WP: One Speech, Two Dozen Voters: Guarded Thumbs-Ups for Kerry

[kskiska]

Saturday, July 31, 2004; Page A01

LANCASTER, Pa., July 30 -- Here in heavily Republican central Pennsylvania, Carol Sprecher, a registered Republican who votes like an independent, looked disbelievingly at the television as John F. Kerry finished his acceptance speech. "I'm a little surprised," she said. "I kind of liked him."

Ed House, a Democrat watching Kerry in the suburbs of Portland, Ore., said Kerry seemed a bit stiff but more competent on complex issues than President Bush, whom House supported in 2000. "I would rather have someone remote and competent," he said.

Doug Maldonado, a Coast Guard crewman in a noisy Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Miami, seemed disengaged until Kerry called for equality for women and minorities. That grabbed him. "Why? Because I'm a minority," said Maldonado, a Mexican American.

The reactions weren't rousing, but they're just what the Kerry campaign wanted from one of the most coveted constituencies in America. Sprecher, House and Maldonado are undecided voters in states so closely divided that both Kerry and Bush consider them winnable. With the electorate sharply divided, the small fraction of voters who have yet to pick their candidate -- 6 to 10 percent in most polls -- could swing the election in as many as 18 states, and nationally, analysts say.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28807-2004Jul30.html

[Beetwasher]

1. People Already Know All They Need To Know About Bush

They were just waiting for Kerry to make a move...The Repub convention will do NOTHING to help Bush, he's had almost 4 years to make his case and he failed. Now that they are getting to know Kerry, it's all over...The undecideds will come to Kerry in swarms, since they already made up their mind about Bush and just needed the slightest bit of confidence and push from Kerry, and he's ALREADY ahead in practically all the polls...

[Guaranteed]

4. I agree....

Even those "approving" of Bush's performance in the polls only need the slightest tap in Kerry's direction to vote for him. Bush's support is even thinner than it is wide.

[tlcandie]

10. Maybe he could buy more votes at the GOP if he did his funny little

hunting for Usama bit for them?

[Wednesdays]

2. The Goopers better look elsewhere for "winnable" states

"House and Maldonado are undecided voters in states so closely divided that both Kerry and Bush consider them winnable."

The Repugs are deluded if they consider Pennsylvania and Oregon to be "winnable."

[Zynx]

11. Particularly Pennsylvania. I don't see Bush being even close there.

I don't care what the polls say, although they are swinging our way. Most of them got it wrong last time.

[troublemaker]

3. "It's scripted" LOL

"But when Kerry spoke of Republicans and Democrats working together, Mike Dougherty, a Marine gunnery sergeant at the U.S. Southern Command, folded his arms and shook his head: "It's scripted," he declared."

A scripted speech. I'm so disillusioned.

[JDPriestly]

5. Bush will play the fear and patriotism and the

look how great I was after 9/11 cards and will get a lift after the convention. Then the real test begins. The people I've talked to were incredibly delighted with Kerry's speech. I don't know where the newspapers find the people they report on. Surely they don't make the stories up?

[0007]

6. The Marine I talked to said, the Marines don't like junior, not even

his Commanding Officer.

[sofa king]

8. I just had an awful vision....

...Of politicians, lawyers, and pundits contesting overseas ballots sent by servicepeople who died or disappeared before election day.

I don't write down my nightmares. But the day-mares, those are worth putting in print.

[Eurobabe]

7. she's a real genius, eh?

"he went from county to county and state to state and found out what people wanted to hear,"

Imagine that, a candidate for political office polling the electorate on issues, why I am sure * never did that!! <sarcasm off now>

[Wednesdays]

14. Doesn't matter to *

>> Imagine that, a candidate for political office polling the electorate on issues, why I am sure * never did that!! <<

Yeah, and then * will go ahead and do what he wants, the public be damned. Remember, he said "Who cares what you think?"

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. I heard Kerry wrote this speech himself

W can barely even read his own speeches and most of what he says, rarely makes any sense.

[Arugula Latte]

15. Yeah

Why cant' Kerry talk in public like Bush does, with someone speaking into his earpiece?

[4dsc]

12. I cannot wait for the debates..

Then hopefully the voter will see the BIG difference between Kerry and the dumbass!!

[reprobate]

13. I look for Little Boots to self destruct during the debates.

That will be a truly historical moment. The pResident of the United States going psychotic on national television. A sight to bring a warm feeling to the heart of all true americans.

[Arugula Latte]

16. He'll curl up into fetal position and rock catatonically

(Let's hope he doesn't start slinging his own feces!)