preview of Bush's campaign against Kerry?

[OneBlueSky]

from today's NY Post . . . full-color, 3-column x 8" display on page 4 . . . please note that I am a Kerry supporter, agree with him on most (maybe all) of these issues, and post this only as a preview of the kinds of things we'll likely be up against . . .

Kerry's 'liberal' top 10 list

Here are the issues where critics accuse John Kerry of being too liberal to win:

1. Against the death penalty in almost all cases.

2. Voted many times against tax cuts.

3. Supported killing military programs, including the B-1 and B-2 bombers.

4. Voted against banning "partial-birth" abortions and against parental notification when minors have abortions.

5. Voted against Defense of Marriage Act, which permits states to refuse to recognize gay marriages from other states.

6. Voted against the 1991 gulf War.

7. Voted against $87 billion to support U.S. trops and rebuild Iraq.

8. Called for taxing guns and ammunition to pay for anti-crime programs.

9. Pushed to cut CIA funding -- then griped about poor intelligence after 9/11.

10. Supported furloughs for first-degree murderers.

no link . . . it's only in the hard copy version, not the web page . . .

[jsw_81]

1. BRING IT ON

[kentuck]

2. He will have to defend himself in a forceful and believable way...

Do you think he can do it?

[emulatorloo]

6. Kentuck, he can and will

On 9 for example, he was pushing for cuts on High Tech and pushing for more people resources -- folks on the ground, arabic translators. He felt that those kinds of resources would give more results than high tech stuff. That supports his concern that intel was bad after 9/11, too much high tech, not enough people in the field digging stuff out. He will answer and forcefully.

[mikehiggins]

3. Oh gosh. I don't see any problem with any of that stuff.

Sounds like a winning record to me.

Why would any of that cause anyone not to embrace Kerry like the warm, wonderful fuzzy teddy bear we all know him to be?

Oh, I am so very reassured by that.

[eileen_d]

4. Well, let the fact-checking begin!

Thanks for the heads-up. I'd like to know more context regarding 9 & 10 myself.

I don't think anything in the list is a fatal wound for Kerry. I see lots of things that might offend hard-core Republicans, but then again, Kerry is a Democrat... it's kind of Democratic Party 101...

[Bozola]

5. I'm confused here; these are reason to vote against him?

Surely, you jest.

[Justice]

7. Kerry, Edwards or Clark Would Do Very Well Against Bush

[Skwmom]

8. On CNN they said Kerry voted against

spending on military equipment which was vital to the campaign in Afganistan....

I don't think being a Vietnam Vet will inoculate anyone against the weak on defense meme the Republicans are going to use.

[sandnsea]

12. Ignoring the vets??

In order to go on wild spending sprees for stuff like Star Wars? Remember the $700 hammers? Sensible spending. Taking care of our vets first. He'll win this one hands down.

[rucky]

9. Well that makes Kerry look MUCH better

me likee...these guys should work on his campaign.

[sangh0]

10. Since when is the NY Post pro-Kerry?

:shrug:

[sandnsea]

11. Not too bad

The only one that really matters is defense spending and he's voted for smart defense spending, not drunken-sailor defense spending like we have now. He was right on what needed to be done in intelligence spending and he was right on some of the 80's spending, like Star Wars, as well.

The rest is pretty common sense and proven to be correct over time. Like the death penalty, especially after Illinois.

[Casablanca]

13. This is the NY Post we're talking about ...

Apart from certain op-ed writers and muted, tactical criticisms - Bush admin cheerleaders all the way. Why would they ever telegraph Rove's _real_ campaign agenda?

I'm sure Rove reads enough polls to know that most Americans side with Kerry on these issues. He will focus on Kerry's inconsistant stance on the Iraq war (as he will with Edwards and, to a lesser extent, Clark), because the Iraq war/war on terror is the only thing Bush has to run on. No Repub strategist would encourage Bush to make the death penalty a campaign issue, any more than he did in 2000.

And, sorry to say this Kerry supporters, but Kerry's current red-carpet treatment by the mainstream media will last only as long as Dean and Clark do. I wouldn't advise you to be too encouraged by it. Bush wouldn't have gotten away with anything if it wasn't for the likes of Koppel and Jennings, so if your seeing Kerry get softball treatment from them, beware.

[liberalnurse]

14. This is just a prelude to what the GOP will

present on Kerry. I bet *bush has a war chest on him.....