Well, the lousy Quinpac poll story is gaining legs in the MSM. Surprise, surprise.

[wisteria]

I am sorry, I had to vent here.This is outrageously unfair and just plain unscrupulous to be treating him this way. I am beginning to think it was put to him that he shouldn't run and he refused to go along- so this is the result. This is no longer just the Repubs, it is our own party, and that really stinks. At this moment I do not even want to call myself a Democrat. At least not the kind that would do this to silence one of their own. Despicable absolutely despicable. What is next on their agenda if this fails to work. I shutter to think.

[beachmom]

1. Yep. If you google him there are a million articles

But once again, it's overkill. It's ONE FREAKING poll being way overdone. They're showing their hands. And BLM stated the obvious on the GD-P thread. They've figured out that he will chair Net Neutrality as well as small business which will look into corpmedia monopolies. It started with not wanting him for '08; now they're going in for the kill. Well, F*** them all. The more they attack him the stronger my support for him will grow -- that's probably true for all of his supporters. They've crossed the line and this is war.

[Firespirit]

2. They are on borrowed time.

They are kicking him right now because it's downtime and few people are still interested in reading political stories. If he made a huge fuss about this stupid poll, it would probably hurt him, and they know it. Think about it -- if he raised hell about a bullshit "likeability poll" with bad methodology, it'd give them precisely the storyline they are after. Would that type of politician, one who railed against polls on TV, appeal to Joe and Jane American? I highly doubt it. This is what the media want to happen.

They are baiting him to hit back against this non-story, because then they would have the real story that they're after. The joke did not take him out, and they realize it, so they're using this for all it's worth -- a story that he can't respond to in a very big way or else he'd come off either conceited or obnoxiously aggressive.

They still think that they can change his mind, I guess, if they beat on him while he can't really come out with guns blazing. They know that once the new Congress goes into session, and once 2008 gets started in earnest, he won't let any of their bullshit slide. This is their last chance to attempt to tear him apart. In their sheer arrogance, they think that they will succeed at it and he will hide in a corner somewhere. They are WRONG.

Not only will they not be a factor in his future plans, but he will have his revenge against the sleazebag, arrogant, elitist, smirky, war crime enabling, corporatism enabling circus freak show that we call the "media." John Kerry intends to get shit DONE in this Congress for as long as he remains there. I have a strong suspicion that the freak show is on his list.

[blm]

3. Remind him of this - we know why corpmedia wants him stopped.

Kerry Seeks to Reverse FCC's "Wrongheaded Vote"

Commission Decision May Violate Laws Protecting Small Businesses; Kerry to File Resolution of Disapproval

Monday, June 2, 2003

WASHINGTON - Senator John Kerry today announced plans to file a "Resolution of Disapproval" as a means to overturn today's decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to raise media ownership caps and loosen various media cross-ownership rules.
Kerry will soon introduce the resolution seeking to reverse this action under the Congressional Review Act and Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act on the grounds that the decision may violate the laws intended to protect America's small businesses and allow them an opportunity to compete.

As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Kerry expressed concern that the FCC's decision will hurt localism, reduce diversity, and will allow media monopolies to flourish. This raises significant concerns about the potential negative impacts the decision will have on small businesses and their ability to compete in today's media marketplace.

In a statement released earlier today regarding the FCC's decision, Kerry said:

"Nothing is more important in a democracy than public access to debates and information, which lift up our discourse and give Americans an opportunity to make honest informed choices. Today's wrongheaded vote by the Republican members of the FCC to loosen media ownership rules shows a dangerous indifference to the consolidation of power in the hands of a few large entities rather than promoting diversity and independence at the local level. The FCC should do more than rubber stamp the business plans of narrow economic interests.

"Today's vote is a complete dereliction of duty. The Commissioners are well aware that these rules greatly influence the competitive structure of the industry and protect the public's access to multiple sources of information and media. It is the Commission's responsibility to ensure that the rules serve our national goals of diversity, competition, and localism in media. With today's vote, they shirked that responsibility and have dismissed any serious discussion about the impact of media consolidation on our own democracy."

[wisteria]

4. Patience then, all good things come to those who wait it out? n/t

[Firespirit]

6. Don't misunderstand me

He isn't going to stay quiet for too much longer. It's just that right now, the senate is not in session (even a lame duck session) and this is the type of story that has to run its course. If he came out swinging against this, and made a public spectacle about it, it would not be good. It's just the wrong time of the presidential cycle to do it, when he's not even an announced candidate and not even a month after the midterm election. News cycles move quickly enough that something like this doesn't have more than about a 2 day shelf life, and unlike the joke, it's completely forgettable because it is so intrinsically boring.

The John Kerry we know and love will be back soon enough.

[wisteria]

10. Good. n/t

[blm]

11. I don't want Kerry out on this anyway - I think honest media should be

because the CROOKED media is so blatant.

MediaMatters needs a heads up laying it all out - the timing, the motivation against Kerry and the blatant attacks that did NOT happen in a vacuum.

[dwahzon]

7. I want to add

that David Wade had it right in this response in the Reuters article:

David Wade, a Kerry spokesman, dismissed the value of such polls and noted the senator's comeback to capture his party's 2004 presidential nomination.

"A lot of pundits and prognosticators have lost a lot of dough pronouncing John Kerry politically dead," Wade said.

In an email exchange with Dick about the poll and the coverage, he pointed out:

The mainstream media filter against JK positive news is ferocious.

Whenever people get their heads down about JK and polls, I remember back to the beginning of November, 2003. In national polls, JK was down at around 2%, and for the first time, JK was polling behind Al Sharpton. Dark days down in the basement with the internet team. But the team in Iowa and the blogger Mark from Iowa kept sending in reports that things were going well there, and to just keep our heads down.

Spinning negative polls is a difficult task, but it's useful to remember that ultimately its the voters and not the poll spinners who get to choose. Politics would be a pretty uninteresting business if candidates actually believed polls and acted accordingly. When's the last time you heard a politician say, Oh no, I'm behind in the latest poll, the voters like my opponent better, the race is over, I'm pulling out today?

[karynnj]

9. Not to mention that he's always had the very same answer on polls

He gave it again on the Fox interval - in 2004 they were absolutely wrong. What I don't get is why is Quinippeac either so incompetent or so unscupulous. The value of any pollster or statistician is relative to how accurate you are. You mentioned that they did a poor job in CT. I know they were completely off in NJ on Kerry/Bush; Corzine/Forrester; and Menendez/Kean. In all cases the errors were large and in each case they had the Republican way too high. The worst was showing the Corzine race begoming neck and neck in the weekend before the election - which Corzine won by 12 points.

If this really is an organized attack, it shows the Democrats have as little on him as the Republicans do. If you think of the last month and a half, this is the third attack - only one of which involved anything Kerry actually did.
HeyJohn - was a swiftboat hitting a known Kerry strength. He had contributed a lot - but more importantly he through his emails motivated people to get involved. I have no idea how many people this affected, but I'm one. The loss, the concession speech and the plea to stay involved jolted me out of complacency. Others here have said the same thing. To me, this suggests that the hardcore Kerry people the percent he never loses likely include an unusually high percent of very loyal people who have become active. Not a bad thing as your core support. The goal was to prevent Kerry from getting any credit - which is clearer as you see it happening to Dean.

The joke - that was unfortunate but it should have been a non-story. He read a joke written for him wrong - his history with the military is 40 f'ing years long. The main thing this shows is the MSM will gleefully swiftboat him.

This poll means nothing and as it likely won't affect any die heart Kerry people. It also leaves an oppening for Kerry to be the COMEBACK KID! They have him so down that even a 10% like he's had for months - placing him tied for third would be momentum.

(I wonder if Clark's and Gore's reluctance to run could be concern that the Clintons will insure they are treated that way.) It doesn't seem a likely way to make Kerry quit - they need to consider how tenacious he was on the Contras and BCCI.

[rox63]

5. Check this out

And give it the approriate love:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2990431&mesg_id=2990431

[dwahzon]

8. Thanks

for pointing that post out.

[benny05]

12. I don't get it myself

I saw this earlier, and I thought, how could some pols be so way ahead instead of Kerry or even Clark (not on the list). I confess I'm not a HRC fan, because she refuses to say when she may be wrong on a vote, because she thinks it makes her look weak. Maybe with Rethugs she could be right. But I admired Kerry and Edwards for saying they were wrong on their votes. To me, it's easier to forgive leaders when they mean what they say and in this case, making a mistake.

:shrug:

[sandnsea]

13. Wolfie just brought up the windsurfing pictures

And there's Begala - bobbling his head. I had to turn the shit off.

I'll say it again - *I* have windsurfed and *I'M* no elitist. Extreme sports are NORMAL out here.

Fishing? Now that is BOR-ING.

Aaargh!!!

[rox63]

14. That fucking does it!

I just turned off Countdown out of disgust, after what Jonathan Alter said about JK's showing in this poll. He declared JK's presidential prospects permanently dead, and said "it's really sad" how far he's fallen. In the same segment he also says how ridiculous it is that Guiliani came in at #1, and how Obama won't stay riding as high as he is for too long, because he's too much of a blank slate right now.

Which is it, pundits - Is the poll full of shit, or is it some sort of fucking gospel?
I hate these people, I truly hate them! :mad: :grr: :nuke:

[wisteria]

15. I was watching it myself and had the same thoughts. ridiculous

for Guillani but accurate for Kerry. I think I will write Alter and mention the discrepancy to him.

[Island Blue]

16. There's a great big fucking pile-on party in GD

discussing this. I guess it's a good thing there are television pundits to tell people what they think - lord knows they sure as hell can't think on their own.

[ProSense]

18. Strange:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2820807&mesg_id=2820946

[MH1]

19. There's an ok diary at dailykos

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/28/112659/61

I disagree with the headline and some of the diary, but it seems well-intended and is more making a point about how effed up this is.

What is interesting is some of the comments. The first commenter, I don't recall thinking of as a JK fan. And there's a couple others I didn't notice before.

It may or may not be significant in the overall scheme of things, but a lot of people are starting to see how the mainstream media and the insider dems have it in for Kerry. Those who think he's a straight shooter with positions they like, are getting a little pissed about that, I think. A tipping point may have been passed for some of these folks.

[politicasista]

17. It made "Today's picks" on the MSN homepage

I hate the media. I hate that everyone is attacking a good dem while promoting/building up other candidates. I hate everything right now. :grr:

[Firespirit]

20. Schadenfreude is my new friend

I will LOVE to see these empty suits after the egg is all over their faces. I will take sweet delight in their squirmy discomfort as they hammer and mumble to try to explain why the unwashed plebes didn't follow their marching orders. They are beyond useless.

It is such a rarity when the pundits' political predictions are correct, and those are only the ones that fall into the category "stating the bleeding obvious," such as "the GOP will lose the House." Of their other predictions, they are bound to have at least a 70% failure rate. They are false prophets, one might say. Astonishing how they can keep their jobs.

They completely ignore two pertinent facts: Kerry has the most loyal base of anyone out there, and when people meet him, they love him despite the media slurs. There is not one thing the media can do to prevent him meeting people in Iowa and elsewhere, and those people don't take direction from the corporate media. If they even remember this nastiness after JK meets them (which isn't a sure thing -- politics is ADHD), they'll just wonder why the media had it in for him so bad and how they could have been so wrong about him. The field is ripe for an outsider anti-establishment candidate to take it by storm, and JK is -- painfully, yes, but the process is inherently painful -- being set up ideally for it.

I stand by what I said earlier: They are pushing this because it's their last chance to attack him in a way that he can't really respond to. After the new Congress is sworn in, and after the 2008 season begins for real as opposed to this idiotic puffery and prophesying that's going on now, they won't be able to get away with it because he will call it out.

That said, JK's set to be on Larry King tomorrow (later today, technically). If this bullshit gets brought up, his response should be good. I would imagine it would be similar to what he told Wallace on the Fox interview. Keep an eye out!

[karynnj]

21. The new Congress should make a difference

especially with Biden saying he wants 6 weeks of hearings on Iraq. I realize the media will pick the comments to highlight - but from all past SFRC things, the obvious star is NOT Biden or Obama for that matter. It will be interesting to see how Biden controls this when there are so many people wko may run in 2008. (It will be interesting to see how Obama does.)

[ProSense]

26. Agree! Here's a small business item:

SBA Seeks to Prevent Corporations from Landing Small-Business Contracts

By: Angus Loten

Democrats call the agency's new regulations inadequate and vow tough oversight hearings next year.

Among the many challenges facing the Small Business Administration in the coming year, topping the list are "procurement flaws" that allow large companies to obtain federal contracts set aside for small businesses, according to a recent report by the agency's Inspector General.

The report, dated Oct. 16, covers the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 and cites progress made in other SBA programs and operations. Earlier this month, the agency unveiled tougher regulations aimed at preventing contract miscoding.

The new regulations, which take effect next June, will require small-business contractors to re-certify their size every five years of a federal contract -- some of which can span 20 or more years -- and whenever a contract option is exercised. SBA Administrator Steve Preston, who has called fixing miscoded contracts a top priority, said the regulations were a "win-win situation for everyone."

Snip....

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the incoming chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship has called the agency's new regulations inadequate.

"If there's a way to guarantee no abuse, that's our concern," Kerry said in a conference call with reporters on Nov. 16. "I know five years is too broad for that."

He vowed to launch "aggressive" oversight hearings when Congress reconvenes next year to ensure contracts are ending up in the right hand.

more...

[wisteria]

28. Good, aggressive over site is long overdue. Corps should be

called out and held accountable ($$$$) for taking advantage of funds earmarked for small and up and coming business'. It is just plain wrong for this money to be used as it has been, it works against the very premise of competition and growth in our economy.

[beachmom]

22. Thanks for the heads up (about Larry King)

I think you are articulating what I was getting a sense of yesterday. There is a bit of honor in being DEAD LAST in a rw biased poll and having the media pile on you. Suddenly, you're an American that people can relate to. You're not ONE OF THEM. You don't play their games or follow their rules. Painful as it is, he is indeed being set up as the outsider candidate.

[ProSense]

23. I need to save this

link:

http://news.bostonherald.com/columnists/view.bg?articleid=169570&srvc=home

This asshole deserves a special letter.

[beachmom]

24. Hey -- Winston Churchill in the '30s!! I like the sound of that.

'Cause you know who became Prime Minister when shit hit the fan, and he saved the UK from Nazi agression?

The whole article was terrible until that line. Why Winston Churchill? Classic. Is he sending code or what?

[ProSense]

25. That's because

assholes typically don't know what they're talking about! I noticed that too! Makes you wonder doesn't it?

[beachmom]

27. Come on -- EVERYBODY knows Winston Churchill was the great

leader during WWII. I really think that guy was doing his Boston Herald duty, and put that in there as an "insult" knowing full well it was a signal that just because JK is down doesn't mean he's out. That he can yet acquire another political life and begin anew. I swear -- there's no doubt that's what he was saying. All the rest was just show so he could earn his salary.

John Kerry is like Winston Churchill. Hey he could do a lot worse.

[wisteria]

30. Yes, it was a rather auspicious comparison. Winston Churchill isn't too shabby.

Weren't Repubs trying to compare Bush at one point to Churchill?

[wisteria]

29. He is a chickensh*t, he doesn't even provide his e-mail.

He does deserve a letter though. I think we need to save it and make him eat his words when Kerry proves him wrong. He may be laughing now, but Kerry will have the last one.

[ginnyinWI]

32. I gave it a low rating.

What a piece of garbage. That is not the JK I know, that's how this jerk would feel if he were in the same place. Argh. Well I hope they all have a good laugh while they can, because he's not through yet.

[MBS]

31. as usual, The Premise has sensible things to say about this

See
http://thepremise.com/archives/11/28/2006/734
-----------
FIRST PARAGRAPH:
It’s a measure of how little there is to talk about right now that a Quinnipiac poll professing to gauge the relative appeal of a variety of declared and undeclared 2008 presidential candidates is actually getting significant play in Blogtown and on TV. It’s also a measure of how many hours of programming and posting there are to fill.
. . . .
CONCLUSIONI understand why polls are intriguing. We all want a crystal ball. There are a lot of people out there pretending to have one, and a lot of people talking about what the people with the crystal balls say they see when they gaze at the future.

The only problem is, there is no crystal ball.
___________

Entire article at http://thepremise.com/archives/11/28/2006/734
My apologies for repeat if someone else already posted this. Couldn't find it first time through, so. .

[jillan]

33. I am going to say one thing about this

and please don't flame me because you know I am support John Kerry 100%

but....
There is one thing I wish Sen Kerry would do.
And that is to lighten up! When he was on FNS last week, I wish he would have laughed at himself by making some joke about his jokes...or something along those lines. Instead he came off as way too serious. Almost desperate to prove that he supports the troops.
Chris Wallace, the scumbag, actually did Kerry a favor. He gave him his first chance to get out in public since 'the joke'. Same thing with Larry King tonite. King was giving Kerry a chance to win people back.
Just like the 87 billion and the flip-flopping, this is not going to go away, no matter how much we wish it would, no matter how many op's we fight back on.

We've all been in that situation where we had to eat crow, where we did something to piss people off when we didn't mean to. Personally, when I am in that situation, I try to laugh louder at myself than everyone else is, especially the people that are laughing at me behind my back. Thankfully, I never have had to eat crow in front of the whole nation!

I just wish Kerry would let the public see his soft side, his humanity, and not come off so serious all of the time. I think people know he's smart and fighting for what's right. Now he should concentrate on being himself and let the public get to know him and what a great guy he really is.

[politicasista]

34. interesting idea n/t

[wisteria]

35. I thought about him being self mocking myself, but then I had this

thought, that the media would see him laughing at about flubbing the joke and accuse him of laughing it all off now. I personally decided that it was better to be humble and serious about how the comments may have hurt the troops. I do agree, though, he could relax a little bit, but then again, he knows that whatever he says is being listened to.He was starting to do this, remember the Bill Mayer show? He was great on that. But, even that created talk on the Hanni ty show. Hanni ty the a**hole, was claiming Kerry wanted to take out Bush and it wasn't very presidential or politically correct to suggest such a thing.

[politicasista]

36. I liked the fact that he was very humble about it

even while the others were harsh, mean, and cold about the incident.

[karynnj]

39. I had the same reaction as you

Even the very first comments, the beginning of which Larry King played - where the words were tough, but the demeanor was 100% serious and sincere had elements of that tone. Yesterday when it was replayed along with McCain's, Hillary's and Bush's it seemed to me that if people were neutral - he was the most likable.

McCain was pasty and swarmy. Hillary cold, stern and unforgiving - over a man forgetting a word. The President looked like a demogogue - and as Kerry explained his record and opinion is well known and it was politics.

[jillan]

37. I dunno

It's so ridiculous how Kerry keeps getting beat up.
I know why they're doing it... Kerry is the one candidate they can't beat, but it almost seems like people have cameras on him 24/7 just waiting for him to screw up.

Pelosi is going thru the same thing.

I just would like to see him loosen up a little. Make everyone see what we see.

[wisteria]

38. Oh, I agree, a little loser at the right time would be good. n/t

[ProSense]

41. I think he should be himself!

This is silly season, and it was RW and media created. Anyone upset by it is upset because of the distortion, not anything Kerry did. So he should adjust his personality because they tried to smear him? If the smear and media frenzy hadn't occurred, this dicussion wouldn't be taking place.

[beachmom]

40. Unfortunately, it's not that simple

There WERE soldiers stationed here in my area and families of soldiers in Iraq who were very upset. You just can't laugh that off. Sen. Kerry is naturally a very serious person -- I realize when he's among friends he has a lighter side, but part of "being himself" is to be very serious in matters of war and our troops. That's why the joke thing was such an aberration for the person he is. It came out wrong and sounded bad. And he needs to continue to say that he made a mistake and then to be self deprecating which he was last night. He said "I would have voted myself last" when talking about the poll. I think that's the best thing he said on the show. He was saying, I'm going to take a BIG BITE of humble pie because I deserve it. I'm still waiting for our president to do that.

Kerry, like many New Englanders (I grew up there), is somebody that you need to get to know -- if people take the time to do that, they don't just like him, they love him. But people who aren't that dedicated in doing the research don't really like him that much; many, however, do respect him. This joke thing really hurt him with these people. I think only time and doing good work in the Senate is going to begin to mend those wounds. We have to accept that, as does he. A couple of appearances on TV are not going to repair the damage overnight. But in time, his reputation will return, that I am sure of. I do not know if that will happen in time for '08, however. We'll just have to see.

[wisteria]

42. I agree with most of what you said except, I think the appearances will help.

Good works in the Senate that nobody ever hears about will not win the public over.His reputation is still in tact with those inside Washington- they know this was all just politics. This smear stuck because the public knows nothing about his good works. He needs good PR and an all out effort being seen as a major supporter of our troops.
I would even suggest he do David Letterman and Jay Leno and a couple of other talk programs. The public watches these programs and he can be himself, talk about the flub and his support of the troops and maybe even joke about a thing or two other than the flub. These programs are more popular than some of the programs he is doing now.
I don't think he has time to wait it out until the public discovers him, not if he still wants to keep his backing and have a chance in 08.
Political tricks like this last one stick because people don't know much about him. They need to get to know him like we do.

[karynnj]

43. Kerry has actually spoken more of things he already did

as part of defending himself. I think only time will tell how quickly this can be fixed.

I do think it interesting that in the midst of the media and the punditry trying to declare him irrelavent, he and McCain were two of the people the Iraq Study group chose to get information and opinions from. That means someone on that committee credited these 2 men with some competence in this area. They may well have spoken to Senators Reed, Levin and maybe Hagel and Clark- I haven't heard. I seriously doubt though that they wanted to speak to Senators Obama or Clinton or to Al Gore or John Edwards. If this is true it says something - in 2008, these issues of foreign policy and the military will still be significant and people may want a leader who has somme credibility here.

the other thing is relative to the current position it seems they are moving towards Kerry rather than McCain.

[beachmom]

44. No, I think we agree. I said "a couple" of TV appearances

aren't going to help. I'm saying it's going to take his work in the Senate coupled with appearances that highlight that work that will repair the damage. I was saying that a couple of days this week of media appearances will not make it completely go away, but I certainly think he should continue getting out there.

Hope that clarifies what I meant.

[wisteria]

45. Oh, thanks for clarifying it. Correct IMO good works and lots of appearances. n/t