What is the best issue against Bush?

[usscole]

There are so many issues to choose from, but a really good campaign has one main theme. For Clinton, it was "the economy, stupid." However, by 1992 the Gulf War and the Cold War were over, so Clinton had no trouble settling on his issue. Obviously, Bush is very vulnerable on foreign policy, but if Kerry makes that the theme of his campaign and some unforeseen event happens between now and the election (either good or bad, e.g., catching Osama vs. terrorist attack), defeat becomes more possible. However, if Kerry settles on the economy as an issue, he runs an equally dangerous risk because the economics news is not all bad (although its largely bad, and the jobs numbers in particular seem unlikely to turn around). My fear is not so much that Kerry will pick the wrong issue, but that he will fail to pick any issue. I guess my caveat to all of this is that I think that Kerry can wait 2 to 3 months to figure this out.

Please offer your thoughts on the best issue for Kerry.

[Redleg]

1. He's a lying sack of shit.

He deceived us to get us to go to war with Iraq and thereby diverted important resources from the mission to destroy Al Quaida.

[ezee]

5. DITTO

Ditto

[usscole]

20. I dissent in part

As you can tell from my posts, I am relatively new here. My hope is to find a forum for a real, constructive debate of the Democratic Party's agenda. By summer, we are going to have to agree on an agenda, so if we want to influence it we better start now.

[proud patriot]

2. He's a Weak Leader who appeases Terrorists putting Americans at Risk

that is his weak issue .

that and the Constitution

[adjwilli]

3. War, Economy, Corporate Scandal, Deficits?

There are almost way too many to choose from. Why not just choose Bush's general ineptness? There is clear evidence he's lied worse than Clinton. The economy only looks good on paper, but real life finances are hurting for more and more people each day. Almost everyone - Republicans, Democrats, and Bush himself - thinks he's a idiot. I'm overwhelmed There's too much.

[usscole]

6. My concern exactly

Will Kerry be overwhelmed? He has to package the message, and it has to be sharp.

[phaseolus]

7. Bad leadership. For sale to highest bidder. Beholden to ...

...enron-type crooks, and our homegrown would-be taliban.

[thebigidea]

4. so what's your thought? What issue are we allowed to criticize Bush on?

If he's great on the economy, and great on foreign policy - uh, why bother supporting Kerry?

[usscole]

9. make an argument

The point here should be to debate ideas. You offer nothing but cute cuts.

[thebigidea]

10. well, what's your take? Surely you have an opinion.

What do we go after Bush on?

[usscole]

13. 2 themes, 1 foreign and 1 domestic

1. Foreign. A proposal to somehow remake the United Nations as an effective institution, and a commitment to rejoin that remade UN and to involve it in the future battle against terrorism.

2. Domestic. I think that jobs is going to be the issue in the key industrial states that will decide the election.

[thebigidea]

14. the UN might be more effective had we listened to it

[Redleg]

8. Kerry should attack Bush on multiple fronts.

I, and other Dems, believe that Bush is weak in many areas.

[usscole]

17. this ignores my question

Kerry's campaign message can't be "Bush is weak in many areas."

[thebigidea]

18. are you saying you should limit all of his critique over the campaign...

... to a single issue and never deviate from it?

Everything Bush touched turned to shit - you can attack him on basically anything.

[usscole]

21. this is the problem

The grass-roots, while powerful, is not as powerful as it could be because it often denies political reality.

[thebigidea]

22. I suppose you're the only one who can see this political reality...

well, where can I buy some? At my local drugstore? K-mart?

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

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

[thebigidea]

25. whereas your musings have brought enlightenment at long last...

... to untold thousands.

I look forward to future thoughts being provoked in such a way.

[Redleg]

19. Why not- as long as Kerry can explain that Bush is...

... an across-the-board failure.

[kera]

11. he can always run on Israel , he has already

written a poem on this subject, his election will make no doubt
think about it

although I think that although he got some progressive philosophy leftover from the 70s, I don't think he stands anywhere, when you want to satisfy what you think is the mainstream, you get no vision necessary for a change, * at leat has one, very strong one, bring death and destruction in the four corners of the world ,

[pacifictiger]

12. I bet

Al Sharpton could come up with a great one-liner. Even Clinton the other night thanked him for coming up with material he could use.

[Dr Fate]

15. Honesty, jobs, defense.

n/t

[DieboldMustDie]

16. He was responsible for the worst national security failure...

in American history. :evilfrown:

[usscole]

26. Wrong

This is a complete loser theme. Bush had been in office for only 8 months before 9/11, and al Qaeda had hit the African embassies and the USS Cole during the Clinton years. A campaign built around Bush being responsible for 9/11 would be to forfeit the election. No one in the US government is personally "responsible" for the attacks, but each is responsible for their response to the attacks (as well as the attacks during the Clinton years). Democrats need to focus on what we do now (a great argument for Democrats), not who is to blame for 9/11 (a loser argument for everyone).

[rasputin1952]

24. Give me one honest example of anything that bush has done...

that has been successful.

Sadaam's capture doesn't count btw; bush neither captured him, nor even found him. Iraqi's were bribed to give him up.

I challenge anyone to come with one thing that bush can cite as an example of success.

:)

[usscole]

27. A campaign theme: WHAT HAS BUSH DONE?

[BillZBubb]

28. Welcome to DU usscole!

Your post mirrors a lot of my thinking. This is not an easy topic. A lot of the other posters (no offense guys and gals!) didn't give me the impression that they are thinking this through enough. Of course none of us will ultimately decide how Kerry runs his campaign, but still we all need to be concerned.

Is this election about motivating the base, or is it about the independent, swing voters? That drives the correct strategy. I think the base is pumped--most real Dems will vote against Bush* no matter what. In that case, Kerry needs to concentrate on the swing votes.

Therefore, like you I see foreign policy and the overall economy as dangerous ground. Not because Chimpy has anything to brag about. The public, for some inexplicable reason perceives him as a strong leader and much better on terror. If Kerry pounds against that irrational support he may just be wasting effort. Plus the capture of OBL will boost him in that area and will negate a lot of Kerry effort. He can't surrender the issue but must wait for targets of opportunity. I would also suggest he start talking often about what happens after OBL is killed or captured, as if that's a done deal. Add to that the fact that the chance of being killed in a terrorist attack in the US is much less than the chance of being hit by lightning.

The economy will be doing OK at election time and will show some gradual improvement until then. Maybe the job market will tick up a bit as well. Not great performance, but not bad enough to get an incumbent kicked out. That's going to make Kerry's economic message a tough sell. He needs to address it in an easy to understand way. I tell people the growth we are seeing is phony. It's like a careless kid with a new credit card. He spends and spends off the card and his standard of living is doing really well and he's happy--until the bills start coming in. That's the Bush economy. When the bills for his deficit spending come due it won't be pretty.

Kerry does need to go with the flow on some of the 9-11 related issues. Clarke, the commission, Joe Wilson--let that play out and take advantage when possible. Use this to point out Bush's dishonesty and lack of character.

Here are the issues Kerry should focus on:
Opportunity--Job creation and growth
Social Security/Medicare
Deficits/Bush tax cuts for wealthy
Terrorism/Defense/Foreign Policy
Health care
Education
Environment
Honesty/Character

[bain_sidhe]

29. My pick - Cronyism

Or, the long version, enriching his "buddies" at the expense of Americans, and especially American taxpayers. Not only is it a visceral issue of "he's robbing ME, damn it" but it's an entry point into discussing a number of things that Americans might find distasteful enough to either vote for Kerry or not vote for Bush. Not just Halliburton, Bechtel and others with their war/reconstruction profiteering, but also the medicare "reform" give-away to Pharm & Ins. Companies, refusing to clamp down on corporate financial misconduct like Enron, letting (encouraging) companies to incorporate in post office boxes in the Cayman Islands to avoid paying taxes, etc, etc, etc.

"Cronyism" brings all this together under one thematic umbrella.

Alternatively "Abuse of Power" might work, but that's (I think) more vulnerable to spin and obfuscation.

My two cents.

**edited for typos**

[Redleg]

30. usscole seems to imply that we are not to attack Bush

but must rather define how we Dems are going to improve things. Although I agree we need to explain our agenda for making this country better, we also need to slam Bush for his misdeeds. We can do both and we should do both. I wonder about usscole's game (and his nickname).