Why is hardly anyone attacking Kerry?

[kerry-is-my-prez]

It just dawned on me that the media and the right wingers are currently "laying off" Kerry. The media is definitely building him up. They are totally "ripping up" Clark and taking "digs" at Edwards.

My positive side is saying that the Conservatives and the media is sick and tired of Bush so they pushing Kerry. But WHY is Rove not going after him?

My paranoid side is saying "They have some totally devastating "dirt" that they are saving up and will launch on Kerry right at the right time. However, I don't know how likely that might be since Kerry has been around for a long time and it seems that any dirt might have come out by now.

[incapsulated]

1. Wait for it... n/t

[jpgray]

2. He got reamed only a few months ago, right now Dean is getting the knife

It'll switch again, mark my words.

[JI7]

3. they are calling him a massachusettes dukakis ted kennedy liberal

they have nothing on him. their past attempts always resulted in things like attacking him for his haircuts, thetype of cheese he puts on his sandwich, his speaking french, attacking his wife.

[Justice]

massachusettes dukakis ted kennedy liberal is not insulting him

for purposes of the new hampshire democratic primary.

[sandnsea]

21. Is he "electable"

People on DU are sure running with it. He can't win because he's a Massachusetts liberal. Never mind that he has fought his whole life for everything we believe in. Never mind that he's proven he can win the heartland. Nah, he's a Massachusetts liberal so we better think twice about voting for him. That's why NH hesitated in the first place. The RNC smear campaign is working just fine.

[JI7]

25. yeah, they certainly have the right to bring it up

but i'm saying this poster asked why kerry isn't being attacked. when they say this their intention is to attack.

[hellhathnofury]

23. Well he's certainly giving them new material too, are these gaffes?

If Kerry were being treated like Dean was when Dean was the frontrunner (assuming any of you can remember that far back), these things would be monster flaps and areas of aggressive reportage:

-- Kerry saying "North Korea" instead of "South Korea" in the debate.

-- Kerry limiting his press availabilities.

-- Kerry "borrowing" aspects of Dean's message.

-- Kerry's record of legislative accomplishments (?).

-- Fritz Hollings using the word "Chinaman" at a Kerry event yesterday and Kerry not denouncing him.

-- Kerry bragging about his campaign finance record in the face of taking presidential PAC money, DSCC record, and Busta Caps.

-- Kerry claiming "endorsements don't matter" and then saying "We got Hollings and Mondale!" and, today, the League of Conservation Voters (and more are coming … ).

-- Kerry's apparently limited release of his tax returns.

-- Kerry showing an unpresidential temper in flipping out at kindly David Wade.

-- Kerry's team putting his traveling press corps at a different hotel than the candidate.

-- Kerry not being attacked at the debate and there being almost no pickup for his Vietnam medals answer.

-- Luis Navarro's quitting after yesterday's hiring of Steve Elmendorf.

-- A million other Kerry controversies that have been chronicled in the Boston papers over the years and clips on which exist in a bulging RNC file.

-- No Mike Isikoff stories (or: are there??).

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/TheNote/TheNote.html

[xultar]

4. I've seen suggestions here @ DU that we need to take him out n/t

[incapsulated]

8. We need to take everybody "out"

Once they're the frontrunner, that is.

:)

[JI7]

9. skull and bones isn't going to do it

just some advice to those who want to "take him out". i'm pretty sure the skull and bones thing wont do it.

[TLM]

5. Rove wants to run against Kerry...

Kerry would be very easy to beat.

[MaineDem]

13. I very much disagree

The GOP does NOT want to run against Kerry.

[blm]

6. Iowa proved them all wrong. They're just shell-shocked and haven't

adjusted. They don't know how to report what Kerry and Edwards did in Iowa without blatantly lying.

Give them time. Rove hasn't figured out the angle yet.

[windansea]

14. winning in Iowa dem primary

has nothing to do with Rove stategy re: Kerry in GE

they will paint him as an elite rich MA liberal especially in the south

[sandnsea]

22. And Clark is a maniacal general who got fired

I didn't think they'd go after Clark, but I've seen them do it in the last few days. They will. So do we want to go against the maniacal general meme or the man who stood for what he believed in and never backed down.

[blm]

24. Big deal. His record is extraordinary. The vets and firefighters influence

on the people and Kerry's life story will mean more than pundits painting a picture.

[Justice]

7. Media Wants Kerry To Win NH

then just wait. Out will come the stuff about his negative campaigning, all the other stuff that has been mentioned.

For once, I would love the front runner to say - these guys are great. We are all great.

I don't see Kerry doing that.

[Guaranteed]

10. I haven't heard the media say one frickin' bad thing about Kerry

since BEFORE Iowa. Not ONE. Except for the Drudge Report that just came out, but that's not even bad.

By the way, I don't know what the Repukes think that they're doing with this AWOL scandal...they're just blowing it up, turning it into a huge deal. It's stupid.

[sistersofmercy]

18. Are you refering to the Clark/Moore thing? If so I totally I agree

Clark was baited to choose sides with Moore or bush* and he didn't take the bait. Shows Clark is a smart tough cookie when put on the spot.
Personally, I hope it opened the door to look into w's service record and backfires on the pathetic knuckleheads.

[wroberts189]

11. The gop wants him to win NH.. so they can knock Clark back

Then they will take him out later with smears and character distortions as we have all seen done to the others.

------------------------------

http://www.moderateindependent.com/v2i2elections2004gop.htm


JANUARY 21, 2004 – In this story written on December 8, 2003 (http://www.moderateindependent.com/v1i16clarksurge.htm ), we informed you of the right-wing’s election strategy. The basic idea is to push Kerry and Edwards early on, then turn on them. The goal is to bury Clark – who they are worried is the best candidate to beat President Bush – and ensure that Dean wins – the person they consider easiest to beat.

Here is an excerpt from the December 5 entry on the right-wing site polipundit:

"The rationale is simple:
1. We still want Dean to be the nominee so that President Bush can crush him and have long coattails.
2. The biggest threat to a Dean nomination is no longer Dick Gephardt, John Kerry or John Edwards. It's Weasel Clark, for all the reasons outlined below.
3. To help Dean, we have to bring down Clark's vote totals in the crucial states of New Hampshire and South Carolina.
4. In New Hampshire, donating to neighbouring-son John Kerry will help ensure that Clark won't surpass expectations by finishing ahead of Kerry.
5. In South Carolina, Clark can be stopped by neighbouring-son John Edwards

[flaminbats]

19. I hate to disappoint,but repukes have little influence over our primaries.

They can dream and scheme all they want, but they cannot claim credit for who becomes nominated...

Too bad, I realize they want to control everything in every arbitrary way...but they would have to change the Constitution and then outlaw our party to do this!

[TexasSissy]

12. I guess because negativity lost IA for a couple of the candidates.

As for why the media isn't knocking him, I will guess that it's because he's been around the media as a political pundit and congressman for years, so they kinda know him and want to stay on good terms with him for future appearances? Just guessing.

[HFishbine]

15. I think

It's because he's clean. Of course, there may be some skeleton in his closet as Hannity and Rush claim (that was Hannity and Rush), but other than policy differences, there isn't anything to attack him on. There are no campaign goof ups (recently), no misleading statments, no misrepresentation of his record and no questionable activities.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

16. Maybe they're convinced he can't win in the South - unlike Clark / Edwards

n/t

[jpgpenn]

17. They want Clark's #'s in NH to be as low as possible...

once they are sure Clark is tamed they will go onto destroy Kerry!

[lancdem]

20. Oh, they will

They will. This is just a lull.

[in_cog_ni_to]

26. Kerry's a pawn

right now. The GOP wants Kerry NOW, so Clark won't pick up steam. If Clark does well in NH...watch out GOP! They know that and have made Kerry the pawn du jour. It's not going to work because of the NH Independent voters. After NH, if Kerry is still doing well, he will be their target. It's all so obvious. They are slime...the GOP.