Finally - Jordan Canned By Kerry

[DrFunkenstein]

It has been monumentally frustrating to have an A candidate handled by a C+ campaign manager. No offense to Mr. Jordan, but I have rarely seen a campaign so unresponsive to a changing political climate. Kerry is an absolutely brilliant man with the best record and the best platform in the field. The man has so much experience tailor-made for the post-9/11 & post-Bush(!) world and he's definitely the best match-up against Bush.

So how does Jordan run Kerry? First (and until this moment) he acts as if the nomination is Kerry's for the taking, and decides to keep Kerry's Vietnam heroism as the central message of the campaign. It was Jordan's job to coordinate the message and put the bumpersticker version of Kerry out there for the media and masses. That never happened.

Each candidate should be able to say why they are the best in 3 sentences or less. For me, I would be hammering Kerry's energy independence plan based on his amazing environmental record, his long anti-terrorism record (he should be THE guy to fight terrorism), and his plans for government and corporate accountability. Kerry's war record works well against AWOL Bush, but that is not a central rationale for a run in the primaries.

Obviously, the campaign is not going to be calling me anytime soon to ask for advice, but hopefully Mary Beth Cahill will run a tighter ship and bring a tighter message, whatever that may be. Whatever else may be said about Dean, he has a reason for running - he hates the war and he hates Bush. He is the attack dog candidate.

Kerry needs to hone a central message. He is the best man in the field and the most electable and the campaign needs to do a better job of getting that across.

Kerry is at the top of his game right now. He is really on target at the debates, and if the debates were broken into smaller groups his eminence would become more and more apparent. Especially if he was in a small group (or better yet one-on-one) with Dean.

I don't think it is a big secret that Dean supporters were shaken by the possibility of a direct debate. The reason: Kerry could cut through the campaign hyping and throw off the gloves. Dean has yet to have a positive performance in any TV situation that asked even a moderately difficult question. He has been mediocre at best in the debates, and has yet to live down the thrashing Russert gave him (as evidenced by Dean's mention of his name whenever someone asks a "tough" question).

Kerry, on the other hand, has had strong showings on the talk shows and has won or tied almost all of the latest debates, seeming to grow in stature at each one. Smaller debate groups would let him break away even further.

It's about time we get a campaign manager at Kerry's caliber. Best of luck to Mary Beth Cahill.

<>

[slinkerwink]

1. DUPE!!!!

DUPE!!!! sorry, pal.

[DrFunkenstein]

3. Sorry Pal

I realize you would prefer to control the opening discourse of this news, but this is a reaction from a grassroots supporter - not a news article. Who's the dupe now?

[slinkerwink]

4. actually, this is the third dupe

My thread post is a second dupe. La Serpiente else posted it first. I'm sorry that you feel bad that you weren't the first to broadcast the news....:nopity:

[DrFunkenstein]

5. I'd Say You Just Answered My Question

I wasn't broadcasting the news, as I told you (fairly clearly). I was reacting to it. You do understand the distinction, I hope.

[Hep]

2. I've said it before

Dean and Kerry one on one = TWO people talking about Dean. One about Dean's platform, one about stuff Dean said 8 years ago. The winner would be clear.

But aside from that, it's a good thing that it turns out Kerry has nothing to do with his poor showing thus far. It's a good thing we're electing a campaign manager.

[CWebster]

6. My dear Funkenstein

If Kerry was at the "top of his game right now" he wouldn't be starting from scratch again.

If you can figure out the problems and I can figure out the problem, why should anyone support Kerry for president, since he apparently can't figure out...what he needs to figure out?

:P

[CMT]

7. good post

With a tighter message as you say there is still time for Kerry to get his message heard and move forward. I'm one Dean supporter who still (despite most polls) believe that New Hampshire will be tight won by either Dean or Kerry by five or six points.

[DrFunkenstein]

10. NH Is Going To Be A Real Battle

And will have enormous repercussions on the rest of the race. Kerry has a reputation as a late starter.

--

We were pummelling him through August, but his campaign turned on a dime when Bob Shrum was hired as his consultant. It went from flaccid to sharp in a week."

Kerry's aides insist that it was more than Shrum. They say that Kerry was distracted in Washington, that he didn't really focus on the campaign until the Senate recessed. "It wasn't a lack of focus," Kerry says. "It was a strategy. I figured people wouldn't really be paying attention until the fall debates."

The last four debates were fabulous political theatre-two very smart men having at each other. "John's at his best under pressure, when he's being seriously challenged," Paul Nace, an old Navy friend, says. "He gets really cool, very calm. He really is a warrior-he just loves it. I took one look at him as he was walking into Faneuil Hall for one of the last debates and I thought, Bill Weld has no idea what's about to hit him."

Kerry won the election by eight percentage points. "John has always been underestimated politically," Marttila says. "But that race had the quality and intensity of a Presidential campaign, and he won. I don't see how they can underestimate him anymore, but they probably will."

(sorry, I can't get an active link for this anymore).

[KaraokeKarlton]

12. Not anymore, it isn't

Kerry has gone into VERY pro-gun rights NH and talked in favor of gun control. NH Democrats running for office NEVER do that because they know it's a sure fire way to get beat. Either Kerry is totally out of touch with NH voters, or his campaign or him are just plain too lazy to check out where the majority of the voters stand on issues. He's not even going to come out in the top three in NH now.

[UTUSN]

8. Great Analysis n/t

[AP]

9. I think Kerry is great, but is the right guy at the wrong time

or the wrong guy at the right time.

This isn't so much Jordan's fault, although maybe a super-smart campaign mngr could figure out a way to handle this.

Kerry's problem is that the biggest theme Dems should run on is MIDDLE CLASS OPPORTUNITY, with a nod towards the idea that they're super-strong on national security.

Middle class opportunity is the thing that is palpably disappearing from America. If you think about it for 5 minutes, you realize that the Republicans are very actively trying to achieve this. They want middle class people to accept less and go into huge debt to make the already wealthy wealthier. To win, the nominee has to tap into this sentiment forcefully and seriously, and this issue has to be at the forefront of the campaign.

I laugh when I see people say "energy independence" or health care are the major issues. They aren't, and nobody with a meta-message so narrow and unambitious will win.

Bush is able to pass himself off as someone fighting for the middle class in the south, southwest and mountain west. The northeast and west seem to be on to his shit. But he does have a swagger, "I get up and feed the hounds and ride horses" thing that some people seem fooled by, and which hides the truth of his raid on the middle class wallet.

Now, Kerry's problem is that he's just too rich, and too much from the NE, and there's little that can be done to bring him closer to the middle class than Bush with his stupid way of dressing and talking and vacationing in TX. Windsurfing and ice hockey isn't going to replace those images and perceptions of Bush. And talking about his Vietnam war service as being a social leveler just doesn't do the trick. I think many Democrats get a sick feeling in the pit of their stomachs when they think of fighting in Vietnam and so, when Kerry brings it up, they never get past the images of gun boats and shooting Vietnamese to reach the image of brotherhood across races and classes.

Maybe someone other than Jordan can solve this puzzle. However, it's going to be hard. It's interesting that Kerry picked someone from Kennedy's office to replace Jordan. If anyone is going to know how to handle this problem, it'll be someone who works with a Kennedy.

[DrFunkenstein]

13. Thanks For The Down Low On Cahill

This is the first I've heard her name.

You are absolutely right about the middle class. I said "energy independence" because Kerry frames it as a huge job-creation motherlode just waiting to be tapped. He should also mention that he is promoting Krugman's "sweet spot" - leaving the middle class tax breaks to negate Bush's BS.

As far as images, the windsurfing/snowboarding/etc. - if it is played right - can work nicely to take Kerry out of the Senatorial suit. Kerry can also play up Bush as a Yale cowboy that pulled strings to dodge the draft. Other than that, he should say Bush is a swell guy, but a lousy President. Personal animosity undercuts political arguments, as we'll find out if Dean gets the nod. Your criticisms will seem personal attacks instead of policy attacks. Kerry does well to avoid this.

[ScreamingMeemie]

11. Dupe

Please continue here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=683932

Thanks, :)