Kerry Suspending his campaign?? Ridiculous!!

[sampsonblk]

If Kerry wants to do something in remembrance of Reagan, how about campaign harder! Reagan was persistent if not much else. Gotta give the guy credit, he just wouldn't quit until he won the Repug nomination.

What a fitting tribute for Kerry to offer. On the one hand, it honors one of the few good traits about the guy, and on the other it doesn't appear to support or condone what Reagan stood for - which is repugnant and disgusting to most of us here.

If the shoe were on the other foot... I can hear Shrub now: Out of respect for former President Bill Clinton, I am going to campaign from sunup to sundown...

[Stocat]

1. maybe

Maybe he will do what Norm Coleman did for Paul Wellstone...Suspend his campaign by making the round in interviews to talk about how he is not campaigning.

[sampsonblk]

13. Great idea

Now THAT would be fighting fire with fire.

[bluestateguy]

2. Relax, it's June not October

He's only suspending for a few days and any benefit he got from continuing to campaign would be a) drown out by all the gushing coverage of Reagan and b) the subject of much whining from the Republican Echo machine, later to find it's way into accepted conventional wisdom.

[physioex]

3. I agree...

Kerry is quite the smart one when it comes to these things. As an early Dean supporter I was in "shock and awe" as to his assention into the number one spot...Let him handle things as he sees fit, and be patient..

[PVnRT]

20. Good points

Anything he could do over the next few days would just be drowned out, and the GOP would whine, whine, whine about how he was "capitalizing" off of Reagan's death, and we all know what kind of voice and legitimacy the right-wing has in the media anymore.

[drfemoe]

4. where did you read

that he is suspending his campaign?

[SHRED]

11. Here:

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=5353654

[enki23]

5. when he says he's "suspending his campaign" in reagan's honor...

he *is* campaigning.

[hlthe2b]

7. Exactly. By doing so, he has disarmed the opposition....

Every time the upcoming election and current state of politics comes up during the coming week and its wall to wall Reagan memorializing, the fact that Kerry "did the honorable thing and temporarily suspended his campaign out of respect" will be the story-- not negative reporting. This, in, and of itself gets him good press.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. And laughing his ass off...

because Shrub in Europe is also knocked off the news.

Speeches in Normandy, Reagan's funeral...

No point in doing anything but sitting back and letting it all pass.

[hlthe2b]

6. First rule o politics: don't shoot yourself in the foot.....!

Had he continued during this period, it would have backfired!

Even non-Reagan worshippers would have felt it inappropriate. Grief is something most of us can relate to. With international leadership coming to commemorate Reagan in a State funeral this week, there is simply no place for opposition politics. Anything Kerry would do or say would result in nothing but negative coverage. He had no choice.

[Cocoa]

9. are you sure Reagan was such a tireless campaigner?

I always saw him as someone who kind of took it easy.

[quaker bill]

10. It is not like he is making all that much headway anyway.

Who will even notice?

However, they would have noticed if he did not stop and pay respects to the dead.

[tritsofme]

12. What would he accomplish on the trail??

The media will ignore him and continue its Reagan love fest for the next week or so regardless of what John Kerry does, and he could probably use some time to relax.

Plus he gets the good press for suspending his campaign, and looking like a statesman.

[DrFunkenstein]

14. I Thoroughly Agree With You And enki23

It is amazing how folks around here only recognize one tactic: straight-ahead, non-stop, podium-pounding, fire-breathing speechifying.

People around here think a national campaign is checkers. Thankfully, Kerry is playing chess (and foosball, according to Chris Heinz).

[curse10]

16. another in agreement

this is not the time to go for the home run- a sacrifice fly will get the run in as well.

[sampsonblk]

15. He can accomplish plenty

He can meet with small veterans groups who have misgivings, for one thing. Now is a great time - during the D-Day celebrations.

There is plenty he can do that doesn't depend on the media. Hey, there's a lot of ABB out there, but not much pro-Kerry. He has to get out there. Every day off is a day wasted.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. It's a great excuse for Kerry to conserve his resources (money)

and also he has already issued a great diplomatic statement.
I think this is a good, smart and appropos. move

[Hippo_Tron]

18. I thought that Kerry set out on a campaign Friday to get Veterans' vote...

Did he stop this or something?

[dolstein]

19. Calm down and read the news more closely next time

He has only suspended overtly political activities. He'll still meet with his advisors. His television ads will still be running. I'm sure his private fundraising activities will continue. So all he's doing is suspending major public campaign events that would be drowned out anyway by the mass media's collective genuflection over President Regan's death.

[Gore1FL]

21. Even John Ashcroft suspecnede his campaign

when Carnahan died. It was much closer tot he election.


I think it is minimally prudent ot at least rise to the ebbing levels of Ahcroft's compassion.

[ElaineinIN]

22. It just might help

My "conservatives against Bush" husband came to me and said what a classy thing is was that Kerry was going to suspend campaigning, and how tasteless but typical it was that Bush would continue. He's always voted Republican, but this year he won't vote for Bush, and just might vote for Kerry (I'm working on it...)

[Freddie Stubbs]

23. He would be wasting his time anyway

The news coverage is going to be wall-to-wall Reagan until the end of the week. He might as well rest up and save his money.

[David Zephyr]

24. I Believe That Senator Kerry Did the Right Thing Here.

I am no fan of Reagan, as most know, but I'm not running for President either.

Senator Kerry showed great grace and leadership by his actions in suspending his campaigning. It was the correct thing to do.