Two words for Kerry supporters:

[Paragon]

Bob Dole.

Oh, they're light years apart politically, but to John Q. Public...honored war vets, dull as brown toast.

I like Dole and Kerry very much, but I'm wondering if America will have a serious case of deja vu.

[jenk]

1. c'mon, Dole was like 13 years older and barely able to move

Kerry does have some spunk, he's a far better debater than dole, gives better speeches and throws in a few jokes to loosen everybody up. Dole never did that.

[Paragon]

5. I'd agree on all of those, except...

Bob Dole is almost a stand-up comedian now -- he was great when speaking with Clinton last year. And who could forget those Pepsi & Viagra ads?

[jenk]

8. well

I guess that was then and this is now. But in 1996, Dole was 73 and an irritating, bitter old man with a temper.

Kerry has none of that, he's 60, but easy going and "in touch" you never saw Dole riding a motorcycle or playing the guitar.

[Piperay]

That's true

Dole has a great sense of humor but I remember during the campaign he used bitterness instead of humor and he was very unappealing.

[adadem]

23. Sounds like

some of our fellow DUers the last few days.

[mitchum]

46. Christ, we agree on something!

Bob Dole is very funny. He has always had a very sardonic sense of humor. A lot of pundits said that was exactly why he couldn't play nationwide. The US voter is made uncomfortable by that type of humor.
But you're completely wrong about Kerry=Dole. Completely wrong.

[vi5]

2. I think there's big differences....

Kerry is a baby boomer and part of the Vietnam generation. There are a lot of them out there. Not that there weren't many WW2 vets or people Dole's age, but he was a republican and perceived as on the wrong side of seniors issues so he didn't actually have their undivided support.

Plus, Dole was going against someone of a different generation. Age wise, Kerry and shrub are peers so it's definitely a different race.

I"m not saying I 100% disagree with what you are saying, but I think the differences are too big to compare the two entirely.

[spooky3]

20. not to split hairs, but if he's 60, he's not a baby boomer

2003-60=1943 unless he was born in January

Baby boom started post-war, e.g., 1946-7.

Edwards and Dean are really more in the baby boomer era, and as a baby boomer myself, I perceive them that way also.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. OK so you don't want to be antagonized but you DO want to antagonize

Got it. Thanks. Any other similarities you can cite between Kerry and Dole other than that they both served in the military?

I mean, heck, Sammy Davis Junior was Jewish. Richard Perle is Jewish. Richard Perle is a neo-con...does that make Sammy a neo-con?

[Paragon]

6. Sammy to Kevin Bacon in two steps:

http://oracleofbacon.org/cgi-bin/oracle/movielinks?firstname=Kevin+Bacon&game=1&secondname=Davis+Jr%2e%2c+Sammy&using=1

Sammy Davis Jr. was in Sweet Charity (1969) with John (I) Wheeler
John (I) Wheeler was in Apollo 13 (1995) with Kevin Bacon

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

10. LOL

Does that mean Bacon is in Davis' tomb. (like the good humor in the response though, GD 04 needs more of it :D )

[Paragon]

12. Thanks

I'm not trying to "antagonize" anyone -- merely speaking for the lowest common denominator.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

29. Sorry my friend..you aren't just speaking to it, you are helping to

perpetuate it. I have had criticisms of Dean but have mostly avoided the cheap shots and attempted to limit the debate to his ideas, etc...

Let's make it like a Beatle's tune -"and in the end...the shots you take...are equal to the shots...you make"

Frankly, I wish the lowest common denominator would go to cyber hell, so we can choose a candidate based on merit..we may disagree about the merits...but viva la difference.

[Paragon]

31. Considering my threads don't get hundreds of posts every time...

...I'd say this "shot" is equal time -- and like I said, I don't consider it as such.

[arwalden]

19. Sammy Davis Jr Was A Neo-Con? Holy Crap!

[killbotfactory]

4. 9-11 changed everything.

The average American now sees veterens as the ultimate terrorist fighting machines and our automagically guaranteed 45% of the vote.

[BearFlagDemocrat]

7. I have seven words for Kerry supporters...

At least you're better than Clark supporters.

[Piperay]

18. Well gee

aw shucks :cry:... :-)

[RummyTheDummy]

9. Two words for Dean supporters....

He's done.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. Premature

[hellhathnofury]

15. Hardly,

1 down, 3 to go.

[lastknowngood]

13. Come on let's stop going after Kerry

His problems are obvious and your no going to make any converts.
Lets do something useful and fun like slamming the shrub. How can we expect our candidates to behave if were fighting with ourselves.

[Paragon]

17. As John McEnroe once said...

...you CANNOT be serious.

Not on this forum, anyway.

[JVS]

47. I was told that this makes the candidate stronger

[WWW]

14. You know this is one of the first posts I have posted outside the lounge

And I got the first night's sleep after 9/11 the other night when Kerry won Iowa. Don't be like that in comparing Kerry to Dole. I am not proud that I went from being an anti-war supporter (McGovern) to a pro-military strength candidate(Kerry) but for Cripes sake I am scared and all I want right now in my life is to not be afraid. Is that too much to ask? Kerry makes me feel safe. And he also gives me hope... Shame on me. Cripe you guys make me feel like an axe murderer because I support Kerry!

[hellhathnofury]

16. My suggestion,

stay in the lounge.

GDP2004 will be a warzone until early March.

[WWW]

26. I don't understand? n/t

[WWW]

27. I don't understand? n/t

[aldian159]

36. Yeah, and I keep coming back

I need to get my head checked...

[adadem]

21. They're just

eating sour grapes and taking their frustrations out on us Kerry supporters...Kerry is a good, honest man who acts presidential.

[lastknowngood]

24. If you scared the the shrub

and Osama have done their job well we have lost freedom and democracy and the fear card can be played by the shrub anytime. If you live in fear Osama and the shrub wins. I will not live that way. I have changed none of my habits or anything else 9/11 changed nothing for the average American, the shrubs response is what has changed things for the average American.

[WWW]

32. But I have hope again

That things can be turned around and we can right the wrongs done by Bush. I feel Kerry can do this. And why is it wrong to say this?

[displacedtexan]

35. Oh, my goodness! I could have written your post!

That's exactly how I feel! I guess it's time to change my avatar... but I'l still vote for whoever gets the nomination.

[WWW]

39. well change it now

We have to start showing our colors. I am a 46 year old mother of two, one a son, who I won't send to Iraq. Kerry won't send my Tommy(15 next month) to Iraq. Please keep my son safe! That is all I can ask for right now. Bush got us in there, Kerry can get us out...

[NewYorkerfromMass]

41. I'm touched by your post

Really. Kerry does inspire confidence and I have faith in him that he will beat the shrub. He will fight down the smears and distortions.
He will be President. And a great one.

[slinkerwink]

48. well, I'd think about Kerry as a viable candidate for a long time

if I were you. I just don't see him winning the GE.

[DoNotRefill]

57. ummmm...WWW....

Kerry cannot make you safe. NOBODY can make you safe. We live in interesting times, and safety is a complete and total illusion.

[sandnsea]

22. One word

Yeeeaeaaaahhhhhwwwwwww!

Do we really want to do this again and again and again?

[lastknowngood]

28. Damn right

much better than the wimpish response by the "Democratic Leadership"
to the SOTU

[NNN0LHI]

25. Was there a war(s) going on back then too?

I didn't think so.

Don

[poopyjr]

30. I think you do nothing but hurt our cause.

You are soley concerned with Howard Dean and whatever gets Howard Dean ahead.

[Paragon]

33. I think not

This comparison's been made somewhere well before I thought of it.

[poopyjr]

34. You are trying to erode our chances.

You are upset that Dean is no longer the frontrunner. So you are taking your ball and going home.

[Paragon]

38. Whatsamatta, can't take a little heat?

That's all I've been hearing from everyone else.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

54. 2 popular methods:

:nopity:

:cry:

[jsw_81]

37. No way

Bob Dole was an elderly man with a flat, boring Kansas accent. Plus he had already lost three campaigns for the presidency and vice presidency. John Kerry, on the other hand, looks, sounds and acts presidential. I can't wait to see him towering over Bush in the debates.

[flaminbats]

40. It works both ways....

If a candidate has a solid political agenda, his or her military background and character can be used to earn the trust of voters...as with John McCain. Or, as with Bob Dole, it can create a feeling of arrogance and overconfidence that the hero with the military background is always right.

[JVS]

50. McCain lost last time I checked

[goodhue]

42. hmm

I was thinking of "you rock" but whatever . . .

[CalProf]

43. Uh, sorry to pee on your lawn

but Dole ran against the most talented politician of his generation when unemployment was at historic lows and the dot com economy was just reving up and Newty Gingrich had just made most of America mad at the GOP by shutting down the government.


If Shrub is a talent equivalent to Clinton I'm Joe Montana. (Hint: I'm not) Tom Delay is, maybe, worse than Gingrich, and has probably alienated as many indepedents.

We are, to put in mildly, in radically different times. This comparison is totally specious.

[oasis]

44. Kerry's quiet confidence will be a comfort to many at this particular

time in history.

[DoNotRefill]

59. I seem to remember another Democrat from Mass..

who was "quietly confident" and got his ass handed to him in the general election...Let's see..."D"..."D" something...

What passes for "quiet confidence" up North often passes for "boring" in the rest of the country...

[Feanorcurufinwe]

45. Maybe we should ask Teresa if JK shares Dole's problems

lol

[RichV]

49. Well....

Is "Bob Dole" worse than "Ric Flair"?

[IndianaGreen]

51. Dole did better in the polls after he fell off the stage

Perhaps Kerry can do the same thing!

[Adjoran]

52. Kerry's like Dole in one way

He wouldn't have beaten Clinton in '96, either.

Decorated war vets, sure - but from different wars. Different generations. And, in case some people haven't noticed, different parties.

[overground1]

53. 2 more words: "Massachusettes Liberal" - get used to hearing them

[youngred]

55. come on

is that the best you've got? They're COMPLETELY different

[Name removed]

56. Deleted message

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

[nightperson]

58. Thanks for the set-up.

(in monotone) "John Kerry doesn't talk about John Kerry in the third person, though he doesn't point out that John Kerry would never do something like that". Dole is a conspicuous and longtime admirer of Nixon. Kerry was on Nixon's "Enemies List" as a young man.