Kerry's bad week

[CatWoman]

John Kerry has said repeatedly: Bring it on. And Bush-Cheney '04 has done just that. As any political observer would know, this week wasn't good for Kerry. He's been complicit in his troubles, giving the president's attack machine and its media-driven echo chamber enough material to cheapen the political debate and distract America from scrutinizing the president and his failed policies.

Here's a perfect example: Bush-Cheney '04 releases a misleading ad in West Virginia this week called "Troops" railing on Kerry's vote against the $87 billion post-Iraq war bill. Kerry's campaign issued a valid defense of his vote, and pointed out how Bush has actually undermined troop safety, pay and benefits. Then Kerry says this: "I actually did vote for his $87 billion, before I voted against it." Bingo, says Karl Rove, a classic Kerry flip-flop! Now, the AP reports, the Bush campaign has taken that gem, tacked it on the West Virginia ad, and re-released it with a new title: "Troops-Fog."

This misstep followed another quote that kept cable news anchors in business for days -- the "crooked, lying" comment Kerry didn't back away from. And there was also the "foreign leaders want me to win" remark. Kerry's underlying point, that world opinion of Bush is low, is valid. But Kerry lost control of the debate and it became a silly duel about whether Kerry would "name names." Daily Kos shows how the Republicans have been winning this week: "Every time Bush lies, it forces Kerry to set the record straight, taking him off message and wasting a news cycle in the process. The last few days have shown the tactic works better than the truth, and expect a lot more of this crap over the next half-year."

But this isn't just Kerry's problem. It's a party problem, and one for anyone who wants to see new leadership in Washington. Which begs the question: Where are Kerry's surrogates? Where is the unified Democratic Party we heard so much about during the primaries? Howard Dean came out to support Kerry on Wednesday, and ended up generating controversy by suggesting Bush's war in Iraq led to the Madrid bombings. Dean later clarified the remark and reporters chased Kerry until he distanced himself from Dean.

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/archive.html?day=20040318

[rumguy]

1. Where are Kerry's surrogates?

He's shouldering to much of the burden. Our party needs to get unified and organized and our leaders need to step up to the plate - we need rapid, organized response from everybody.

[phillybri]

2. Kerry had several "bad weeks" before the Iowa caucuses...

Don't believe the hype!!!

[opihimoimoi]

10. For better or worse, Kerry is our starting QB. He needs us to help him get

to the Super Bowl.

The Game Plan should encompass the Bad Pub Philosophy of growth by deceit.

Where is the whole picture. Those Pubs nit pick, but where their Plans for All Americans?? Nada. They stick to denigrating because it works; but is it in the best interest of the Nation...? Hardly.

We DEms want a Secure and Safe America just as much as the next guy. But its the whole picture of whats best for all Americans thats missing here...and it seems no one cares, just flies over their heads.

This is why the Pubs attack so much, they don't have the whole Plan.
They try to distract, deceive, and blame not even mentioning the Big Picture. Thats cause they cannot. Well, they can spin it but it will be full of holes. Then if that don't work, they will go Brown Shirt as they did in Florida. Brutal Pubs .... can't use persuasion, false logic, use Brown Shirt tactic's. Anything to get their selfish way.

Kerry can do it, but will he? Will he rise to the occasion and describe whats MISSING from our lives.???

Where is the help for the Homeless? The Vets? The Fire/Police Depts? Where are the Jobs Bush Promised that was supposed to come from his tax cuts? Instead of creating jobs, we lost them. And all to many of the jobs created was in the security sector. Granted those jobs are neccessary but to the extent we have now? This is the price of conflict and the Bushies think they have all the answers... which turns out to be the big stick.

Kerry will carry the Ball, he will throw those long touchdown passes, His crew will back him all the way. He may fumble here and there but in the end, its the SBowl.

Come, we go help. Think.

[Octafish]

26. Teamwork is key, Opi-man!

To get to the championship means the QB's gonna take some hits throughout the season. To win the big game requires teamwork to make sure the QB survives the process. Otherwise, the Kennebunkport Gangsters will do whatever it takes to bust a knee or break an elbow. Refs? They own 'em.

Our job, as linemen, or 320-pound pawns, is to do the heavy lifting for our guy. We've got to steamroll the turds the offensive defensive coordinator Rove tosses at us. That means double-teaming the steaming turds of the BFEE, trap blocking Cheney, cut blocking their lies, clipping by mentioning Pickles driving record, and blind-siding their attempted BBV returns at every, and I mean EVERY, turn.

How do we do all that? Answer is to tell everybody, and I mean everybody, we know about the BFEE.

Now that the Bush-Saudi connection stuff we've been talking about it is in the open field, we run to daylight for first down after first down. Then our wideouts and left flanker's job is to get open and connect on the big plays, with the "Vision Thing" that drunken frat boys never seem to see, let alone understand.

How do we do all that? Have every DUer tell everybody they know. Word gets around fast.

Go Team DU!

Down with the BFEE!

[Monte Carlo]

3. Well there are ups and there are downs in a campaign like this.

And there's still a grueling 7 1/2 months to go. Of course the media will nitpick everything he says, but I think it may be a little premature to say the Democrats are doing nothing. Bush may have the power to flood the media landscape, but I think Kerry can cut through all that.

[tobius]

4. dont forget that after all that he took off snowboarding.

[KoKo]

20. Don't get me started about Kerry's Big Sports Adventure! I just had to

leave a thread because I was getting into flaming...and the steam is coming out of my ears, about these Kerry photo-ops as the All American Sports Marathonist...Grossing me out...and I was trying to like him!

Okay...I'm outta here, before I get carried away again...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. I think Salon is spinning this a bit much

Everybody knew the minute Kerry won the nomination he would be a sitting duck. Most of what occurred this week will be forgotten by next week and there is little left to use in the future.

Kerry in the meantime will fine tune the points that were used against him as he has done each time so far and will make an affirmative challenge as he did with his "we tell the truth" ad campaign.

Any nominee was BOUND to get the body blows by Bush et al...he's going through lots of the 200 million at a VERY early date.

I think Kerry will be left standing after the body blows, al the while giving the surrogates a chance to get their shit together and giving one a chance to figure out if he is actually supporting Kerry or still running his OWN campaign.

[ant]

6. agreed, and what's more...

I've been sort of away from my regular, political-addiction feeding blogs and media and in the past few days have only watched local news. NOTHING about the campaign, really, all about Iraq. I think the recent bombings and anniversary have overshadowed everything else at the moment as far as the mainstream media is concerned. If *I* don't know the details and specifics of this Kerry stuff - and I didn't until I read that Salon article - I'm pretty sure most of America doesn't either.

Let's not forget that the general public doesn't follow this stuff as closely as we junkies do.

[rumguy]

8. good - we junkie types lose sight of the forest

as we inspect even the tiniest plants...

[KoKo]

21. ROFL....a good comment...."as we inspect the tiniest plants...." I'm

guilty, thanks for the reminder. :D

[lancdem]

7. I think you may be right

Rove seems to be using his best stuff now. Also, I thought Joe Biden and Richard Holbrooke did a great job as surrogates for Kerry this week. But he could certainly use more. :)

[NJCher]

9. Rove has to use his best stuff now

It's been a disastrous week for bush, starting with last Thursday. The proof that bush's policies are not working becomes more and more evident with every bombing.

I'm all for constructive criticism but I really don't get this author's argument.

Cher

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. Not just that but their advocacy orgs are rolling out the attacks now as

well..one can only hope their waste their money and run low on funds...having the packed primaries we had did force Bush to campaign earlier than HE wanted to.

In the meantime, the Dems really didn't purchase much in the way of television advertising during the campaigns compared to what they could have done....which IMHO was a great thing as it PUNISHES the press for their abdication of their job....here in California..they spent MUCH more time on the ground compared to 2000, 96 and even 92. So..all in all...for all the war time rah rah patriotic crap we have seen and for ALL the free advertising the GOP gets..they really haven't benefited as much as they SHOULD have by now.

[CatWoman]

12. Teena!!!!

where have you been hiding???

:hi:

:loveya:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

13. On

the hood of my car where I always hide!

[INTELBYTES]

15. I believe you are missing an important point...

First impressions means a lot. The Bush/Cheney team is hammering Kerry early and hard on the flip-flops to get the image of an unstable leader in their minds. I think it is working. Let's face it, Kerry has the looks of an elitist. We want the people to know that he will stand up for the working man, but his actions are not saying that. There is a New York Times article out today saying how he called one of his Secret Service mean an "expletive" name for making him fall over on his snow board.

It's great to have a positive outlook. But if we don't acknowledge Kerry's image now, we will lose and we will lose big. Kerry has no friends in the media right now. Every gaffe he makes will be played on right wing radio, and the cable news channels over and over - ala Dean's Iowa shriek.

I see Kerry in big trouble. Bush for all of his stumbling and bumbling makes him look like a good ol' boy falling off a horse. This image will get him elected. Kerry degrading his "hired help" will cause people to choose the "good ol' boy" over the "elitist".

[bain_sidhe]

14. Kerry "lost control of the debate"?

Bullshit. That statement's worthy of "daily howler" status, right up there with "Gore ran a bad campaign" because the media consciously and continually lied about him. Kerry never had real control of the debate. The control remains where it's always been... with the media. Granted, the "I voted for it before I voted against it" was a bad sound-byte, and he should have said it better. That's one misstep. But it's the media that pumped the "crooked liars" comment by printing/airing the "outraged" comments of every repuke flunkie sent out to make one. Imagine if they's aired the "outraged" comments of every Democrat over some of Bush's actions, let alone his ridiculous comments.

But, even that's not the real point. I disagree that Kerry had a "bad week" based on these "missteps" because every time the media prints some response to the "crooked liar" comment, it advances the "crooked liar" meme for Democrats, swing voters, and disgruntled Republicans. Every time they print a response to the "foreign leaders want me" comment, it feeds those same voter's misgivings about Bush's alienation of our former friends and allies. It's true that the hard-core bush backers cheer this macho-cowboy "in your face" behavior by bush, but they never would have voted for Kerry anyway. Every time this "story" is brought up, swing voters and rebel Republicans are at least subliminally reminded of something that is ultimately a negative for bush.

Kerry's doing fine, and I don't think the media stories are doing him as much harm as it seems on the surface.

The "voted for it before I voted against it" was incredibly stupid though, I'll grant the author that.

[w4rma]

16. Hasn't Sen. Kerry been on vacation for the past week? (n/t)

[Widgetsfriend]

17. Kerry's bad week...

is totally a concoction of fanatical rightwingers!! Nothing that was said about him was true and everything is easily disproved. The only people who believe the tripe are rightwing minions who believe anything they're told by Rove and company. Those people aren't going to vote for Kerry anyway. In my opinion, Kerry has had a very good week because Howard Stern has been absolutely bashing Bush and company for two weeks. I understand he has 8,000,000 listeners each day. And he is now saying he would vote for Kerry and is urging his listeners to vote the same. Kerry just got two weeks worth of free negative ads from Stern and he didn't have to lift a finger! It's good, really!!

[TomSeaverr]

18. YAWN

If thats as good as they can do when the guy is on vacation and not responding back. The repugs are in trouble. Meanwhile the Money is flowing in for Kerry to begin fighting back. They can say what they want in these stupid ads but sooner or later there is going to be a debate when Bush can't run behind fat ass Rove.

[Gloria]

19. I just saw the $87 Billion ad on CNN a while ago....

I sat through the whole thing!
First of all, it's obvious Rove & Co. are in "softer approach" mode right now...No ominous music, just the message about defense....with the clip of a very tired looking Kerry saying he was for it before he voted against it.

I was surprised by how low key it was. However, it's bound to be pretty effective, because it contrasts Kerry's votes with video of people in uniform, etc.

The not so subtle message, beyond the vote, is the idea that Kerry doesn't love our service people.

I'm hoping Kerry is able to explain his vote...I've always felt it was a negative for him....

[David Dunham]

22. Calm Down. Kerry will get back to domestic issues and do fine.

When he starts campaigning again, Kerry will focus on domestic issues, where Bush is weak, and begin to score real points.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

24. I agree, David.

Kerry is very strong on domestic issues and I think he'll do a good job bringing attention to them with the voters.

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

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[oasis]

25. Kerry will rack up valuable points in the debates. Bush will be a deer in

the headlights. It will show.