An Opportunity for John Kerry

[DeminDC]

The media has started to come back to our side due to the loyalty oaths at Bush events, the threats of no access, and the failure to address any questions. It is a slow process, but some progress has been made, most notably at MSNBC due to the work of Tweety and Olbermann.

Kerry has been out in front the last couple of days and seems to have re-captured some voice in this campaign.

Now, it is time to make good on it. This must begin with a serious re-evaluation of staff at the campaign. Some of the surrogates are not getting the job done, and the strategists are making some pretty awful calls. For a while, Kerry seemed to lack a message, and maybe he still does.

The objective must now be three-fold:
1) All campaigns require a message through which the media interprets the candidate. How does the media need to interpret John Kerry? One must also have a message about Bush. What is Kerry's message about Bush? I don't know. It needs to be a few succinct words. Maybe hypocrite. Maybe sell-out to the richest Americans.
2) All campaigns need to then stick to the message once it is decided upon. Kerry's surrogates have been off their game for the most part with the result that Bush has gotten 3 weeks without a serious discussion of issues.
3) Talk about issues within the context of the message. Why is Kerry's message necessary for America at this time? What is Bush doing and why is that bad? That needs to be the discussion.

Once they have that, Kerry's folks need to come up with some way of pitching it to America. IMO, they lost out at the convention in doing this because most of the convention dealt with imagery that the national media cabal demanded. It is a difficult task, but they must make the most of every opportunity.

Now is a great opportunity for Kerry to take Bush off his feet before the RNC. So, I think it would behoove the campaign to come up with a fitting attack to get these Swift Boat clowns out of the news and Bush on his heels.

They would do well to remember something in their recent ad. McCain showed that attacking Bush puts him on his feet, and he almost exudes shame. At other times, he simply deflects it with some stale, trite sound bite. Sadly, Al Qaeda proved it when they attacked and Bush spent critical time reading a children's story in front of kindergardeners. If you attack him head on, he is a deer in headlights. So, my message to KE04 is to get a message, stick to it, and fire away.

[incapsulated]

1. Welcome to DU, DeminDC!

:hi:

(Prepare to be flamed for having the nerve to give unsolicited advice to the Kerry campaign...)

[DeminDC]

2. KE04 is Our Only Hope

I've lurked on here for a long while, and I do notice that anti-Kerry sentiment here. The problem is that all elections are fought in the middle and elected officials move more to the extreme after the election.

Look at Chimp... Admittedly, he ran on a pretty moderate record. No nation-building... Compassion... Blah Blah Blah...

The only hope for Kerry is for him to stay in the middle and give carrots to the lefties after the election. The left should tow the line and vote Kerry lest we have 4 more years of Bush. We'll receive our due at the right moment, but this is not that moment.

[mzmolly]

3. Welcome to DU! I can tell I am going to enjoy your posts!

:toast:

Excellent remarks. Keep em' coming.

[kentuck]

4. "What is Kerry's message about Bush?"

:) Welcome !

Kerry's message about Bush should be intended to disarm him. Bush has nothing but a negative campaign. He has nothing positive to run on. Kerry needs to inform the people of his intentions - several times - until everyone is aware of Bush's strategy.

By saying to Mr Bush that he should stop all the negative campaigning and talk about the issues, would put the focus on Mr Bush if he continues to attack negatively. People are really turned off by that at this time.

No doubt, Bush will resort to very negative tactics in the last two or three days of the campaign and Kerry should be prepared for it.

[DeminDC]

5. That's Not Quite What I Mean

That is a good idea in of itself, but Kerry needs a message about Bush on the issues. It must be short, succinct and disarming.

A couple of suggestions:

Bush leads an America of fear. . Then, there need to be bullet points that explain how Bush promotes a culture of fear. Then, there must be an idea as to how this affects/hurts America. Then, folks must understand how and why Kerry is better and why his plan is better for America.

Bush leads America with only ideology. Kerry never trumps facts with ideology.

[opihimoimoi]

6. Whatever is causing Cheneys hair loss is contagious, Bush appears to

have been infested with Mange.....

Someone please get some wettable sulfur for the Shrub before he goes Bald.

Dats my input for the Shrub at this moment.

What Kerry can do is form a battle Plan for America to get this Nation un its feet once more. Its called a Bidness Plan for the Future. Bush has zero plans for the Common Good. Kerry has.

Lets form a circle and keep the spears pointed outward and success will be ours.

[kentuck]

9. Oh, I thought you wanted it concise and succinct ??

Are bullet points succinct? :)

[JPJones]

7. Sounds like you know something about campaigns

But is it possible that this is old school thinking? I think this election might be won in the gutter.

[JPJones]

8. Dupe n/t

[kentuck]

10. Actually, Kerry has a petition right now...

that is the perfect strategy, in my opinion. :)