign plane.
'How is everybody?' Kerry grinned, walking forward and prompting a quick scramble for cameras and notebooks. Kerry was clearly feeling on top of the world. 'How are you, senator?', one journalist asked. 'Fabulous,' Kerry said, and then repeated: 'Fabulous.'

Kerry has a right to feel good. Only last December his campaign for the Democratic nomination was written off as a train wreck. Now, fighting a Bush administration mired in the Iraq war and with sliding approval ratings, Kerry heads a Democratic party that believes it can win the White House. His campaign is growing and evolving, seeking to turn itself into a winning machine. It is flush with cash, overflowing with volunteers and scoring regular hits on President George Bush. Kerry leads in the polls and basks in the afterglow of naming charismatic Southerner John Edwards as running mate. After a lifetime devoted to politics, this is Kerry's moment.
It was the end of a long day and Kerry stood on the banks of the Kanawha river in Charleston in front of a sea of flags and banners in the grounds of the city's university as he delivered his fourth speech of the day. The event was, as you would expect, tightly scripted and highly organised. But you can only organise enthusiasm so far. In the end you cannot fake all of it. And this crowd was not faking. One man, standing right at the front, would not have looked out of place at a rock concert. 'Bring it on, baby!' he screamed.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1263883,00.html

[goforit]

1. LOL!!!!...............Always keep on track Kerry!!!

[sally343434]

2. I've noticed ...

> But you can only organize enthusiasm so far. In the end you
> cannot fake all of it. And this crowd was not faking. One man,
> standing right at the front, would not have looked out of place at
> a rock concert. 'Bring it on, baby!' he screamed.

One thing that is glaringly obvious is that Kerry's public appearances are just that: out in the public. Throngs come to see him, unfettered by gangs of armed thugs.

Contrast that with Bush, who never appears in public. Instead, they shuttle him around with a phalanx of storm troopers from one closed event to another, complete with paid actors (euphemistically referred to by the press as "hand-picked" crowd) to play the role of "admiring audience."

I think that pretty much puts the lie to all the polls, don't you?

[Spiffarino]

4. You should have seen the Rally in Raleigh

The DNC and Kerry's people had expected 8-10,000; the actual turnout was 20-25,000. Our local Kerry for Prez group took two busloads of supporters on the four-hour, one-way trip. Everyone I heard from said that they wouldn't have missed it for anything. The crowd was wild, enthusiastic, and HUGE! The Kerry, Edwards, and both of their wives spent over an hour shaking hands and meeting the folks in the crowd.

The "news" media made little of the event, but to those in attendance there was no doubt about the enthusiasm that exists for this ticket in North Carolina.

Be afraid, Chimpy. Be very afraid.

[SoCalDem]

5. Bush's crowds are hand picked...just like

http://mccarthy.vg:8080/images.mccarthy.vg/bush-pick.jpg

[LibertyorDeath]

3. Bring it on, baby!

"this crowd was not faking. One man, standing right at the front, would not have looked out of place at a rock concert. 'Bring it on, baby!' he screamed."

Love it!

[juslikagrzly]

6. LibertyorDeath

I love your sig pic! They all look like the bottom just fell out. Where is this from?

[LibertyorDeath]

7. Thanks found it over at

http://www.bushflash.com/ in the FORUM section.

I love it too but I don't know anymore about it than that.

[faithnotgreed]

8. i shouldve known this would be from the uk. wheres our press again?