WSJ: GUARDED thumbs-ups for Kerry (hmmm very guarted I bet)

[LittleApple81]

One speech, two dozen voters
Guarded thumbs-ups for Kerry

By Dale Russakoff and Blaine Harden

Updated: 11:54 p.m. ET July 30, 2004

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.

snip...


The men and women, selected unscientifically, began the evening seriously concerned about Bush's handling of the Iraq war but unsure that Kerry could be a commander in chief. When it ended, they all said they liked what they saw and now will consider him seriously as a candidate -- although none said he closed the deal.

Among eight Lancaster voters who watched the speech at a student center at Franklin & Marshall College, Kerry began with no outright supporters -- only a widespread disaffection with Bush that made them hungry for an alternative. None said they felt they knew "who Kerry is as a person," as Ronnie Burgess, 36, a travel counselor for AAA, put it. And they all said they had been affected by seeing numerous Bush campaign ads portraying Kerry as a flip-flopper.

more at link: interesting even though they are so "guarded"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5563217/

[SaveElmer]

1. Headline is more guarded than the article

I thought this looked really good for Kerry considering the types of voters they had gathered!!!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. What got me were the cynics

from FL who said it was all scripted, that he was just saying what he thought the voters wanted to hear. I wonder if they feel the same way about Bush. If so, I doubt if they vote at all this year.

[lancdem]

3. This is good news

Kerry did exactly what he needed to do - start to win these people over.

"When it ended, they all said they liked what they saw and now will consider him seriously as a candidate -- although none said he closed the deal."