Two things Kerry MUST DO IMMEDIATELY

[AngryYoungMan]

1) Move "to the right" of Bush on National Defense.

In the wake of the Spanish Bombs, he must assail Bush mercilessly on his failed "war on terror" and dissasociate Bush's Iraq war from terrorism. If the Spaniards can see the light, so can the Americans. Hammer Bush on National defense! It's the one area where he polls ahead, and that's all based on a COMPLETE MISCONCEPTION of what's happened in Iraq.

2) Send Edwards, Dean or both touring the South and Midwest.

Send that nice Southern boy and that modern-day Huey Long out there SCREAMING about Bush's failed economy! I keep seeing heart-rending posts about farm forclosures, bankruptcy, raided retirement accounts, credit card debt. I don't care if Kerry picks Edwards, Dean, or William Shatner as a running mate right now...he's got to send the golden-tongued Edwards out there to rally support against Bush.

My $0.02

[montanacowboy]

1. And he should appoint Clark as VP

and get him out there on the stump - Kerry has no time to lose - they are bringing in every gun they can, and if you let the perception take hold that he is soft on terror - he can kiss his a-s goodbye.

He must talk about why the Spaniards did what they did - 90% of that country did not want the war and it was pushed down their throats by that slimy wimpy mustachoed little creep Aznar - they rejected Aznar and his policies which supported the * administration -

and the world is NOT safer, but MORE dangerous now - pandora's box is opened and its Chimpy's fault....repeat - Chimpy's fault...

Get that Kerry campaign team off their butts

[in_cog_ni_to]

7. Hear, Hear, Montanacowboy!

Ditto! He NEEDS Wes Clark. He MUST have him on the ticket. The man knows foreign policy...inside out and will make Kerry UNBEATABLE. I hope Kerry knows that. :scared:

[sadiesworld]

2. General Clark is doing alot of campaigning for Kerry...

that should help on both fronts.

[ewagner]

4. Clark is doing

some heavy lifting for Kerry right now. And from reports here at DU, he's pretty effective.

[DuctapeFatwa]

3. Your #1 is right in principle, screwy on details

The Iraq crusade activity cannot be disassociated from the larger operation - Kerry supports both, and both are popular with the voters.

That said, he should, as you say, attack bush from the right on "defense." bush is not prosecuting the crusade aggressively enough, either at home or abroad.

Invasions of Syria and Iran are just now beginning, and with the tiniest of baby steps.

Kerry must position himself as the man who can get the job done, the man who knows first hand what it takes to bring rogue natives to heel.

He should read up on George Wallace in 1958, put together a fleshier plan to root out suspected potential terrorists in the Homeland, Edwards has a neighbor-driven program he could adapt. Unlike Ashcroft's TIPS, which relied on mail carriers and TV repairmen, Edwards' plan empowers neighbors to police each other for suspected potential terror.

[no name no slogan]

6. Damn that's scary-- but unfortunately it's true

Maybe Kerry will go all the way and dig up Joe McCarthy, too. That way we can root out all the "terrorists" we can, whether they're actually terrorists or not.

How much room do they have at Camp X-Ray, anyway? ;)

[DuctapeFatwa]

10. good point. bush has dragged his feet on expanding the Gitmo project

Kerry should call him on that. All this time and only a few hundred seized, and some of those have been let go!

This leaves the door wide open for Kerry to develop a plan for stateside expansion, preferably in a strong bush state.

It's popular with the voters, and while Kerry himself can't say it, a little leaky-poo here or there about the possibility of "interrogations" on pay-per-view and your boy's got himself a White House!

[RichM]

14. Letting those Gitmo prisoners go proves "Bush is soft on terrorism!" Kerry

should attack quickly, promising that HE would not let any more enemy combattants loose!!

And what is all this shilly-shallying about Syria & Iran? I haven't been treated to any good Shock 'N Awe in almost a year now. If Kerry wants my vote, he should point out that Bush has attacked LESS THAN ONE COUNTRY per year in office. This record is simply not acceptable!

[redqueen]

5. Agreed, but also BBV!!!!!

He needs to sign as a co-sponsor on Graham's bill, NOW!

[Cocoa]

8. I agree on both

on #1, go after Bush's ties to the Saudis. Do an ad about the plane that flew the bin Ladens around.

On #2, add Clark and Gep to the list.

[WI_DEM]

9. "modern day Huey Long"

While I agree that Dean can and will be an effective campaigner on behalf of Kerry I certainly don't see him as a Huey Long in temperment or platform.

[maggrwaggr]

11. that's not moving to the right, it's raising your IQ by 50 points

He doesn't need to be more "hawkish", he just needs to act in an intelligent manner.

He also needs to show that invading Iraq had not-one-thing to do with terrorism.

He needs to show how our military is now helpless and we are vulnerable because we are tied down in Iraq.

to be more of a hawk than Bush would involve invading even more countries than Bush has.

[mrgorth]

12. Agree on all 3

1, 2 and Wes for veep.

[MercutioATC]

13. Nobody "sends" Dean anywhere...

Dean may be willing to help Kerry past the issues he's created for himself, but he's nobody's "boy".

[Democat]

17. Stop being so sensitive about Dean, we're trying to help Kerry win!

Howard Dean himself is probably a lot less defensive than some of his people here on DU.

Moderators, I said "some". :)

[MercutioATC]

18. Maybe some people should be a little more careful with their language,

then. I don't see how my objection has anything to do with thwarting those who are "trying to help Kerry win!".

[Guaranteed]

15. Totally right on. nt

[Democat]

16. I agree very strongly on point #1

It's the best way to destroy Bush's chances.