If Kerry loses his voice in January, How could he beat Bush in Nov??

[Dems Will Win]

Think about it. Clinton didn't lose his voice until much later and he had Hillary to speak for him. Then he got his voice back. Kerry does have Teresa but she's nowhere near the speaker Hillary is.

This really pounds Kerry's electability meme into the ground for me. When his voice cracked at the very first debate, I said to myself (as a professional political consultant) "Wow, I'm for Kerry but this is a disaster? How will he survive the debates and rallies all the way to November and not sound horrible?"

That was one but not the major reason I switched to Dean.

Well Kerry's voice didn't even make it to the Iowa caucus vote!!

THis is a disaster for him as the reason many were voting for him was because of electability. That just flew out the window. This will hurt him if they continue to report his voice problems and they must. It will look even worse still when he can't talk before the NH primary, the SC primary, the NM primary and every primary. The pundits will have a field day! Even worse than a gaffe is no talk at all.

THis is ridiculous! You have to fight and stand up to Bush and be forceful. You can't do that if you sound like you're 100 years old and you're all wheezing and cracking!!

You can't beat Bush and turn on the new voters if you are mute. Voting for Kerry is now the riskiest vote for any Democrat I believe, even though he's a good guy and has good policies. Between him being a semi-Wimpocrat and now going mute, he is now a real danger to the party if nominated.

Think about the Senate and the House too. Dean has a strategy to fight for that, Kerry has none. And with no voice, he won't even be able to drive his own General Election, much less have any coattails.

With Kerry now in danger of knocking himself out of the running and Clark devastated by his testimony before Congress supporting the war, only Edwards, a lawyer with 6 years experience, is the only alternative to Dean. Gephardt could never beat Bush as we know.

If you really need a BUSHECTOMY, call a DOCTOR!

[DoveTurnedHawk]

1. It's Been an Exciting Week for Kerry

He must've been shouting up a storm. Cut him some slack, please. He'll get it back soon enough, and be more careful in the future.

DTH

[bearfartinthewoods]

21. clinton lost his voice too, during the primarys...didn't stop him

[Dems Will Win]

27. Yes but this 2004 and more is at stake here

This will bring Kerry's numbers down in NH if the media and pundits jump on it. He was about to pass Clark but doubt that will happen now.

And Clinton only lost his voice for a few days. If Kerry gains it back I agree it won't matter.

But he obviously has a major problem here for a politician if this continues to take himoff the campaign trail.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

31. Whether Kerry Passes Clark Will Depend Solely on How Kerry Does in Iowa

If he finishes one or two, he will pass Clark. If he finishes three, it will be a wash. If he finishes fourth, he will lose ground to Clark.

Now, whether Kerry will be able to SUSTAIN his momentum if he finishes one or two in Iowa, and actually beat Clark at the polls come next Tuesday, might depend partially on whether he's able to use his voice this week.

DTH

[leyton]

39. Didn't stop him at all

He came from behind in the primaries. He was running third in the GE too, behind Perot even.

So I'd give Kerry a break.

[JI7]

2. teresa IS an amazing speaker

she is incredible.

[blm]

3. Let's see, Dean chose to beat up on Kerry while he had cancer surgery

and now you want to beat him up for having a touch of flu?

Sheesh.

Kerry is a long distance biker, isn't he? Windsurfer? Hockey player?

He's probably the most athletic candidate in the pack.

[MaineDem]

4. I don't think this is a valid issue

I wouldn't make a decision based on laryngitis.

[phirili]

9. Great point. and well put MaineDem.

[KittyWampus]

5. If Dean Has Anxiety Attacks & Can't Sleep

how can he function as President?

Ask a silly question, you get a silly answer. :)

[bearfartinthewoods]

37. that's not fair

comparing an illness that requires psychotropic medications to one that requires honey and lemon is not fair :grin:

[flpoljunkie]

6. Get a grip!

The man got hoarse. Kerry speaks in complete sentences and coherent paragraphs, not soundbites.

[Bush loves Jiang]

23. Coherence like this? lol

On the referendum issue, John Kerry said that "the United States has always had a `one China' policy, not withstanding how terrible we may understand their regime to be. And that has been a Republican president, Democrat president policy alike. I think it is the right policy."

At the same time, Kerry said, no president could possibly allow Taiwan to slip backward from the democracy it has achieved.

You mean like this? lol

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/01/08/2003086763

If you want an example of a coherent, moral understanding of this issue, look (surprisingly) to Lieberman.

"And what we have succeeded in doing through the years is to maintain a balance, what people have called a purposeful, constructive ambiguity, where we've left it uncertain as to precisely what steps we'd take."

"But we've made it clear we will not tolerate any kind of invasion, any kind of effort to move backwards," he said, adding that "I think now is the time for us to also be strong with Taiwan and to make it clear that while we are supportive of the democracy, and while we recognize the society they've built in a capitalist society, we are not going to permit them to declare independence; that would be unacceptable."

Kerry made the remarks in response to a question by Neal Conan, moderator of the debate, who asked: "Taiwan has scheduled what some are describing as a provocative referendum as a sign of restiveness, and some fear that it could lead them to a policy of independence. When it comes down to it, will you stand with the rambunctious democrats in Taipei? Or with the autocrats in Beijing?"

[arewethereyet]

7. it will come back

remember Clinton's voice ? He lost it early on and thereafter he developed that raspy twinge that he has still.

He'll get a vocal coach, he'll be fine.

[rucky]

8. He didn't become a mute

hot tea with lemon. he'll be fine.

[NNN0LHI]

10. This is the silliest thing I have ever seen posted at DU

And I have seen some really silly shit posted here. Some by me. Congratulations.

Don

[Bunny]

11. Are you serious?

You really used Kerry's laryngitis as a reason to move your support to Howard Dean? That is truly incredible...:eyes:

[Democrats unite]

12. Just passing through.

eom

[dsc]

13. I really hope this is an all too clever take off of idiotic anti Dean

threads. If not it is a really lame reason not to like Kerry.

[Dems Will Win]

20. It may seem stupid but it's not when you think about it

As soon as Kerry's voice cracked in the first debate, I thought now that's not good. And I was a Kerry supporter at the time. The main reason I left Kerry is because he wimped out on the IWR and No Child Left Behind.

But this will be far more serious if his voice gives out again before NH and then SC and NM. If he recovers that worries me even more as he could win the nomination and then lose his voice during the debates and in October.

He would be a OK general Election candidate except for his voice. Although he would pull his punches like Gore did I fear. Then with no voice he would really be a disaster.

I agree Teresa is a good speaker and I like her a lot! But she can speak for him a few times, not the entire campaign.

[dsc]

28. I must day Kerry isn't the only one who is speechless now

I have no idea what to say to that.

[Birthmark]

14. OMG! That was serious!

I was laughing through the first half, thinking that it was just so much silliness. Then I realized that this might have been a serious issue with someone! Sorry, it's just too funny.

[bowens43]

15. to beat bush

all a Democratic candidate has to do is allow bush to speak. laryngitis may even be a huge plus in the general election.

[curse10]

16. This is just out and out silly

who cares that he lost his voice? Fuck, I lose my voice after a night of raucous karaoke.

[cally]

30. Silly

I agree. Kerry lost his voice and I just heard him interviewed. It's cold in Iowa.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. Is there a brain and massive intellect behind that voice?

Yes? .... good enough for me. Kerry all the way.

[phirili]

25. Bush is dumb and he has never lost his voice.

[w13rd0]

18. I don't think Kerry's having lost his voice is all that big a deal...

...maybe I'm wrong, but stuff happens.

[Cocoa]

19. reminds me of one of Kerry's funniest lines

he said, people ask me, Can a man without a prostate be president?

Always cracks up the crowd, because it's so silly.

:-)

[Dems Will Win]

22. So canceling three campaign rallies the day of the caucus does not

concern any of you?

You all think that isn't going to make people think one more time? Come on? 47% of Iowans polled said they could change their mind and electability is the main issue now.

What happens if Kerry loses his voice the last two weks of October and cancels scores of rallies??

[phirili]

34. Rest assured we'll be hearing from Kerry today, the media is just trying

to pin him back.

Kerry will use the great timing that allowed him to rescue his soldier buddy in Nam and show what a great fighter he is.

[bearfartinthewoods]

42. is this the official position of the dean campaign?

i think i remember you saying you were a professional political consultant and were working with the dean campaign in iowa?

[CMT]

24. I'll give Kerry a break on this

he has been campaigning hard and these things happen.

[emulatorloo]

26. Um, He has a cold, happens to everybody sometime

especially in frigid Iowa

[Dems Will Win]

29. Unfortunately NH is even colder

SC is warm though...

[maddezmom]

32. you're kidding, right?

let's see how long it takes for him to get it back, before we start worrying. :)

[Dems Will Win]

33. Not kidding. Don't you all know what his doctors are telling him

Don't talk for days. Otherwise, there could be real damage.

It may not hurt him in IA so much as there's only one day left but what doctors recommend is no talking for days or even weeks. That's going to kill him in NH and SC if he can't hold rallies.

Clark will be the beneficiary, as will Dean in NH. Edwards may even benefit in IA.

Look, it can't help him. It can only hurt him. And if the pundits start laughing about this and Jay Leno starts making jokes, as he will, it will be far worse than you now imagine.

If his voice comes right back and is OK no big whoop...

[drfemoe]

35. no I think you're right

I'm surprised he hasn't tried to take better care of his health so far. Let's hope Teresa encourages him to get some perspective on priorities.

[Dems Will Win]

36. Also Clinton didn't lose his voice until just days before the General

That's my point.

This is January. Kerry's had this problem all along and I wonder if there isn't a deeper medical problem than a cold.

THat's what I'm worried about, not a cold. It's that he won't be able to hold up through the enormous marathon of campaigning and will be rendered mute at key times, like today.

No one can answer that so it suddenly becomes a huge risk for the entire Democratic party!

I hope he recovers his voice because it's no fair losing because of this type of weakness.

[Cocoa]

38. suppose this happened to Dean

would it be as big a deal, or would you feel it wasn't so important?

[Dems Will Win]

40. It would only be the first time

This is now the third time for Kerry. If it kept happening yes of course.

Plus Judy Dean is no polished speaker as she demonstrated yesterday.

You can't beat Bush with surrogates.

i think Kerry has a more serious problem than a cold now. Once this kind of a thing gets aggravated you have to rest the voice and speechifying will bring it right back.

That's my worry for the Party.

[Cocoa]

44. glad to hear of your evenhandedness

glad to hear you wouldn't respond to a similar thread about Dean with a response like, "BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

[Lady President]

43. CNN latest

The last story I heard on CNN said that Kerry will be back on schedule later this afternoon. This is one of the silliest threads I've ever seen.

If you don't like Kerry, that's fine. Please pick a real reason not to vote for someone in the future.

[ShaneGR]

41. They all lose their voices

Usually happens once a month...