Kerry's Last Hurrah? More Premature News Of Death?

[DrFunkenstein]

In an interview between campaign stops on Nov. 7, Kerry described his late-in-the-game improvements. "We're getting close to the playoffs," he said, twisting around in the shotgun seat of his campaign van to face his questioner. "It's the end of the season and you've gotta jack your game up. I know crystal clear what my agenda is, and I'm speaking it hard and fast."

The newer, trimmer version of the Kerry appeal has a more populist theme: combating "special interests," repealing the high end of the Bush tax cut, and delivering affordable healthcare and lower tuition to the middle class. He is less modulated -- gone is the 20-minute explanation of his votes on Iraq. And his criticisms are more direct. But the most noteworthy change is the all-out attack on Dean, from his positions on taxes, healthcare and guns to, yes, his "values."

Kerry's backers say they see a changed candidate, and they're glad. "I think he's finally shifting into campaign mode and out of senatorial mode," said Fred Hochberg, a former Clinton administration official and a key Kerry supporter in New York. "He's a much different campaigner than he was even three months ago." Hochberg thinks the change in leadership will be significant, and that Cahill, along with the New Hampshire campaign chair, former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, would make necessary adjustments. "Adults are managing the campaign now who really know how to manage people ... And I think now with Mary Beth Cahill managing the campaign, it's going to be a much better reflection of who John Kerry really is."

Outside Harvey's Bakery, an often-visited campaign stop in Dover, Kerry made conversation with some local residents. Robert Forbes, a tattooed World War II veteran in an FDNY sweatshirt, complained about the benefits that people like him were getting from the government, and about how much money was being spent abroad. Kerry sympathized. "A lot of veterans are getting screwed," he said. Suddenly, he held up a long finger in the man's face: "Do you know how much money the top 1 percent of Americans got from the Bush tax cut?" he asked. "Ninety billion dollars. OK? That's our prescription drug plan." Satisfied, Forbes slapped Kerry on the back and pledged to vote for him.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/11/11/kerry/index2.html

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[NewYorkerfromMass]

1. A big slap on the back

to you Dr. Funk! You RULE!

[MoonRiver]

2. Bottom line: He sold his soul to the company store.

Although 'Dem presidential nominee' Kerry would have my vote anyway, I believe he comprimised his humanity as well as his political viability when he gave * power to wage a pre-emptive, imperialistic war.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. 52% of Iowa disagrees with you.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=687965

[pruner]

4. what a load of crap

there is no evidence to support the underlying assertion of your thesis that all Iowans are single issue (IWR) voters.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HFishbine]

16. Laughable

Your quasi-scientific analysis is disgraceful. (A dead give-away is your lack of a sourece.)

First of all, you seem to pull your polling date out of thin air. It really stacks up like this in Iowa:

Gephardt: 22% (not the 27% you "report")
Dean: 21% (not the 20% you "report")
Kerry: 9% (not the 15% you "report")

http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=748

Instead of trying to extrapoloate Iowans' desire for a pro-war or anit-war candidate from numbers pulled out of the sky, why not just consult a real poll?

The Iowa Poll shows 39 percent of likely caucus participants believe the only Democratic candidate who can defeat Bush is one who opposed the war from the beginning. But another 29 percent say it will take a candidate who supported the war to win the presidency next year. The remaining 32 percent are unsure.

The poll also shows 61 percent of likely caucus participants were mostly or strongly opposed to the war from the beginning, and anti-war sentiment among this group has grown even more in recent weeks.

Even among the 38 percent who initially favored the war to at least some degree, more than half now say they look with less favor on the conflict.

http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/21906001.html

[HPLeft]

27. Some Anti-War Candidate

On Feb. 20, Dean told Salon.com that "if the U.N. in the end chooses not to enforce its own resolutions, then the U.S. should give Saddam 30 to 60 days to disarm, and if he doesn't, unilateral action is a regrettable, but unavoidable, choice."

Dean is a hypocrite, a panderer and a liar.

[Egnever]

6. Cool whos he gonna be next week?

I vote he takes on a more captain caveman aproach and pulls out the club and gives it to bush.

Or maybe he can take on a 50 cent kinda persona and wear a dew rag while he raps his way through his town meetings.

or maybe,,,,

Hell theres a lot of weeks left before the primary. Hes got time to try on a lot of different getups!

Hurry up tell us what this weeks action pic will be! the one above is kinda boring,

[blm]

28. Who is Dean? Compromising centrist governor? Fighting populist candidate?

And when DID he become a populist anyway? THIS year? When DID he change so many of his positions? This year?

Kerry was a progressive Senator for 18 years...so stepping into a campaign where he had to counter the attacks of another Democrat were a bit offputting to him. Now that he counters Dean's attack, you all want to whine?

[mrgorth]

7. Uh-oh

a newer, stronger Kerry? Now I'm worried. Hey John, here's your fucking approach:
I'm sorry for my vote on the war. I let the american people down. I thought I was voting for X and the President took Y. Etc, etc etc. Either that or keep explaining your position. Your choice.

[eileen_d]

10. God forbid Kerry should have any integrity

and stick to his original position. That would be so... un-Dean-like.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

20. You're right.

Sticking to a position that has played out to be provably wrong, is very un-Dean-like.

[eileen_d]

22. What Would Dean Do?

That would be a fun game. Would he deny he had the position in the first place, even when confronted with evidence he did? Seems likely... but only his hairdresser knows for sure...

[Egnever]

25. Somehow I doubt

this guy has a hairdresser.



I am guessing flobie

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. <snip>

But the most noteworthy change is the all-out attack on Dean...


Noteworthy, in that the name is "Dean" instead of "Bush."

[DrFunkenstein]

9. I Know It Is Weird To Have Someone Besides Dean Attack

Dean is the trojan horse from which Bush, Rove, and Cheney will roll back on into the White House.

<>

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. Don't worry about the horse. Kerry will just send this in to kill it:

But he'll be emotionally torn while doing so, so everybody wins! Yeah!

[killbotfactory]

12. John Kerry: If I can't have the nomination I'm taking Dean down with me!

Kerry was resolute. "If I go out," he said grimly, pointing toward Fournier, "I'm preparing to take on someone who doesn't have the principles..." The reporters got what they wanted, and so did Kerry: the attacks dominated the next day's news cycle. (The lead story in New Hampshire's Union Leader was simply headlined, "Kerry Blasts Dean.")

Jeeze. Even in the height of Dean's "bashing" of Kerry, he said he was an honorable person who's done a lot for the country, and would fight for him if he won the nomination.

Kerry's acting like a spoiled bitch.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

14. Even more to the point.

Dean's attacks used non-specific terms like "Bush-lite" and "Cockroach." No specific names. The only way to find out who he was talking about would be to see who got their panties in a bunch and responded. Only the guilty need reply.

[HFishbine]

13. Serious Question

What I don't get is Kerry's "all out attack on Dean." What is his objective? It makes no sense to me for a few reasons:

1) Does Kerry think he's going to win over Dean supporters by attacking Dean? That seems unlikely.

2) Dean and Clark are virtually tied in national polls. Why isn't Kerry going after Clark supporters who one might reasonably think would have more attraction to Kerry's military record.

3) Something like a third of voters remain undecided. Does Kerry think they'll move to him because they hear of his attacks on Dean? Seems like he might want to shape a little different message if he were interested in the undecideds.

Like I said. I really don't get it. It seems to me like Kerry is trying to settle a grudge rather than pursuing a strategy for gaining votes. Maybe I'm missing something. Anybody?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

15. Kerry will not attack Clark- a potential running mate

and he's attacking Dean because quite frankly he deserves it.

[pruner]

17. deserves it for what?

"stealing" the nomination that Kerry is rightfully "entitled" to?

[HFishbine]

18. Well

Your answer certainly fits with observations of the Kerry campaign. There is no strategy to win votes, just a crusade to serve Dean his just deserts. Good plan.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

19. Bush Lite, cockroaches, Confederate Flags on Pickups

Play with gasoline and you get burned.

And now Dean has decided (unwisely) to jump on the aircraft carrier photo-op. Well, now he's playing on Kerry's turf. Big mistake.

[pruner]

21. burned, imploding, peaking too soon, etc.

L.O. fuckin' L.

:hurts:

[HFishbine]

23. You Just don't get it, do you?

And apparently, neither does Kerry. The Kerry camp can spend all their time swatting at Dean for all his transgressions (real or exagerated) or they can focus on bringing a message to voters. Playing campaign nanny is going nowhere and it's truley odd that you defend it as worthy of Kerry. It's a big, misguided waste in my opinion.

[HFishbine]

24. He's not going to have a chance to pick a running mate

if he doesn't get the nomination. So I'm asking, how does the attack Dean strategy move him closer to the nomination? At best, he may move a few Dean supporters to Clark. That's doesn't help Kerry.

[Adjoran]

26. I'm sorry

but I think I'm eliminating Senator Kerry from consideration.

I saw him interviewed beside his campaign bus just after the announcement of the firing of his campaign manager. It went something like this:


Kerry: I wanted to change the dynamics of the campaign, and move forward, and it was the right decision.

Reporter: What dynamics did you need to change?

Kerry: Well, I wanted to change the dynamics of the campaign, and move forward, and it was the right thing to do, and I did it.

Reporter #2: But what how are you changing the campaign?

Kerry: I wanted to change the dynamics of the campaign, and move forward, and it was the right decision.

Reporter #3: What new dynamics will your campaign be showing?

Kerry: Well, we will be moving forward, in the next few days and weeks, changing the dynamics of the campaign. That was my decision, to change the dynamics, and I did it, and it was the right decision.

Reporter #4: What the %#@! are you talking about?

Kerry: I wanted to change the dynamics of the campaign, and move forward.



There were a couple more questions, but I noticed that Kerry was repeating himself repeatedly, as if he were Secretary of the Department of Redundancy Department, so I started dinner.

Campaigns that are running well don't need to be reorganized. This is the second round of reorganization Kerry has had in a couple of months. If there was a reason for doing so, other than that his campaign is in the toilet, he should have been prepared to explain it to the press.

I'm looking for a candidate who can win. This sort of fumbling does not impress me. I've now narrowed my choices to Dean, Gephardt, and Clark - although I haven't closed the door on Edwards, he needs to show some momentum soon.

Don't get me wrong; if Kerry wins the nomination, I will happily support him. But he won't get my vote on February 3rd.

[quinnox]

29. Nothing is decided until the final vote is cast

Kerry is just starting, keep an eye on that boy.

Everything is fluid at this stage, any of the top 6 candidates can win the nomination.

Even this guy: