Rich Massachussets Liberals

[windansea]

Kerry is now the frontunner and could very well go on to win the nominaton. I think JK has strong credentials and is probably the most experienced candidate, but I have questions about his electability in GE. To win, he must attract more than just the 40% dem voters...he must win a good percentage of swing voters.

JK must convince the "middle" that he's not too liberal while simultaneously defending his yes votes on IWR, Patriot Act, and NCLB.

A lot of moderates as well as southerners are not exactly fans of JK's chief endorser Edward Kennedy...How will JK walk the tightrope of keeping the base, attracting moderate swing voters, and winning some southern states?

It's interesting to note that the last liberal north eastern Senator to be elected President shared the same intials...JFK

link below has States Won, Percent of Votes Won, Electoral Votes Gained, and Voter Turnout Per State

http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/elections/elect2000/election11by17.pdf

[Monte Carlo]

1. Do we really need to treat our best allies like liabilities?

I mean, come on now. Ted Kennedy gets a lot of crap, and has for years, but I see no reason why that's a liability. Show me Ted's record, and I'll show you where the Democratic Party should be.

[windansea]

2. I love Kennedy

but he doesn't play too well in the south or with moderates

[Jacobin]

9. Saying you like TK in rural america is akin to

announcing that your daughter is engaged to be married to a serial rapist and child molester. I don't like that fact, but I don't think we can deny it.

No one will be able to support Kerry openly in the red states. It will be driven home like a jackhammer.

It's Kerry's biggest weakness, one that his attempt to straddle the fence on Iraq will not overcome.

It's why I think Dean or Clark have a far better chance in the GE.

They can try to label Dean and Clark as "librulcommies" but it won't stick nearly as well as a rich MA Kennedyesque type will.

BTW, other than Kerry's votes to invade and then fund the occupation of iraq and his Patriot act vote, I'm ok with him. I just know he'll be trounced in the GE

[Monte Carlo]

27. Yeah? We don't have to like it.

And maybe, just maybe, Kerry could succeed where others have failed. Kerry is not Dukakis. He has fought tough races against popular Republicans and won. And maybe still, the Democratic candidate, whoever it is, can begin to rise above labels.

[lastknowngood]

3. take out cauleeforea cause arnnie

will appoint a Katherine Harris clone to purge the democratic roles just before the election. That is why the gropenator is there.

[Eric J in MN]

7. HAVA requires provisional ballots for purged voters. So the question

HAVA requires provisional ballots for purged voters. So the question is whether Democratic activists in California will make sure the precincts have enough provisional ballots.

[windansea]

53. LOL n/t

[heidler]

4. Head to head Kerry now beats Bush in Washington state.

http://americanresearchgroup.com/nhpoll/ Page down at site.

[windansea]

5. thats good news!!

[R3dD0g]

6. I'm pretty sure I'd rather have a bunch of

rich Mass liberals than a bunch of rich Texass conservatives.

[windansea]

10. no kidding

did you even read the post...I am asking questions about JK's electability in a GE...which means he has to win over swing voters and some southern states

[sandnsea]

8. He got the union vote

He got the senior vote, he got the youth vote, he got the internet vote, he got the vet vote, he got the women's vote. Kerry gets the vote. He got it in Massachusetts against Weld. He'll get it anywhere he goes. Duty, responsiblity, integrity. That's the south.

[Jacobin]

11. Hmmm. You're not frum 'round heah are ya?

SAying it, sadly won't make it so.

[sandnsea]

25. My whole family is in the south

I lived in Montana for 15 years. Yep, I know what matters when it gets right down to it.

[Jacobin]

38. May I ask....urban or rural, these kinfolk....

If you go to New Orleans, its a whole nother country from alabama.

[DoNotRefill]

50. I live in the south NOW.

And there's not a SINGLE local Democrat that I know who is for Kerry. Lots for Clark, lots for Dean, lots for Edwards, even some for Kucinich, but NOT ONE for Kerry.

[DoNotRefill]

18. He's anti-gun....the kiss of death in the south...

and much of the rest of the country.

[Jacobin]

21. As much as I would like to disagree with you, you're right about that

The kiss of death.

[sandnsea]

26. He's not anti-gun

And when he's running against Bush, you'll be saying so too. :-)

[DoNotRefill]

37. How can he be seen as not being anti gun?

He is, and it doesn't play well outside of the Northeast and California. If he gets the nomination in 2004, Bush will win. It's that simple.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

42. Bush is pro-environment

See? Just saying something doesn't make it true. lol

[sandnsea]

44. He's not

How is banning 16 guns out of 600 anti-gun? How is asking for criminals not to be allowed to buy guns anti-gun? How is asking for guns to be kept safe from kids anti-gun? Sounds like he's tough on crime to me.

He is not anti-gun. But he will make the gun people wake the hell up and realize they've been voting on a stupid issue all their lives. And he'll kill the "they're coming for my guns" meme the Republicans have been spewing for years. Most people have no problem being responsible with guns and will rise to the challenge if asked.

[DoNotRefill]

47. It's already illegal for criminals to possess guns.

The AW ban was a complete and total failure which didn't reduce crime or the amount of firepower on the streets by a single gun. All it did was cut down on the number of bayonet lugs out there. Mandating CAP laws will not go over well, too many people have died because of State CAP laws (the most newsworthy case involving the death of two children in California by a guy with a pitchfork, when the eldest child couldn't use the family gun to protect herself and her siblings because of the state-mandated trigger lock).

A great many Americans are sick and tired of stupid gun laws. Trying to push for more is seen as being "anti gun". and that's why we got slaughtered over the AW "ban". The MMM is trying to get a "meetup" together in Boston. Apparently, they're having trouble getting FIVE PEOPLE to sign up for it. Hell, even Rosie O'Donnell has reversed her position on guns. It's a DEAD issue, and having an anti-gunner as our candidate is political suicide.

[windansea]

48. bayonet lugs

?

[DoNotRefill]

49. Yup....that's what was banned by the AW ban...

the little pieces of metal under the barrel that bayonets attach to. Apparently, there's some serious crime problem with random drive-by bayonetings.

AK-47 clone with bayonet lug: banned under the AW ban
AK-47 clone without bayonet lug: legal under the AW ban

Both guns have the exact same hardware and furniture, the same receivers, the same stocks, the same sights, the same magazine capacity, and in the same caliber. The one with the bayonet lug is banned, the one without it is legal.

Pretty stupid, eh?

[windansea]

52. wow

unbelievable...who sponsored that little gem?

I have noticed that bayonettings have gone way down lately

[George_Bonanza]

51. Kerry owns guns and there's photos of him hunting

[Kathy in Cambridge]

12. You forgot the word "elitist"

Yup, that's what we are up here in Mass. Rich elitist liberals.

You folks in the rest of the country have to give up your prejudices...the Civil War ended a long time ago.

[Jacobin]

14. Uhm, I think its a little more complicated than that

Rural folks can and have voted for Democrats. Bill Clinton comes to mind.

Kerry is going to be demonized beyond belief. Worse, I think than most of the other candidates.

[overground1]

13. or it might look more like this

[Jacobin]

15. That's very close. Except Kerry would probably get New Mexico

and Bush would get Oregon. Wisconsin could also be Bush. Twas very close last go round

[windansea]

20. please no

scary map

[overground1]

29. It's ok, Dukakis only lost because Benston split the Democratic vote

Just look at the map!
:D

[windansea]

33. funny

Kerry supporters win every argument except this one

[styersc]

16. Kerry should never try to hide or run from his roots of wealth...

...he should just remind the country that one of the poor and middle class's best friends was the very rich FDR.

One issue that Dean had tried to bring up very early on in his campaign was the fact that the GOP not only hates Clinton but they despise FDR and want to unravel all the good that he did.

The elderly of the country remember what the country was like before FDR and many of the young will hopefully never have to know.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

17. Maybe we'd be better off nominating a centrist or a conservatitve.

You know, someone like Bush, but with a D next to his name.

[THUNDER HANDS]

19. He doesn't even need to win any southern states

He needs to just win Ohio or Florida and we take this thing in a walk.

Play to your strengths, especially when you're gonna get outspent by at least $50 million.

[Jacobin]

22. Florida???????bwahahahahahahaha

That was a good one!!!!

[windansea]

23. so Gore state's are a given?

looked at Cal polls lately?

[THUNDER HANDS]

24. yes

They're a given. And Ohio is gonna be in play too. IMO.

[windansea]

28. not so sure

spend much time in California lately??

[ArtieBoy]

31. The best Kerry strategy...

...is to nominate John Edwards! :P

[overground1]

32. that's right, Republicans got 60% of the vote in the recall.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

34. whatever.

and it's Massachusetts with 2 t's

[windansea]

39. oops

sorry!

[overground1]

30. Florida isn't a southern state anymore?

[THUNDER HANDS]

35. well its in the south

but it's not a southern state. I think of it more as where Northeasterns go to die. ;)

[overground1]

36. other than Miami Beach, Florida is pretty much like Alabama and Georgia

[windansea]

41. LOL n/t

[jsw_81]

40. Winning Southern states

Kerry/Edwards would win at least one Southern state, probably FL or AR (possibly even NC). Same with Kerry/Clark.

But we don't even need Southern states to win; all we need are the Gore states plus OH or NH and AZ, or MO and NV etc.

[Jacobin]

43. AZ, MO or NV????????????

I gotta tell you, I don't think these states are any less southern in their recent voting patterns than Mississippi.

[adamrsilva]

45. This is why Kerry's no more electable than Dean

He can't win a single Southern state, except maybe WV if things are bad enough there. His best chances would be in NH, MO, Ohio, and Florida (laugh, laugh).

[windansea]

46. hmmmmmmmm

I'm not getting convinced yet

[JI7]

54. that's a nice picture

great pic