I Think That John Kerry Is Running a Great Campaign. Do You Agree?

[David Zephyr]

Poll question: I Think That John Kerry Is Running a Great Campaign. Do You Agree?

Every national poll, in spite of their bias, reveals that John Kerry has caught on with the American people.

The crowds at the Kerry / Edwards events are huge by any standard even if the Media doesn't report this.

There seems to be lot of second guessing here lately at the DU about how Kerry handles questions and such.

I really haven't seen John Kerry slip up in any way whatsoever.

Early this year, I watched as John Kerry creamed my candidate, Howard Dean, in the Primaries. In fact, he creamed them all.

How many here, like me, feel that Senator Kerry, is doing very well against an incumbent President?

[rucky]

1. Beyond "just fine"...

he's running a great campaign!

[JohnLocke]

2. More options would be nice.

[Snoggera]

3. Yes. Yes I do!

All it takes is listening to him at one of his campaign stops to know that this man is genuine and will be a great president.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. I think Kerry is doing what he needs to do to get elected.

He is appealing to the broadest number of voters that he can. While I may not agree with every statement he makes, he is doing a good job of absorbing the body blows tossed at him by Bush, Rove et al and doing a superb job of turning it right back at them.

I realize some take issue with that which he MUST do to remain immune from being Dukakisized, but a guy that can't stand up to the blows can't win...and in THIS election, winning REALLY IS EVERYTHING.

[codegreen]

5. needs better soundbiting and understanding of how to frame the debate,

especially where it concerns getting messages thru the media, indeed using the media (all campaigns do it)

but yes it's better than i was expecting

[volosong]

6. Kerry-Edwards Campaign

Don't be fooled by the polls.

I think that the campaign could and should be much better; much more directed and on the offensive.

Bush is much more aggressive; often has Kerry off balance. Kerry is acting rather like a rape victim, with he rather than Bush "on trial."

I think if they hope to win, they had better start landing some real hits to Bush. God knows, they have the evidence....

I realize that there are many things that Kerry can and should not say, but Edwards can pick up the gauntlet and so too can the attack teams and field operatives. Where the heck are they?

They need to clobber Bush good BEFORE the Republican Convention.

If they wait to unload some of their "ammunition" until late in the campaign, I think the game will be lost.

The election is the Democrats to blow. We need to kick Bush's ass all over this country, nicely, but definitively.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

7. In other words, you want to abandon a winning strategy for an untested one

[David Zephyr]

10. Great Photo, Feanorcurufinwe!

This is typical of the crowds Kerry is drawing everywhere.

It says a lot. It says everything.

And it speaks to the Kerry / Edwards optimistic, upbeat spirit which is compelling during this time of war and recession.

And it's why I'm glad that Kerry isn't biting at every chance to attack Bush.

If the GOP goes negative in NYC as they did in Houston in 1992 in the Astrodome, they will turn off the voters by the millions.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

11. This really reminds me of 1992,

and although Clinton did correct false attacks, he did not allow it to transform his campaign into a negative one. But this year people are even more excited for a change, and I think Kerry will represent much more profound leftward change than Clinton.

[Ilsa]

8. I liked Kerry's reply to Dim Son's call as to whether Kerry would have

voted as he did in retrospect. But the problem is that Bush is trying to spin as something other than what Kerry said, and I'm not sure the audience can discern the difference.

[NV1962]

9. He's doing Just Fine, but the polls *don't* reflect it...

...FORTUNATELY!

I've seen several polls showing that this year voter intention is spiking. That being the case, I think Kerry's strategy is starting to pay off - as weeks go by, more and more of the "other" (previously non-voting) half will take notice, and come out in surprisingly high numbers. That "other" half is hardly taken into account in polls; instead, they fixate on the "likely" voters.

John Kerry's doing Just Fine, and the polls don't relect that - fortunately! That way the surprise boom past Bush will be all the more sweet.

But that doesn't mean we can sit and lean back - we have to sweat, fight and conquer more and more voters - every additional voter counts. Check in your family if there are non-registered voters, or those that have moved and haven't updated their address...

EVERY VOTE COUNTS!

Victory 2004

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. Well said

I hate being a dittohead but I agree strongly with every one of your points.

[Proud liberal Kat]

13. Doing just fine

The reality of the world is right now we have a two-party system and Bush is the incumbent. Kerry is doing a darn good job as far as I see it, he gives me hope that Armageddon may be averted LOL!

I would like to see over time there be reforms to our process and more power given to third parties and possibly run-off type elections where everyone could vote their conscience and then pick the best out of the top two. But that isn't the reality now.

The reality is that politics is a game and that unfortunately the winning prize is voters who don't necessarily always do much in-depth research or for that matter thought. If Kerry runs around willy-nilly saying things in controversial ways he may just lose because of it...I don't know about the rest of you but I don't want to be sitting devastated on my living room floor on Nov. 3rd with W winning holding onto the fact that Kerry said he was definitely wrong on IWR, stood up for gay marriage, and called out GW for the lying fool that he was in the election. I would rather be sleeping off my champagne on Nov. 3rd and see Kerry go into action knowing that he played the game as it had to be played to get the chance.

Short of lying and smear tactics, whatever Kerry needs to do to win is a-ok by me.
Kathy