Reply #25: Most of the damage is already done.

[K-W]

And I think it is pretty obvious Bush is never going to condemn the swift boat ads. Even if he did, the damage is done, Kerry's persona has been pretty scarred by it. Bush is going to condemn all 537's pretending that it is not only the same as condemning lies, but that he is going further than Kerry.

McCain will do what he ALWAYS does and after a minor huff support Bush 100%.

We lost this battle. Bush has come out looking like he has the high road and Kerry has come out looking petty. It looks like Kerry is trying to manipulate things while Bush is fighting for non-partisan reform.

This is obviously false, but that is how it looks from a distance and undecided voters only see things from the distance.

Kerry should have taken his lump, let the democrats discredit the swifties, and then waited till closer to the election to put his swift boat crew on tv to play up his heroism. He should have done the exact same thing as Bush in regards to the Moveon ad, he should have avoided condemning it. I dont care if McCain is his blood brother, im not going to lose this election because Kerry is a better friend to McCain than Bush. McCain has already abandoned Kerry anyway.

Kerry made a very slick move that imresses those of us who pay close attention. He got Bush and he got him good, but that doesnt matter a lick to voters. From the outside Bush has won, and if Kerry cant learn to play for the image from a distance he is going to lose these battles, he is going to lose the debates, and he is going to lose this election.