What is this about Kerry "resting" during the repub convention?

[saracat]

Does anyone think this is wise? I know it is traditional but this isn't a traditional campaign. Another argument might be that all the media coverage will go to the repukes, but I think if he breaks tradition they might go to him for reaction and the exposure would be good. Any thoughts?

[iamjoy]

1. Bush Did It During The DNC

The Democrats will have some one "responding" - I just don't remember who. Since most of the media coverage is focused on the convention, there is little point in campaigning.

From what I hear, MoveOn.org plans to run ads during the RNC, not sure what channels.

[Bettie]

9. Tom Vilsack is responding

during the Repub convention.

[saracat]

18. Visak is no pitbull.

He is a very "nice" guy. If we have a surrogate ,it needs to be a quick witted SOB. This niceness is killing us. Clinton said to hit back, hard, and we aren't. We need to listen to Clinton. He won. Why does the Kerry Campaign hire losers like Shrum? He has only worked losing campaigns.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

11. Bush resting during Dem convention? Nah, VACATION!

That's the spin, actually I believe he was just using the Democratic convention as an excuse for another one of his long, interminable vacations.

I, also, think the media really pushes the "etiquette" of the opponent "resting" during each other's party convention to make their job easier. They throw all their resources at the convention and don't want to have to follow another guy around reporting on him, too. What if he actually makes news and they have the terrible decision to pull off one of the talking heads to cover the event? Decisions, decision, worry, worry. Keep him quiet and everybody, repubs and the media are happy.

I say let's shake things up, forget about being polite - Kerry and Edwards need to campaign and campaign hard this next week. Raise all the issues they want, harp on the last four years, bring the platform to the fore - either the repubs will ignore them (good for us) and stay on point pushing the convention "news" or force them to pull off task (again, good for us) and off message and drain resources to keep Kerry/Edwards from having a free week of unanswered charges. Love to see them on defense during the convention. Time to throw a few elbows.

Also, would love to see huge, peaceful demonstrations being held all over the country every day of the convention. No violence, just thousands and thousands of people marching in protest to this administration, the war, the economy, etc. While they are in New York patting themselves on the pat we could to be reminding people exactly what they are all about. The protests shouldn't be just limited to just New York. My two cents worth.

[LTR]

2. It's a good idea

Anything he would do this week would likely be drowned out by the Facist Tea Party (aka the RNC Convention).

Besides, I think he could use a short break. Let him kick back for a few days, save up some strength, and then bust out of the gate next Friday.

[The Hair in my Nose]

13. Kerry should lay low... So should the demonstrators

... the RNC will divert attention from the Swift Bloat crap and when it is over we do a major assault on the issues we should have been hammering all along.

Sometimes a pause is good to refocus issues. Let our team be agressive during the RNC providing rebuttal to the manure they shovel about Iraq, national defence, the economy, social issues, etc. They will appeal to the middle and we show how their appeal is bogus and ours makes sense.

This RNC will be the typical staged (bland) appeal to the middle. If we break with tradition and rip NYC up, provide hookers to the delegates and allow the media to show us as "radicals" in contrast to the Stepfordesque RNC delegates we will get killed in the middle and the battleground states.

The middle is undecided, not angry like we are. If we are perceived as radicals we may excite our base but we will give the middle to those who will be hood winked by Swartzengropper, Gullifanny and Zig Zag Zell.

Let Kerry take a rest with his family, let's put forth our most articulate counter-responders AND let's grab the middle voters! When it is over Kerry needs to make key policy outline speeches on JOBS and HEALTH CARE -- issues the middle is keenly interested in and areas where Shrub hasn't got a clue.

OR____ we could just display our outrage and have a loss of McGovern proportions.

[Zen Democrat]

3. Kerry's speaking in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday, August 31.

At the National Convention of the American Legion.

A worried Bush has also broken traditiona and is
going to Nashville to speak to the Legionnaires
on Wednesday, September 1, the day before his
acceptance speech in New York.

[Claire Beth]

12. I think the schedule is as follows:

Bush will be here Nashville on Monday, August 30 and Kerry will be here on Wednesday Sept 1. That was the schedule *I* saw yesterday unless it has changed since then.

[stellanoir]

4. if he walked on water. . .

over the next week, we wouldn't even see a headline saying,
"Kerry Can't Swim."

In other words, he won't get any coverage anyway.

It's probably his last opportunity for some down time till November 2. A break for him is well earned.

[bowens43]

5. tradition

[liberal N proud]

6. I say screw tradition...

I know it is right to stay out of the spot light, but in light of everthing that is at stake and everything the sob's have done. An also in light of the media's gloating over polls, he needs to hit them now, hit them hard and them hit them again.
There are only 65 days left in this thing.

[CityDem]

22. I agree, screw tradition

These are not normal times and we need to take a new approach. Our mission is too important to take off a week due to tradition.

[SemperEadem]

23. If he's not going to actively seek the spotlight

then he needs to shift it to matters for which Bush hasn't answered, like Plame; the non-existant job growth, the mass exportation of jobs, then turning around and saying "job growth is up"--yeah, in India. How lovely for them--what about us?

The spotlight needs to be directed at the fact that the rethugs want to continue on this path of the wealthy's quest for prosperity at the expense of everyone else, aka 'the help'. I think that if Kerry's campaign falls back to reinforce its tack while the media is attending the 'orgy', they should still get themselves armed and rehearsed with all talking pointsand refutes; numbers, dates, places and people; put their most articulate and persuasive debaters forward to do battle with 'the dragon'. This is a job for professionals, s0n.

The world is expecting to see just exactly how the American people really feel about this government's regime and how badly the person in the street wants this change. I think Kerry's hanging back will cause the rethugs to relax in their pride when displaying how divisive they are, how non-inclusive they are and expose how transparently vulgar they are. Kerry can be assured of the pulse of the people in the street to make his point for him. You can bet that while the American press will ignore that angle, the foreign press will not.

Not only that, but what the foreign press relays to their people is going to be where the truth of our situation rests. You can bet that our press is 'running on rims' when it comes to selling the world on the fact that the 'Murcan' people are behind this cretin...

[kentuck]

7. No....and he shouldn't sleep either....

God made a mistake when he rested on the seventh day....

[seabeyond]

8. lol lol kentuck

no sleep either, no eating either,........no play. just go go go

people say this everytime kerry takes a day or two off. i on the other hand watch them go and go and go and my low energy i think wow, these guys need a break, feeling empathy.

i say let the man have a little rest. doesnt work going 24/7. need days off here and there

[saracat]

15. Oh, Please.Not God. If he/she exists, you certainly wouldn't know it

this past week. If he/she exists , it's time for he/she to get off their ass and do something for Kerry!

[wndycty]

10. Its tradition

. . .the opposing candidate usually takes the convention week off. Bush did the same thing. Its one of those things that we as partisans get pissed about, but its a tradition.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

14. God forbid Kerry should get some rest. We need him exhausted

for the debates.

[liveoaktx]

16. Bwahahah-that's what I was thinking too- he should just run himself

into the ground 24x7 unlike BUSH who seems to ALWAYS be on vacay under some guise or another.

If the guy who RUNS THE FRIGGIN COUNTRY can take time off to talk to his gay pals, look for bugs, and fish, then Kerry can take off a few days to rest.

[Julien Sorel]

17. He has been campaigning almost nonstop for 1 1/2 years.

People need to step away from things and clear their heads, catch their breath if they hope to perform at a peak level.

Really, the criticisms of Kerry from people here are frightening. Why isn't Kerry clairvoyant? Why can't Kerry bend the media to his will? Why does Kerry need to rest? Why? Why? Why? Huh? Huh? Why?

[rumguy]

19. I don't care if Kerry takes a break, but our party needs to be

aggresively responding to everything the pukes say and do during their convention...

[OHswingvoter]

20. and probably while he is

"on break" he is polishing new speeches, planning strategy, and preparing for the debates. Lots of stuff goes on behind the scenes. Taking a couple days off from traveling and giving speeches does not mean that he is going to do nothing. Lots of stuff has to get done that we never think about. This gives him a chance to catch up on some of the other stuff.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

21. Regroup w/ Edwards and go into attack mode big time!!!!!!!