THE CHANGE

[saccheradi]

It seems Kerry has completely modified his tenor in a way I've expected he's wanted to from day one. Does anyone know for what purpose was he holding back so much before two weeks ago? It really did make him appear weak when it was obvious that he was REALLY censuring himself to avoid hammering the Shrub on much of anything. I want to know why he did that instead of coming across three months ago the way he RANG OUT last night.

Any insights anyone?

[cheshire]

1. Because he basically is not a f**king asshole and It doesn't come as easy

as it does the littlest dictator.

[movonne]

2. Maybe it is making more of an impact now than if he started this

sooner....

[ezee]

4. I was saying the same

Thing to my friend this morning.

[genius]

3. Last night he had Dean's fire. That was great.

[21winner]

13. Well perhaps Dean's fire,

but not Dean's lame campaigning.

[ScreamingMeemie]

24. I'm sick of this. Dean was great at campaigning. It's a shame so many

here are so frightened of the man who is going to give us our party back. It's why all my money goes to DFA and the Dean dozen.

[jmowreader]

5. Limiting Shrub's ability to strike back?

The primary tactic Kerry must use for the rest of the campaign is hitting Bush hard and fast on one thing, then changing the thing he attacks on before Rove can counter. This he is doing.

What he hits him on is as important as how he does it. All the Vietnam shit is fun, but Bush's three years in office have provided Kerry material sufficient to rip the boy hundreds of new assholes a day. He's doing this too--Iraq, the economy, how he's screwing the vets.

[calimary]

6. Well, everybody (who claims to know) has been saying Kerry is a strong

finisher. Maybe we're starting to see this.

I sure as hell hope so!

[liberal N proud]

9. I think it is the start of a Strong Finish.

He also added some people from former Clinton's crew so that also could be a factor

[librechik]

7. he wants to let them attack to figure out what they have

and not waste a lot of time being caught on tape sounding defensive. That would have given the goons LOTS of time to twist and discredit everything he said. He wants them to appear shrill and loud and eventually run down and exhaust the audience. Rope a Dope.

Better for Kerry to stick to the issues, which he did, though hardly anybody seemed to notice. The media are making up their own reality.

Now that they've brought out their whole arsenal and it consists of "Kerry has nothing to run on--why won't he talk about the issues"--the classic branding of one's opponents with one's own shortcomings-- he's got their range and is responding knowledgeably and effectively, after a lot of their ammo has turned out to be duds.

[spooky3]

8. Here's my hypothesis: according to a Stanford political scientist

(sorry, I don't remember his name) research shows that while "negative" campaigning fires up one's base (namely, us!), "positive" campaigning is more effective at winning over the undecided. So, the campaign leaders probably thought it would be better to try to stick with the "positive" stuff but several factors now may have changed that. First, the poll numbers were not showing that refraining from being more direct and honest (my view of "negative" campaigning from a Dem perspective; from a Repub. perspective, it's anything goes, truth or not) was paying off. Second, the base has been more fired up than in any prior campaign, but now that it's getting close to election day, the campaign leaders may have agreed that it was important to re-fire them up, even if it means losing a few swing voters--the get out the vote strategy. Third, the focus seems to be more on attracting voters who haven't voted previously because a large proportion of them supposedly will vote Dem. Maybe the more fiery rhetoric appeals to them. Fourth, and I think this is as big as any, Clinton really got through to Kerry that when the smear machine gets going as it did in August, you have to hit back hard. While they didn't want to spend the $ in August, and maybe were hoping that the media would do its job and expose the Swift Boat Liars for what they were, it became more and more apparent that in Sept. they would have to confront it.

[gratuitous]

10. Campaign spending limits

Remember, during August, Kerry was operating under the FEC rules that said he could spend only $75 million the rest of the way. Stupidhead, by virtue of his cynical manipulation of the scheduling process, still had unlimited funds to spend during August.

Nothing would have made the Bush campaign happier than to see Kerry blow a wad of money during August, knowing that he would then be at a big, big disadvantage come the latter part of October. So the Swifties came out in August, and Bush did some of his heaviest hitting, hoping that Kerry would imprudently spend his finite war chest.

Instead, Kerry waited it out, knowing that the real campaign still lay ahead, and these stalling skirmishes at the frontier were designed to make him waste valuable resources. Now that Kerry and Bush are on a more or less equal spending footing, Kerry's letting Stupidhead have it.

Gosh, it's almost like the guy's run for office before or something.

[saccheradi]

14. a thought...

I was wondering why he didn't come out stronger in his speeches, even if he couldn't spend the money in other media venues. Y

our post made me realize that every point he fires against * in his speeches must be backed by an immediate outlay of money to combat the retaliation that's sure to follow... predicting the money necessary to make an offensive work, he held off until he knew he would have the resources to follow through...

does that thought hold water?

[gratuitous]

17. Money always helps

And holding back because it does take money to follow through on a verbal salvo, but I also think that the addition of some of the former Clinton advisors has had an impact on his rhetoric.

In any event, I'm pleased with the way he and the Democrats have been campaigning this week. It's certainly energized my efforts, and I hope it will energize other people's efforts, too!

Because these thieving bastards that stole our country aren't just going to hand it back willingly. We're going to have to rip it out of their greedy, grasping, blood-stained hands.

[belle]

18. Could be. I know that he's a strategist at heart. We'll see...

[Tamyrlin79]

19. It doesn't cost anything....

to add a line or two of response into a speech you are already giving.

[21winner]

11. Big John suckered them in.

He ran a clean campaign and they hit bottom with liar boat ads. Feable as it was it was their best shot. Now Kerry can attack Bush at will. Bush has a target-rich record.

[genius]

12. His comment about lowering expections was great.

[knowbody0]

16. the change

something ive had a "knowing" about all along. he has a clean campaign, allowing his opponent to show his ludricous side, shame on them. kerry has dignity,but he is absolutely fearless as a warrior, which he is just beginning to show them.he he he hahaha

[Zen Democrat]

15. Bob Shrum was kicked to the curb. Responsible for SwiftVets silence.

[gcomeau]

20. The only poll that matters...

...is Nov 2. And yes, that's answering your question.

If he shot his bolt 3 months ago by now Bush's team would have worked out how to counter his attacks with the public with their multi-hudred million dollar campaign machine. So he would have got a jump in the polls in June which would have been blunted. What would be the point?

Quick summary of the situation as it stands now:

We're past the Republican convention.

We're past the 9/11 anniversary

We're past an August in which Kerry barely spent any advertising money AT ALL in which the smear vets were plastered all over the news and the GOP was advertising on every television they could get their message onto, and if you toss out the polls like Gallop that have clearly flawed methodology the race is STILL neck and neck.

The Bush campaign is now on the same budget Kerry's on, levelling that playing field.

And Kerry just pulled out the big guns it looks like he's been saving for a special occasion, with little time for Bush's team to work up a counter and do damage control before Nov 2... the only poll that matters.

-Grant

[WilliamPitt]

21. The campaign has had a game plan, and has stuck to that plan

and this is part of the plan.

Faith. Patience. Work.

[ScreamingMeemie]

22. We need signs and stickers here in MI, folks. Signs may not vote, but

people vote based on signs.

My son knew what Kleenex meant before he knew what tissue meant. :hi:

[Mr_Spock]

23. He's a lion. Walks quietly & attacks when hungry or when cornered.

He is gonna eat Dumbya for lunch - win or lose Dumbya will be rendered inoperable.