What Kerry Did And Didn't Do In His Speech....

[SeekingTruth]

Now don't all the hyper-positive people out there jump on me with insults, but this is what I saw in Kerry's Ohio speech...

First the negative...(not in any order)...

1) He has got to nullify this exploitation of 9/11. The Dems should have been pointing this out a week or so before the convention and all through it. They should have said it again, again and again. They missed an opportunity. Ron Reagan made an excellant point - he said that Bush's platform may have been constructed to resemble the rubble at 9/11 - Bush's presidential moment.

2) Kerry must nullify his vote for authorization for force in Iraq in a concise and simple manner.

3) Kerry must nullify his vote against the 87 billion. Issue 2 and 3 are heavy albatross's around Kerry and Edwards' neck and they must deal with them quickly and well.

4) The Democrats must start looking at this race through the eyes of those we want to persuade to vote for K/E. We must quit looking through the eyes of the party faithful and those who are already going to vote for K/E. It is a breath of fresh air to have a candidate who can talk with proper grammar and long, thoughtful sentences. We must understand that our thought process is a little different than those who we might be seeking to persuade.

5)Last one...promise...he had some areas where he needed to pound away on and moved on from them too quickly. For example, he's should have praised the troops even more; said how much he felt for them. But this is still early.

Now for the good....

1) Kerry's opening was WONDERFUL, as was the near end. His playfulness with the crowd was just what he needs to show more of. He's got a wonderful sense of humor and shows empathy quite well. He must show that side more and more. I think Kerry will show this more humane side in the future but he's got to humanize himself for us.


Just because I only listed one good issue, does not mean I am being overly pessimistic. I think K/E's are doing pretty well. I think Gore was hurt by his uneven debates and we will not have to worry about that from Kerry and that Kerry has much more substance to work with.

Best to everyone...

[jean]

1. he did take the microphone off its stand and try to walk around a little

he didn't stray too far from the podium , but looked like he was trying to loosen things up a bit.

[serryjw]

2. #4 is the issue.......

We are all there..or at least ABB.........If they don't start working to the swing voter we are in trouble.

[A_Possum]

3. Actually I kinda disagree

I don't think the numbers of swing voters are really big enough to worry that much about "how to explain his vote on Iraq simply" and that sort of thing.

I'm pretty much in Rove's camp--turnout is what will decide it. At this point, you're either fed up with Bush or you believe he's God Almighty, and the senate votes are just noise.

I think instead of bothering to defend on those points (easy enough for the $87 billion--it was Dems who added the funding for body armor anyway, and Kerry preferred a version of the bill that made Bush's rich buddies pay for it) it's far better to do exactly what he did tonight.

Just blow off the made-up Republican contradictions. Ignore 'em.

[T Town Jake]

5. I agree...turnout is the key here...

...and I thought the speech by Kerry was just right for the forum he was in. From here on out, it's all about who is able to mobilize their voters to the polls the most effectively (pending any contrived "national security events," of course).

[sonicx]

4. Kerry should never bring up #3 in a rally speech...

maybe when he's on Nightline, Letterman, or some show like that, but not in rally speech. The supportors that attend want to heard his agenda.

[SeekingTruth]

6. Something to keep in mind....

Over the past year or so I have read many of the books critiquing the Bush Adminstration (Franken's, Moore's, David Corn's "The Lies of G. Bush", Joe Conason's "Big Lies", Eric Alterman's "What Liberal Media", Molly Ivins' "Bushwacked") and read the many liberal magazines out there.

The thing that bothers me, is that to all of us, GWB's failures are clear, his scandals are clear, his lies are clear, his corruption is clear and on and on. But with all of this, we are almost a 50/50 nation. To me, this says something about how we and our candidates get our message out there. Something that we need to fix.

I'm watching a repeat of Bush's speech now. Short, choppy sentences that he delivers in a manner that he says, "I'm the father, you are the child, so sit down and listen." But still, we are a 50/50 nation. I'm not saying to "dumb" ourselves down, but if we want to succeed again, we must adapt and learn from our opponents.

[Dogmudgeon]

7. Petty details vs effective combat

It's an old tactic -- bog your opposition down answering details while you are free to run riot. Who the hell cares whether or not John Kerry voted for a $87b spending appropriation? George Bush is a corrupt, malign martinet taking the world on a joyride straight to hell!

I do think (at least, I hope) Kerry is playing "Rope-A-Dope", letting Team Bush play all their hands, exhausting their ammo so that later in the game, Kerry can trounce Bush secure in the knowlege that Bush has nothing to defend with.

If the Midnight Rally is any indication, that is what Kerry has been planning all along. Over the past seven or eight months, it's been non-stop Kerry non-scandal. This week, we hear that "The Navy" is investigating a typo on his DD-215 at the behest of Larry Clayman. Now that Kerry has shifted into attack, there are few or no novelties left. Anything Team Bush comes up with, Kerry can say, "You already tried that lie once, and the American people caught you in it."

After months of non-stop attacks, slander, and smears, Kerry maintains his position, roughly tied with Bush at a shade under 50%. All Kerry really has to do is to remind the American voters about such things as ...

the alcohol problem
the drug problem
Robin Lowman-Garner
TXANG AWOL/Desertion
the "Lost Year"
Laura's vehicular homicide
Prescott's prosecution as a Nazi-collaborating profiteer
the 2000 Election
the oil company links
Enron complicity in the California energy crisis
the Christian Reconstructionist links
the Saudi Royal family links
failure to "git that varmint" Bin Laden
30 years of lies about oil supply and demand rates
the phony Christianity
1000 dead American soldiers and 25,000 dead Iraqi civilians
the cruel and demeaning sense of humor
(and I'm forgetting several, I'm sure)

... and his work will be done.

Sentimentally, I want to see Kerry not just defeat Bush, but humiliate him. But I think Kerry will carefully calibrate his attacks so that he defeats Bush and nothing more than that.

However, if we wish to put conservatism out of business, we're going to have to do that ourselves. Let Kerry tend to the Oval Office; we are the ones who must take care of the streets.

--bkl

[DrFunkenstein]

8. Here You Go

1. Call Bush out for exploitation, then point out how he blew the hunt for Osama by relying on warlords.

2. I voted to hold Saddam accountable, not for an incompetent rush to war.

3. Bush publicly threatened to veto our version. Does that mean he hates our troops?

4. I've been trying to hammer this point for weeks - these voters react at the gut level and that is where we have to aim.

5. Let me agree and add one poit - he should clarify that he has ALWAYS sided with the grunts, even after Vietnam. It was the policies that make success impossible for them that Kerry has criticized, but he has always stood shoulder to shoulder with his fellow soldiers

6. You're right about the debates. If tonight's Kerry unloads on Bush's smearing and ducking, Dubya's in for a long week.