The Key To Kerry's Comeback

[DrFunkenstein]

•End disputes about the campaign's direction. Kerry fired campaign manager Jim Jordan, a hard-nosed strategist who had clashed with another senior adviser, Robert Shrum. The new campaign manager is Mary Beth Cahill, a Kennedy veteran.

To prevent Kerry from hearing a cacophony from competing voices, Cahill considered taking the job only if the candidate gave up his cell phone. She relented but has moved to make sure that he hears from fewer advisers and that they offer more consistent views.

•Fan concerns about Dean's experience and electability. In the past 10 days, Kerry has been harsher and more direct. "Governor Dean has zero foreign-policy experience, zero national-security experience, zero military experience," Kerry says in the interview. "And this is not a time, as George Bush has proven, for on-the-job training in the White House."

•Focus on Iowa and New Hampshire. More than 65 paid staffers are now working in New Hampshire; the Iowa staff has almost doubled to more than 80. TV ads are on the air in both states, and Kerry's decision not to accept federal matching funds means he won't have to follow rules that limit spending.

"I intend to win in New Hampshire," Kerry says. He acknowledges that, more than any tactical calculation, his campaign will revive only if he can articulate a more combative, compelling message to voters.

At the Lebanon firehouse, he delivers his new stump speech for the third time that day. He accuses Bush of giving Americans "a raw deal" and promises he will deliver "the real deal." The room is suffused with the smell of chili spices. He shouts into a microphone, the color rising in his long face, one arm jabbing toward the crowd.

"I believe we need a nominee who has the ability to stand up to George Bush and go right at him on the national-security issue," he says. A Navy patrol-boat skipper in Vietnam, he came home with three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star. "If George Bush wants to make national security the issue of this campaign, I have three words for him and his cohorts that I know they understand: Bring it on."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2003-11-23-kerry-cover_x.htm

<>

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Pictured here talking with Sen. Kennedy (D-MA) about how to kick some GOP ass.

Watch his TV ads here:

http://www.johnkerry.com/videos/

[dajabr]

1. Set the calender back 10 months? (nt)

[DrFunkenstein]

3. So He Could Have Prostate Surgery Again? No Thanks.

Kerry is strong now, and will be firing all cylinders from here on out.

---------------

"This electorate is entirely volatile and waiting to hear where we're going to take America," Kerry, 59, says in an interview on his campaign bus. His narrow 6-foot-4 frame is folded into a seat in the first row. His 26-year-old daughter, Vanessa, taking a break from Harvard Medical School to campaign, is one row back. "You folks are much too focused on the now. It's not now. They don't vote until two months from now."

Presidential candidates have staged successful comebacks before, sometimes in these same Granite State precincts. In 1980, frontrunner Ronald Reagan limped into New Hampshire after losing the Iowa caucuses to George Bush, the current president's father. Reagan fought back, then won New Hampshire and fired his top strategists on the same day. In 1992, Bill Clinton, wounded by allegations of womanizing and draft-dodging, campaigned indefatigably and declared himself "the comeback kid" when he finished second.

......

In the interview, Kerry cautioned his rivals not to count him out just yet.

"I was about 30 yards away from Billy Buckner when that ball wiggled away," he says, a reference to the infamous error by the Red Sox first basemen when the team was on the verge of winning the World Series in 1986. "I had cracked a bottle of champagne, was jumping up and down — prematurely. Nobody should celebrate prematurely. This race is really open."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2003-11-23-kerry-cover_x.htm

May the best man win!

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[ThorsteinVeblen]

2. Give him a spine transplant?

[blm]

29. Yeah, I noticed how YOU exposed IranContra and BCCI and CIA drugrunning

for over 6 years while under death threats and constant mocking from the press.

You were so brave, and so were all those Democrats like Dean who had "mixed feelings" about Reagan's illegal contra wars.

[LuminousX]

31. The press was sending Kerry death threats?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

38. You misread blm's message.

[OneBlueSky]

4. the sad fact, imo . . .

is that while Dean has a better shot at the nomination, Kerry would make a far better candidate against Bush for the reasons cited and a few others I can think of (e.g. vulnerability to being branded the gay marriage candidate by the BFEE) . . . nothing at all against Dean . . . I like him . . . I'm just really worried that he'll get trounced in the general election . . . again, jmho . . . or, to be more precise, jmhf (just my humble fears) . . .

[DrFunkenstein]

5. Wow, My Only Person On Ignore Shows Up To Cheer Kerry On!

I only wish I could see how he's matured over the months.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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

[DrFunkenstein]

12. The Litter of Ignored's Seems To Be Piling Up!

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[ThorsteinVeblen]

14. I rest my case.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

16. Is that a promise? Does it count any more than one of Dean's?

[ThorsteinVeblen]

20. And I'll rest my boot on the ass of the Democrat Party

if Kerry is made the nominee. And that is a goddamn promise.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

21. Kerry's gonna ride that Donkey all the way to the White House!

[ThorsteinVeblen]

22. Kerry gets the nomination

And I vote for Bush.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

24. OK

Bye. :hi:

[Feanorcurufinwe]

7. Kerry does best under pressure.

Some folks, when confronted with a crisis situation, lose control or act hastily. For others, a crisis focuses their skills and talents and makes them perform at their best. Considering being President means confronting one crisis after another or several at once, we need the latter type in the Oval Office.

[ThorsteinVeblen]

8. Which is exactly why Kerry will not be the nominee

"Considering being President means confronting one crisis after another or several at once, we need the latter type in the Oval Office."

People don't want a wet fish. People want vision and the ability to lead. This country needs integrity and guts. What this country doesn't need is a poser.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

9. You are arguing for Kerry in that case. He's the Real Deal.

[ThorsteinVeblen]

10. Riiiiight...

Is it his weird-ass horse-face, his political cowardice in not challenging an immoral war, his ability to alienate average Americans with his elitist attitude or his inability to inspire even the most sychophantic of audiences that you think is so electable?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

15. Perhaps it would be

the ability to arouse passion, as so clearly evidenced by your post. lol

[ThorsteinVeblen]

19. The only thing that inspires my passion more than

leadership is cowardice. Especially political cowardice.

Kerry makes me spit fire.

What that asshole has allowed Bush to do to this country is disgusting. Enabling evil is as bad as perpetrating it. Where is the responsibility? Where is the accountability? Where is the leadership?

No more equivocation.

No more prevarication.

I want a leader.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

25. Yep. Kerry's to blame for everything. You've picked the right demon.

lol

[genius]

11. That's better. He still needs to nail Dean on the issues where Dean

is a conservative and the public mistakenly thinks he's a liberal, such as tax reform, services to the needy, education, health care, Iraq, etc. The public needs to be educated before the first primary.

[DrFunkenstein]

13. As Dean Recently Said, There Are Legitimate Differences

That should be brought up about experience, character, credibility, and electability.

[ThorsteinVeblen]

18. Exactly...

Kerry has no experience making tough decisions.

Kerry has no character whatsoever.

Kerry definately has no credibility after all the bullshit he pulled on the Iraq War.

Kerry is about as electable as Benedict Arnold with Nixon's charm.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

23. Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry

You've got Kerry on the brain.

[virtualobserver]

17. but can he win Massachusetts?

much less Iowa and NH.

He does seem to have some momentum in IOWA....a new Des Moines TV poll showed DEAN 32 GEPHARDT 22 KERRY 19.

[blm]

30. The Herald is the NY Post of of Boston.

.

[pasadenaboy]

26. unlike many Dean supporters,

I like Kerry.

He blew it with the Iraq authorization. He made a political calculation, voting against what he knew was right, in order to innoculate himself against criticism for being against a popular war. He gambled and was wrong.

He's a good man, he just fell into the trap many politicians who have been in Washington for 20 years do. He lost touch with his base on a very important issue. He listened to the spinmeisters and consultants, rather than the people, and now he will pay the price.

His candidacy is going nowhere until he admits what really happened with that Iraq vote. People will forgive, but they won't forgive until you come clean.

[wtmusic]

28. Agree

Kerry is my 2nd choice. But he's out of the picture until he comes clean about IWR.

[Sully]

35. Comes clean? That's just plain insulting!

Why doesn't Dean come clean on IWR?

"I like George Bush, he's a good guy." --Howard Dean, 1999

"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." --Howard Dean, Feb. 2003

"The September 11 terrorist attacks "require a re-evaluation of the importance of some of our specific civil liberties. I think there are going to be debates about what can be said where, what can be printed where, what kind of freedom of movement people have and whether it's OK for a policeman to ask for your ID just because you're walking down the street." --Howard Dean, September 12, 2001

[pruner]

27. …

[cindyw]

36. Can I just say how b***h a** awesome the Ents are in that movie. When the

sh** hits the fan, the Ents destroy the source of the evil. I think that's good comparison. Thanks. I'll use this.

[KaraokeKarlton]

32. I work in Lebanon

and haven't heard a single person talking about Kerry being there. Seriously. Dean has a busy campaign office there and his support is solid in the Lebanon/Hanover area. Thought I'd chime in on this just because I'm in Lebanon about every day.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

37. Thanks for the unbiased information. LOL

:eyes:

[helleborient]

33. Kerry is the cover story on USA Today...

That Dean-dominated media is being so nasty to him....

Actually it's a good day for Democrats in the paper - full page moveon.org ad of Gore's recent speech, and a big profile of Carol Mosley Braun.

I'm just wondering when the Kerry comeback starts...3rd in Iowa, 2nd in NH, 2nd in MA, and 4th or 5th nationally....

[paulk]

34. Don't forget

on Nov 2nd, 1991, Bill Clinton was polling at 6% in New Hampshire, tied for last.

This thing is just starting, and Kerry finally seems to be getting it together.