Did Kerry make a "gaffe" with his comments about the "Southern" vote?

[kentuck]

Considering that many voters in OK and MO consider themselves 'Southerners'? Will it boil to the surface before the primaries next week? If it does, how much damage could it do to his campaign?

If he was saying that "Southern" voters should be treated no differently than voters anywhere else in the country, then his comments should have no bearing on next week's primaries. However, if they are interpreted as something different, then it could affect his support. Any ideas?

[Davis_X_Machina]

1. No.

Dean 'makes gaffes'.
Kerry 'looks presidential'.
Edwards is 'young and untested'.
Clark is a 'maverick outsider'.

Sheesh -- some people don't read their memos.

[NWHarkness]

2. How was it a "gaffe"?

If you are referring to Kerry's remarks that southern voters are concerned about the same issues as voters elsewhere in the country, I don't understand why there would be a problem.

If anything, I would hope that such an approach would be appreciated by southern voters, in contrast to the often condescending way they are treated by non-southern politicians.

[LuminousX]

3. It was just as bad as Dean's comments about caucuses

If you think such a thing is bad, then it is bad. If you are like me and tend to wax realistic, then it isn't bad.

[WiseMen]

5. What was bad about Dean's comment? I don't think it was an issue.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. Kerry: "The South is not a foreign country"

He had a great clarification today:

"The South is not a foreign country," he said. "If all they want to do in this campaign is throw labels around, they've got a problem."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/01/26/politics1351EST0647.DTL&type=printable

[LuminousX]

6. Sounds like another candidate who wanted to counter GOP

talking points in the south with the facts that GOP policies hurt everyone in the south because GOP policies hurt lower/middle class people.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

9. "like" is not "is". He didn't say anything potentially inflammatory

as some others have.

[kentuck]

8. If that is what Kerry said, then....

I think that is he best way to campaign in the South. It is not a foreign country.

[TacticalPeek]

7. Makes me wonder

what his internal polling says about his support in the South.

[TopesJunkie]

10. Yes, a rather large one, in fact --

[mitchtv]

11. if someone is "offended" by that

I daresay they won't be voting Dem anyway.

[BootinUp]

12. It was a gaffe because it will bring more attention

to the fact he is weak in the South relative to some of the other candidates. He would be better to point out positions he thinks will play well there. And not make statements that sound like he doesn't expect to do well there, which is how it sounded.

[cthrumatrix]

13. it doesn't seem that bad.... let the people decide...the media always

trying to paint each candidate...

And I'm a dean supporter...I'm tired of these attacks by the media.

[emulatorloo]

14. He said the L Word

"If the worst they can say about me is that I'm a liberal or something, bring it on," he said. "I'll take that anywhere in the country."

That is thrilling. . . . . . .

[Jacobin]

15. The problem is bigger than the "south"

Red states go all the way from the southeastern states up to Oregon.

Blaming the "south" doesn't cut it.

He has a problem. Big problem, calling it a "southern" problem is an attempt to minimize it.

[TLM]

16. No, it is only a gaff if Dean says it....

If Kerry says it, it is an indication of his evolution as a candidate.