THREE big blunders: BAD start to week for Kerry campaign!!!!

[jackstraw45]

1. Kerry condemns the new Move-on ad defending him from the swiftboat attacks. How is it that Move-On and the Kerry campaign aren't coordinating behind the scenes on message?!?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20040817/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_war_records


2. Giving fresh meat to the Repugs, the Kerry campaign CONFUSES their own candidate with Bob Kerrey and claims erroneously that Kerry served as vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040817/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_confusion&e=1&ncid=

3. The Sunday talk show fiasco with NO democrat firmly on message to refute GOP attacks.


This election is NOT over folks. There are plenty of swing voters just waiting to be swept up by GOP convention propaganda.

These kinds of multiple screw-ups in face of attacks LOSE elections come October.

[kwolf68]

1. And just think

Alan Keyes is out there stumping for Bush.

Seriously, I don't think those are horrible issues. #1 is Damage Control. He is playing the Good Cop as said.

The name issue? Really a non-issue. Won't affect any voters.

#3 is the one most pressing and I hope the Kerry team gets that garbage straight. It was a sloppy weekeend.

[jackstraw45]

6. It's not the name. The Rethugs are trying to pain Kerry as "dishonest"

bragging about a position he didn't hold.

And before we say it's harmless, look how the mythical "flip-flopper" attack took hold with NO basis whatsoever.

The GOP will attack and attack and attack some more.

This is NO way to mount a defense, IMO.

[Hoping4Change]

2. As to #1 it is illegal for 527's to coordinate with poltical parties.

I agree with ypu other points especially #3.

[jackstraw45]

5. C'mon, you and I aren't that naive that they could be THIS crossed

on message. I think this swiftboat crap is getting SO MUCH press without a STRONG and UNIFIED dem response that it IS doing damage in critical areas.

Kerry & any dem organization SHOULD have common friends coordinating message...yes I know it's illegal for them to officially coordinate but message needs to be established through outside consultants. This is not how good politics is done.

[Julien Sorel]

12. Whether they coordinated or not, this was a win for Kerry.

The ads will continue to run, and he looks like he took the high road, whereas Bush chose to sit on his ass and make empty noise, obviously wanting it both ways. Kerry took strong action, and Bush prevaricated. But Bush claims to have "moral clarity" and be a man of action. Bush looks bad as a result of this, even if only the media notice.

[Hoping4Change]

15. First of all I think that the repukes have moveon under the

microscope looking for collusion so I don't think that they would be willing to risk any sort of coordination. Secondly there is probably real disagreement in moveon about the way the Kerry campaaign is handling the swiftboat crap and moveon is therefore not willing to roll over and play nice.

Frankly I think that Kerry campaign has not hit back hard enough, in fact I posted over the weekend an excellent analysis from the Guardian by a former Dem strategist who argued that Kerry is wrong not to hit back hard on this and he cited the results McCain's silence when he his service record was attacked.


edit removed "I agree with you"

[WI_DEM]

3. I agree the election isn't over

I do think we have fallen into GOP traps in the last couple of weeks especially when Kerry didn't refuse to answer Rove's hypothetical question on how he would have voted on the Iraqi Resolution if he had it to do over again. I also think we are not getting the best democratic spokespeople on some of these shows to combat the GOP lies.

[girl gone mad]

9. Agreed.

He should have refused to answer, or said simply that hindsight is 20/20 and there is no point in dwelling on his vote because he believed Bush would act more responsibly. The real issue now should be how poorly Bush has managed the war on terror and the war in Iraq. Instead, the medis is still focused on whether or not Kerry should have voted to give Bush authority.

He really fumbled with thaat answer.

[lastknowngood]

4. I sure hope he's not tring to lose

n/t

[chuck555]

7. Maybe one.

No one cares about the boat shit. No one watches Sunday TV shows unless their in the hospital and cant change channels.

[Carni]

8. I don't see what the big deal is with the ad

Moveon is an independent group running an ad.

If I am not mistaken the Democrats have been calling for bush to denounce the swift boat ad (which he will not do)

So Kerry does what bush won't do and says the ad is inappropriate because the campaign should be about issues.

WTF is the big deal?

Now bush will look pretty petty for not denouncing the swift boat vets.

As far as I am concerned this just puts the bush campaign on the defensive.

As to the other two issues I have to read the articles.

[jackstraw45]

17. That's a good "inside the beltway" strategy...just not sure if most folks

have the time or energy to break it down like that places like Missouri, Ohio, and New Mexico.

I hope you're right though and most people pick up on this - but I don't like candidates playing sly games with swing voters who change their votes based on farts in the wind.

I prefer a direct, firm and factual response.

[Carni]

18. They won't have to break it down

They'll probably see it immediately (quicker than what we all might because we are so innundated with all things political)

Unless people are die hard bush lovers they are just looking for an excuse at this point to dislike bush.

He made a grave tactical error on Larry King when he wouldn't denounce the swiftboat ads and I think that was a decision that he made all on his own, in spite of what he was told to do!

Move on and Kerry jumped on it IMO!

[capriccio]

10. aS BLUNDERS GO...

#1. Actually looks like a nice strategic stroke to me. Move.on and Kerry surrogates get the message out on Bush, while Kerry gets to link arms with McCain and tsk..tsk nasty campaigning. They probably didn't coordinate this because they can't by 527 rules, but I think there's a lot of winking and nodding going on.

#2. Looks like really small potatoes. I'd say there'll be about two-dozen more little screw ups like this between now and election day and none of them will change a single vote.

#3 As for a Sunday talk show counterpunch? That's inside the beltway stuff for consumption by political junkies...DUers & Freepers alike. On Sundays most swing voters are out swinging--golf clubs, tennis rackets, spouses, etc. They're not watching the Russert clones and motely spinmeisters.

[Carni]

11. That's exactly what I thought about issue #1

If anything I thought it was pretty clever and that Roves co is probably livid.

[Bread and Circus]

21. Bah....this doesn't make Kerry look as good as you think....

It just makes him look like a panderer...like he will do anything to "make nice". It plays right into that "sensitive War" barb Cheney gave him. People, in time of War, both with terrorists and the Nazi GOP, want someone who is strong (and even wrong). They don't want mealy mouthed sensitivity.

[Gloria]

13. If they were only this quick in condemning the original swift boat ad!!!!!

OY.

Oh, Clark was on message about the troop redeployments...but having Carl Levine undercut him ON THE SAME SHOW...now, that's simply "fabulous." (sarcasm)

PS...I can't begin to tell you about our state communications situation...

[Uzybone]

14. The sky is falling the sky is falling !!!!

n/t

[Feanorcurufinwe]

16. You want the Kerry campaign to break the law?

How is it that Move-On and the Kerry campaign aren't coordinating behind the scenes on message?!?

:wtf: that would be illegal

[DemocratSinceBirth]

19. Ten Thousand Political Strategists Out Of A Job And DU

has about a dozen attempting to do it for free...

[Guaranteed]

20. It's because we care. nt