How best should the Kerry campaign pre-empt NYC protest & violence?

[codegreen]

Poll question: How best should the Kerry campaign pre-empt NYC protest & violence?

there will be some violence, either instigated by a few really radical 'anarchist' type people, or by the police, or by GOP instigators masquerading as protesters.
but nomatter how it starts, violence will be attributed to 'Kerry supporters' most likely, or the 'Bush-hating liberals'... you get the idea.
so how best should the campaign and the candidate pre-empt this eventuality?
Kerry was a protester. he's been there, in a dark time; been arrested, been in the thick of it all. he has the experience and the credentials to address this head on and effectively. he could stress nonviolence, peaceful demonstration, and how to react if violence occurs around you. so here's the options i can come up with; (of course a multitude of these can be done)

[Radical Activist]

1. Kerry should condemn heavy handed tactics of FBI, police, Bloomberg

against the protesters. Protests have been getting smaller because of intimidation and violence by police and national guard units. The basic rights of assembly, free speech and petitioning the government are being destroyed. Kerry should speak out against that and the failure of NYC to provide adequate outlets for free expression during the convention.

Let's highlight the fact that Bush is turning the US into a police state.

[codegreen]

4. he could address that as well, to some extent...

but what i want is "Kerry makes impassioned plea for a peaceful protest" with a story about how Kerry said violence won't solve anything, and that if violence starts one shouldn't join in, and should instead do this or that... you know, sort of a 'hey, let's keep our cool' type of thing.

[Radical Activist]

9. You may want that but

if we're going to stop violence at the convention it would be more effective to change the attitude and behavior of the mayor and the small army of uniformed police and military personnel that will be at the convention. They will be the ones with the most weapons, the greatest capacity to create violence, and are the ones most likely to do so.
I view your suggestion as being similar to telling a woman not to wear revealing clothing because she might get raped. Why not just stop the rapist instead? You're blaming the victim.

[codegreen]

12. i'm not blaming anyone. i'm talking only about preventative measures,

a sort of talk to the flock, so it's there and on record.

could he bash the mayor and the police on certain things too? i guess so. what would you really have him say about that though?

[Radical Activist]

13. That Bloomberg should agree

to grant permits that protest groups are asking for. Denying the permits is an invitation to violence. He should also condemn the tactics used in Miami and suggest that the Republican convention should go differently.
I would also like to at least see more people in the media acknowledge that terrorism is being used as an excuse to keep down protesters. That's the reason for the NYC terror threat warning and the FBI interrogations of protesters. There's no excuse for exploiting terrorism as a tool to silence those who disagree with your politics. That point would even appeal to middle america.

[codegreen]

15. alright. i agree about addressing the denial of permits.

whether or not there is much point in bringing up Miami, i dunno. not that i'm against bringing it up in a sensible, restrained, smart way.

i also agree about the terror-as-excuse thing, and that the media should certainly cover that more. i don't think it would be wise for Kerry to address it though, for pragmatic reasons regarding how the press would cover it and how Bush would smear him and so on; but that's just my observation (and probably the Kerry campaign's as well)

[Sugarbleus]

14. I agree with you. We have to take the higher ground.

Let the "peaceful" march message go on record. If there are any problems, let it come from the other side--not ours. Cops and security are always on edge; it takes very little to get those goons to react.

I follow the Ghandi and MLK brand of protest...firm, forward, and NON VIOLENT. In other words I mean WE shouldn't START something..reacting is another thing. Breaking windows and acting like a fool is shameful for a party supposed to be about peace and humanity. Let the establishment be the FOOLS and horse asses.

[codegreen]

16. cool. i hope this line of talk is transpiring over at the campaign

we should keep the issue alive here, and try to pass it on to the campaign so hopefully they will address it fully! it would be good for the campaign and hopefully diminish the negative effect any violence would have on our cause

[Sugarbleus]

17. =o) ..... n/t

[Danger Duck]

2. Or

Kerry should throw the first Montlov cocktail, cackle insanely, howl at the moon, and feast on the blood of the damned?

Here's a thought. How about Kerry getting off his ass and start playing some offense, and how about dems losing the mentality that we have to play defense? When you defend every conceivable thing, you look terrible.

For example, * and co never directly address any of the burning questions or issues thrown at them, or do so rarely(the reserve issue, and the Niger issue), and come to think of it, they barely responded to those. Kerry is so busy trying not to be a "flip-flopper", or to defend his war record, he's not focusing on beating the most unelectable candidate since, well, since I can remember.

[Dogmudgeon]

7. What he said.

The Duck speaks the truth.

--bkl

[codegreen]

11. i've been asking for him to do that for months, and agree

(except for the first line, of course)

i'm talking about an aside from all that, not an 'instead of'. this would be a special thing to address while simultaneously, hopefully, going very offensive on Bush.

[Radical Activist]

3. Why don't we ask police to use peaceful methods?

The police and national guard are the ones causing most of the violence at the large protests lately. Why not ask security units to use peaceful tactics instead of herding people, using tear gas and clubs indiscriminately on people who are not attacking them.

[codegreen]

8. i understand, and agree, but

perhaps i'm trying to be a little too realistic in aknowledging that it would be foolish for our candidate, the senator, to get up and start bitching about the police and the man and teargas and all that... the police are supposed to know what their job is and Kerry certainly shouldn't try to cast aspersions on the will of the police...

[Kimber Scott]

5. This isn't our convention. Let the Republicans shovel their own shit.

nt

[codegreen]

10. but it is our people who will be in the streets there for most part

it's may not be our convention, but it is all of our country, and New York is of course a democratic stronghold... and Kerry is a national figure who could easily at least try to help steer this in a better direction.

[Dogmudgeon]

6. He should humiliate Bush over the SwiftLiars' scandal

Nothing slakes the lusts of the AnarKids better than some good Political Theater.

If John Kerry is able to make Dubya do the Chicken Dance at the 'Publican National Convention -- in full view of the world -- the Black Bloc will be too entranced to do any crimes. They'll all have to slink back to their squats and their parents' basements and find other meaningful political action in which to engage -- like ordering sushi, then not paying.

--bkl
The life of a Democratic presidential candidate is intense ...