Media attempts to portray Kerry as unlikable to avoid admitting he's right about Iraq

[ProSense]

Kerry was never liked! People voted for him, but didn't like him! :sarcasm:

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International.
Oct. 14-15, 2004. N=1,004 registered voters nationwide. MoE ± 4.

"Next, please tell me if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the
following people in politics. If I mention someone you had never heard of before
this interview, just tell me. What about John Kerry? Do you have a favorable or
unfavorable opinion of him?" Feb. 2004 and earlier, question ends with: ". . .
or had you never heard of him before this interview?"

......................Favorable....Unfavorable....Never Heard Of....Unsure
% % % %
10/14-15/04.........51..............44...................-...................5
9/30 - 10/2/04......52..............40...................-...................8
9/9-10/04............48..............44...................1...................7
9/2-3/04..............45..............46...................0...................9
7/29-30/04...........53..............37...................2...................8
7/8-9/04..............52..............36...................3...................9
5/13-14/04...........47..............36...................3.................14
4/8-9/04..............51..............34...................3.................12
3/25-26/04...........51..............35...................2.................12
3/18-19/04...........51..............36...................3.................10
2/19-20/04...........56..............27...................5.................12
1/29-30/04...........57..............24...................5.................14
1/22-23/04...........54..............25...................8.................13
12/11-12/03.........33..............34..................16.................17

Among Democrats/Leaners only:
2/19-20/04...........85...............5....................3..................7
1/29-30/04...........82...............7....................4..................7
1/22-23/04...........74...............7....................8................11
1/8-9/04..............53..............16..................15................16
12/11-12/03.........50..............20..................16................14
9/03....................52.............12...................23................13

Check out dates coinciding with the convention (end of July, 53% to 37%), Swift Liars smear month (August 45% to 46%), and months after (September and October 52% to 40%). Dragged down by Repubs, no doubt! Also check out Dems leaners. Wow, 85%!

Gallup Poll. July 25-28, 2005. N=1,010 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

"We'd like to get your overall opinion of some people in the news. As I read
each name, please say if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of these
people -- or if you have never heard of them. How about John Kerry?"
1/2-5/04 and earlier: "Massachusetts Senator John Kerry"

.....................Favorable...Unfavorable...Never Heard Of...Unsure

7/25-28/05............42............48............3......................7
10/29-31/05..........52............43 ............-......................5
9/13-15/04............51............44............-......................5
9/3-5/04...............53............43............-......................4
8/23-25/04............52............40............1......................7
7/30 - 8/1/04.........57............37............1......................5
7/19-21/04.............55............37...........2......................6
7/8-11/04..............56............34............2......................8
7/6/04
reg. voters ...........50 ............41 ...........1......................8
6/21-23/04...........58............35.............2.......................5
4/16-18/04...........54............37.............3.......................6
3/26-28/04...........53............36.............3.......................8
2/16-17/04...........60............26.............4.....................10
1/29 - 2/1/04........61............23.............6.....................10
1/2-5/04..............31............32............19.....................18
11/03..................31............24............26.....................19
12/02..................31............13............32.....................24
2/99...................30............9..............39.....................22

http://www.pollingreport.com/k.htm

Now check out the Dem trend for some of the other candidates in the QuinniPUB poll:

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1295.xml?ReleaseID=990


I think it's pretty evident the Republicans/GOP media are spending all their energy and money smearing the candidate least likely to pose a threat -- the candidate who Giuliani and McCain can beat hands down! (Do I really need to use the sarcasm graphic?)


The Iraq factor: how can the media admit Kerry was right? Look at the mealy mouthed call for withdrawal Joe Klein issued. They've all invested so much in trying to marginalize Kerry and his position on Iraq, even going so far as to denounce his characterization of the country as being in a civil war. The procrastinators can't admit it, that would give Kerry an edge. The Republicans can't admit it, that would give Kerry and the Democrats an edge. Not a guarantee, but an edge. The media, well, they've been shamed into responding with ridiculous and silly headlines. The American Legion is demanding Rangel apologize for insulting the troops. It's not the kind of thing that the media pays attention to, but this is: Kerry botched joke, can he recover!

Silly season.

Well, NBC now admits Iraq is in a civil war. Except that the reporters on the ground are saying the situation is now anarchy, moving from 6,000 plus deaths in May and June to more than 7,500 in September and October. The WH's official line that 30,000-40,000 Iraqis have been killed was dashed by a new report that 150,000 have been killed, that they know of. The Lancet Study's 650,000 is probably more accurate.

Kerry gets it. It's still about Iraq, but the media simply can't admit he's been right all along!

[WI_DEM]

1. well, to be honest, many people vote for somebody they don't

necessarily like but think might be a good or better president than his opponent. The classic case in point is Nixon.

[blm]

2. To be more brutally honest, many people LIKE personable Democrats who helped

BushInc at crucial points throughout the 90s cover up his crimes of office. Even allowing a Bush2 administration to regain power and dismantle almost every good thing that was accomplished and for which the likable Dem was given much credit for - all good dismantled or destroyed within the first term of Bush2 while the evil crimes were STILL covered up.

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/111106.html

[WI_DEM]

4. Hmm, Bill Clinton?

[blm]

8. Well, want to guess how many American Idol voters would LIKE Carrie Underwood

over Patsy Cline? Carrie's a very good, appealing singer but her actual achievements are all on the accessible surface, but many have not even been exposed to the significant and HISTORIC contributions of Patsy Cline.

[Phredicles]

3. It would have been nice if Kerry could have clearly articulated how

he "got it" regarding Iraq in 2004, wouldn't it?

[blm]

6. Iraq hadn't had its first vote yet - no oe was going to tell Iraq they didn't trust them to vote

first. Kerry's first withdrawal plan came AFTER the Iraqis had two elections and were poised for a third. The second came in the spring and dealt with the REALITY that Iraq was IN civil war.

The point is that media dumped on Kerry's withdrawal plans when civil war first became apparent and are avoiding any reference to Murtha, Kerry and Feingold's withdrawal plans even now as they are ADMITTING that Iraq is in civil war.

[warrens]

5. Scarborough nearly choked admitting that Kerry was prescient last night

Pretty amusing. But Scarborough is on a rant about the war, and finally had to admit that Kerry had it absolutely right in 04. And before.

[blm]

7. I didn't see that but remember when George Will said that Kerry was right all along

about how best to deal with the terror issue. He even said it in a follow up column he wrote - thought I was dreaming for a minute.

Could these simple truths be another reason for the petty stepped up attacks on Kerry now?

[SoCalDem]

9. Look.. Millions of people vote for the DEMOCRATIC candidate

whoever that happens to be. Last time it was Kerry..the time before that it was Gore.

We have to deal with the media as it is, no matter how much we wish it were different.

They are gonna trash ANY democrat who runs because democrats "threaten" their little fiefdoms.

Kerry came across the way he is. He's a nice guy, a smart guy, a gentleman...but he's got no "pizzazz", he's not a "tv guy"..

He's not "snappy" and "fast on his feet".

I hate to say this but he reminds me of the Bob Dole run.. It was his "turn", so he was the candidate.

Without all the computer shenanigans, he would have won and he'd be president, as would have Gore, but we have the perfect storm here, folks.. We have a "decisive media" AND a "quirky" election system.

From here on out, we'll never really "know" who won, or why they won... not for sure.

One more thing..

Long-serving senators have a terrible track-record for becoming president. They have TOO MUCH "on the record" stuff that can be twisted and used against them, and they have had to make too many votes that are hard to explain in 15 seconds.

My advice to someone who wants to run for president would be to serve no more than ONE term as senator, keep a low profile while there, and watch how you vote.

After that term, write books and go on the lecture circuit, get a radio/tv gig and don't divorce your wife or go picking up teenagers..

[ProSense]

11. This has nothing to do with voting! n/t

[SoCalDem]

12. We have but one candidate (dem) to choose from

we are NOT going to not vote for him because we "don't like him/her". But just because they get a lot of votes, also does not mean we LIKE/LOVE them.. so yes it IS about voting.. Voting is how they BECOME congressman/ senator/ president.

As much as we decry the practice, "favorability polls" DO figure into who becomes the candidate.

:hi:

[ProSense]

13. Huh? n/t

[LittleClarkie]

14. Except that they're ever changing and near useless this far away from the election

Lieberman was a frontrunner at this point last time. Tells you something, don't it.

[Cha]

10. That's right~~!

"IT'S THE MEDIA, STUPID!!"

Look at how much Trouble they've gotten our country into SO FAR!

[Eurobabe]

15. Guess you missed Donna Brazile on Sunday CNN

Wolf Blitzer when they showed the stats, was this election: support for Democrats or a referendum on Bush, 65% voted against Bush, NOT for the Democrats per se. Only something like 16% voted FOR the Democrats.

That being said, I'll say it again...Kerry got the vote because he was ANYBODY BUT BUSH. The Anti-Bush.

[ProSense]

16. Even during the primaries? So only "16% voted FOR Democrat"? Right! n/t

[Eurobabe]

17. Prosense, your optometrist called,: you need to change your rose colored glasses.

[ProSense]

18. Glasses? The OP contains favorability polls dating back to the primaries

and you post about so-called ABB voting during the 2004 election and the current election and you think I need glasses? Here, put this to use:

[blm]

19. When there is a sitting president, it usually is. The sad part is that so many

Dems new to activism knew more about defending Clinton for having a girlfriend than that the current Dem nominee was the Democrat who investigated and exposed more government corruption than any lawmaker in modern history. Or that he was instrumental in helping to end 3 wars. Or that he was the first lawmaker to track and close down terrorist banking networks and that he wrote a book warning about terror networks and their funding years before 9-11.

What a wonderful media this country has. What a wonderful DNC the Dems had when their spokespeople were only schooled in defending Clinton for so many years and knew little about any other Democrat.