Kerry Will Campaign During Republicans' Convention

[kskiska]

KETCHUM, Idaho, Aug. 17 - Breaking with tradition, Senator John Kerry plans to campaign for at least one day during the Republican National Convention, venturing to Nashville to speak at the American Legion's national convention.

Mr. Kerry's aides said that he would spend most of the Republican convention week relaxing at his family's seaside sanctuary on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts but that he would not miss the chance to speak to the veterans' group, a quadrennial ritual for presidential contenders. President Bush, who has spoken to the Legion every summer since 2000, has also been invited but has not yet confirmed an appearance.

(snip)

Charlie Cook, who edits a prominent political newsletter in Washington, said he could not recall another example of a presidential candidate campaigning during his rival's convention, but he quickly added, "We don't usually know we're going to have an election this close."

"That's why all the rules get chucked out the window," Mr. Cook said. "Nobody wants to be sitting in the chair the rest of his life thinking about the 500 things they could have done differently. Is it a break from tradition? Yes. Could someone argue it's in bad form? Yes. Are we surprised? No."

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/18/politics/campaign/18kerry.html

[A_Possum]

1. Yeah, and the pugs put their conv so close to 9/11

which probably screwed up the normal schedule.

[KC21304]

2. My thoughts exactly. Charlie Cook

should know that it was the Republicans who threw the rules out the window when they scheduled their convention into Sept. I'm sure the Veterans have had their convention at that time for years.

[yellowcanine]

6. Yes the American Legion Convention is always early Sept - remember

in 1988 when Poppy Bush screwed up at the American League Convention and said that Sept 7 was Pearl Harbor Day? He only missed it by 3 months, and to be fair, September and December rhyme so it is easy to see how one could make such a mistake. Err - actually it is mystifying. Oh well, I tried to be fair.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

9. Everyone knows. It's no secret.

Speaking before the veterans is priority no.1 for Kerry. Bush and his convention be damned.

[gratuitous]

3. I can remember another example

It happened in 2004, during the Democratic National Convention.

Jesus H. Jumping Up Christ on a Crutch Riding in a Sidecar! How Cheneying stoopid do they think we are? They think we've forgotten what happened just three weeks ago?

[Democat]

5. The media does not report negative news on George W. Bush

So that didn't count!

[Frodo]

10. What was the example?

[mitchtv]

4. Maybe Frist shouldn't have gone to SD and campaigned aginst Daschele

They have showed their colors. They are in no position to cry foul.

[Ernesto]

7. Screw tradition, Party On John!

I know ya need & deserve a rest, but I didn't send the $$$$$ to hear about vacations (unless it's the chimp's).

[rpannier]

8. Clinton campaigned through the puke convention in 92.

It was great.

[lancdem]

11. Kerry is doing exactly what he should

Besides, remember how the Repukes rained all over the Dem convention.

[DCCyclone]

12. My disappointment about this would be...

...if Kerry takes ANY days off from campaigning during the GOP convention. No one is going to vote against Kerry because he campaigned during the GOP convention. But a few people might vote FOR Kerry because he showed up in their town that week. Besides, I don't think most people even know that there's a "tradition" not to campaign during the opposing party's convention. I say that because I'm a political junkie and even I didn't know it was a "tradition" not to campaign during the other party's convention. Therefore, I doubt most voters, who are far more apolitical than I, know about it or would care if they were told of it.

[Mokito]

16. Welcome aboard, DCCyclone!

[MisterGamut]

20. Excellent point.

I remember thinking when they said that Bush was honoring the no-campaigning tradition back during the DNCC that this was a new one on me. Maybe it was something Bush's people floated as a talking point just so that they could use it as a bludgeon on Kerry.

Thing is, if it was a tradition it probaly got started because campaigning during the opponent's convention got no coverage. You know, back in the day of three networks and two national magazines. Which means it was less of a courtesy to the opposition than a pragmatic conservation of resources.

[The Stranger]

13. "Rules" and "tradition" about not campaigning during your opponent's

convention? Didn't that begin and end with Dukakis?

[yellowcanine]

14. Excuse me but addressing the American Legion during ONE day of

the Pubbie convention is hardly "campaigning." Besides there would be no Pubbie convention then if they had held it at the regular time instead of late to coincide with the 9-11 anniversary and allow Bush to save federal campaign funds. Is Bush going to address the American Legion convention? If so, what is the beef?

[creeksneakers2]

15. The Republicans will work like crazy

to get people to boo Kerry at that convention.

[Mokito]

17. Probably...

...but with an 100% invitation only crowd...Who cares?

[rfranklin]

18. Appraently they booed today at the VFW...

and by the end of his speech Kerry got a standing ovation and had to stay for twenty minutes shaking hands. Because, unlike Bush he talked about how he would actually support the vets, not prevent them from getting the benefits they expected.

[canuckybee]

19. Really? This is great news.

[Piperay]

21. Some of them also turned their backs on him

but I am glad to hear that it turned out good in the end. :-)