"Kerry Turning Some Iowans Into Believers in His Cause"by David Halbfinger

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/14/politics/campaigns/14KERR.html?pagewanted=print&position=

January 14, 2004

By DAVID M. HALBFINGER

INTON, Iowa, Jan. 13 — He is no firebrand preacher, but more and more Senator John Kerry is seeing audiences that sound like revival meetings.

"Amen! Aaaaamen!" Barry Cheeney, 44, a father of two, screamed when Mr. Kerry promised on Saturday in Davenport never to make American "sons and daughters" fight overseas to defend America's dependence on Mideast oil.

On Wednesday, Mr. Kerry tripped over people on the floor of a packed Veterans of Foreign Wars post. Even Republicans raised their hands and announced conversions on the spot.

<>"I'll be very honest with you," Shirley Cohen of Hollis, N.H., said. "I was a Republican. I changed to become independent two months ago. I was very strongly leading toward another candidate. But you've very thoroughly convinced me tonight."

Other candidates may be talking about religion, but at almost every stop in Iowa, Mr. Kerry is making believers of large numbers of Democrats and others who say they are unimpressed by Howard Dean, unsure of John Edwards's experience and uninspired by Richard A. Gephardt in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

After hearing Mr. Kerry on Monday in Muscatine, Ray and Sharon Kapteina, who caucused for George W. Bush in 2000, said they were re-registering as independents to caucus for Mr. Kerry. "He makes me feel like he's a leader," Mr. Kapteina, 56, a contract analyst, said.

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[KC21304]

1. Way to go John ! Thanks , flpoljunkie .

[David Dunham]

2. Go Kerry Go!

[mouse7]

3. And the skies over Iowa will be filled...

[David Dunham]

4. Get Ready to See Kerry and Your Pigs Fly; Dean's Toast

[NewYorkerfromMass]

5. "Because God's got a plan for you!"

In Dover, N.H., on Thursday, Mr. Kerry, of Massachusetts, was riffing on health care and how he had been cured of cancer. "I had the best health care in the world," he said, setting up his promise to give everyone access to the same health plan that senators enjoy. "Why?"

A woman yelled, "Because God's got a plan for you!" The audience of 500 thundered approval.

I love it. Go John!

[sangh0]

6. "I was a Republican"

Let Dean get the independents. Kerry gets both Dems and Repukes, and he doesn't have to lie about his record or anyone else's.

[mouse7]

7. "he doesn't have to lie about his record" but he does constantly

Kerry flip-flopped on his entire defense policy voting record from the 80... said his votes against weapons systems and nuclear freeze were wrong.

He repeats corporate media lies about his opponents. He lies about his own voting record. He's missed more than half of his votes in this Congress.

He's a mess.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. Kerry's position is not exactly the same as it was in the 80's

and that's a flip-flop?

Persuasive argument.