Think I Know Why Kerry is Retooling.

[ItsMyParty]

There has been a war here at DU between those yelling for Kerry to "do something" and those insisting he's doing great, the polls are fine and any call for retooling is tentamount to subversion.

I think that Kerry, his campaign and the top Dems are not worried about a couple points in a poll (that's to be expected). They are concerned about "momentum". August was kind of a down month in general but it was the swiftboat ads that brought a lot of the great "mo" he was experiencing to a halt. They realize just like in sports that "mo" comes and goes. They know the Repubs will have a barrel full of it coming out of convention and they want to make sure the 'mo' is on their side of the court during these last months. They know it just won't magically come back. They have to make it come back.

I applaude their moves. I've seen too many totally stupid campaigns who can never figure this out, lose and then cry in their beer and blame somehthing else. Kerry's senses, I believe, are much keener than some of his advisors.

Now I think Kerry's mission is crystal clear. Bush/Cheney/Rove just spent a month attacking Kerry's honor, integrity, service and character which brought the 'mo' to 'idle'. Kerry's mission for the next few weeks is to scrub off the luster sheen that the Repubs are spray painting on Bush this week. John Kerry has to level the playing field by standing before the American people and exposing Bush for who and what he is----and then John can go in for the kill.

[Annette]

1. All I can say is..

Go Johnny go!!!! I think he has a plan and is determined to win! What I can't believe is that the American people believe all this Bushit!! I'd like to tell people, "Just cause Bushy says it doesn't mean it is true!"

So I guess I am agreeing with you, I don't think John Kerry is going to lay down and take it.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

4. I swim in an ocean of everyday people who DO like Kerry

And they really, really, really don't like Bush.

[Bridget Burke]

6. Paddling at the shallow end of the gene pool?

But you explain to them why he'll make a better president.

Don't you?

[PA Democrat]

7. The tank I swim in deplores Bush's POLICIES

Perhaps the tank YOU swim in has been poisoned by all those mercury emissions that Bush has allowed.

[The Traveler]

3. They gave us ammo

Here's a couple of obvious ones.

1) The "economic girlie man" comment. Man, that has pissed a lot of working people off. Kerry should say something like, "What an interesting comment from a man who was a rich playboy long before he had to support a family." and "The Republicans reveal their true colors again. You're a girlie man if you worry about their recent plans to expand the H1-B visa program so unemployed American tech workers can be more easily replaced by cheap foreign labor and executives can give themselves more massive raises."

Frankly, if Arnold were standing in front me now, I'd punch him in the nose. He should know better. I'm a "girlie man"? I've busted my ass for years to support my family. I never shaved my body to show off my muscles. I never took steroids or had plastic surgery on my calves to look prettier/win a male beauty pageant. Man, I wanna kick his candy ass.

2) Purple heart band aides. Can't talk more about that one, I'm still foaming at the mouth. Grrrrr.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

5. He has to expose Bush for what he ISN'T.

Exposing him for what he "is" won't work.

It may seem like a fine distinction, but it's not. Many people won't believe anything other than the courageous, steadfast leader in the flight suit who follows God's marching orders, "public opinion" be damned...

However, if you attack Bush solely on his record...his lack of accomplishments...he's a big red, white and blue bullseye sitting smack in the middle of a corn field.