I just submitted this on the JohnKerry.com site; tell me I'm nuts.

[iconoclastic cat]

I sent this:
Dear Senator Kerry and dedicated staff:

I am sure that you receive email all the time giving you suggestions and praise, but I feel I must encourage what I believe are two fantastic ideas that you appear to be pursuing. Since I assume that most of you and your staff are considerably more intelligent than I am, this whole message is probably just a statement of the obvious.

In any case, this is what I have noticed:
1. According to CBS News, you "said Tuesday that drivers are paying a "Saudi-George Bush gasoline tax" because the president hasn't pressured oil-producing nations to increase their output." (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/25/politics/main619376.shtml) This is absolutely brilliant, because if oil prices drop, it will look as if both the Saudis and President Bush were influenced by your pressure. If prices don't improve, you still look like you're more on top of the issue! Bloody brilliant!

2. In addition, I believe that keeping the public anxious about whether you will or will not accept the nomination is possibly the best publicity stunt ever.
Imagine: Senator Kerry keeps the world guessing and worrying, "Will he accept?" Even Republicans wring their hands right up to the very last second. Record numbers of people actually watch the convention coverage, which will culminate in rapt attention to Senator Kerry as he takes the podium. At this point, you could give the most boring speech in the world, and people will still be breathlessly following every word. When you finally say, "And I accept your nomination...," the whole place will go up like the crowd at a Rolling Stones concert when the first three chords of "Start Me Up" bang out of Keith's guitar.

Of course, I am sure you have already worked out the details of your strategy. I guess that I am just dying to know if what I am seeing and hearing is part of your plan. Maybe I should just volunteer and make myself useful.
Good luck!

[ArkDem]

1. If you'd only put in a warning against slow blinking

running mates.....

[iconoclastic cat]

3. Hey, I forgot!

I'll bring that up at the Meetup on Thursday. (my first!)

[cestmoi]

2. I think it better that he delay acceptance but not let on until

the nomination speech. Kerry just has to get in front of the issue. I've heard that it was Bush that delayed the repub convention. If this is so why isn't Kerry jumping all over this?

[aldian159]

4. Genius, not bad at all

Very good remarks.

[iconoclastic cat]

5. If it's genius, it's Kerry's genius.

I bet his staff is reading it and saying, "Yeah, no shit, Dick Tracy."