Kerry is being put under tremendous pressure by his supporters....

[kentuck]

to go "negative" on Mr Bush, including yours truly. However, I think I do understand John Kerry's strategy. He knows Bush and Rove are going to go negative. That's all they have, except the war and 9/11. But, I believe Kerry's strategy is to let them hang themselves with their negative ads and attacks. He believes that if he continues to point out their salaciousness and character attacks, the voters will eventually turn on them with a vengeance. And he does not want to veer from his strategy at this time. But, he doesn't want to alienate his supporters either. So it's a delicate balance he must strike at this time.

That may be the right strategy? None of us can say with certainty that we know best. It's his race and his call. If indeed, the above is his present strategy, it will continue to be questioned so long as he is behind in the polls, would be my guess. And I accentuate "guess"...:)

[Cobalt Violet]

1. We have to rid of the idea that the truth = negative.

With the truth exposed there is no reason Kerry can't win. If we sit on the truth because someone somewhere might criticize us if we don't then we probably will lose.

[rocktivity]

6. Ding Ding Ding! Colbalt, you're our grand prize winner!

Absolutely right--Kerry doesn't have to rely on insults, only the truth! Just point out all the lousy things he's done.

For instance, Kerry doesn't have to SAY that Bush is "dishonorable"--he only has to say that he pressured people into lying about what his so-called medicare "reform" would cost, and how toxic the air at 9/11 ground zero was.

He doesn't have to say Bush is "incompetent"--he only has to say that he okayed tax cuts during a war, and ignored advice on how much manpower would be required to invade Iraq.

He doesn't have to say Bush is "corrupt"--he only has to say "Halliburton."

He doesn't have to "criticize" Bush's military record--only inquire as to where he was for a year, and why he wears medals he didn't earn.

John Kerry "secured freedom and parole" for someone who pled guilty to attempted murder of a police officer? Perhaps Bush can explain why he hasn't come down on the outer of Sylvia Plame harder. John Kerry has an unholy alliance with Al Sharpton? What about the relationship Bush has with the entire Bin Laden family?

This is Bush's blind spot: He thinks he's a moral giant compared to Kerry, and must prevent people from looking below the surface to find out the truth. We can easily exploit it without appearing to stoop to his level. That's what his base wants him to do, and you don't de-stabilize your base under ANY circusmstances.



:headbang:
rocknation

[bushwakker]

9. Bush went AWOL - why not say it? Is it not the truth?

No need to lie, but if Kerry doesn't publicly put this issue in play he's gonna lose.

[girl gone mad]

11. "Give 'em hell, Kerry!"

"I'll give them the truth and they'll think it's hell!"

or something like that.

[w13rd0]

2. Problem with the Kerry strategy...

...is that it assumes that BushCo can't manage sequenced timing. Everytime the voters seem to start turning too far, too many, they can come up with something new. And they are relying upon another equation. If voters turn on them, that doesn't necessarily mean they will vote Kerry, especially if they think he hasn't been very good at defending himself.

Who knows. This has GOT to be the most F*cked up election in my lifetime. With someone as monumentally BAD as Bush, the only explanation for anything other than a landslide is a willfully ignorant electorate.

[West Coast Democrat]

3. We just need to attack the Bush* record, that's not going negative...

it's just reminding the public of the past 4 years.

[troublemaker]

4. If Bush was president in 1962 over 50 million Americans

would have been burned alive.

President Bush is not mature enough or bright enough to keep America safe in a real crisis.

That's the only real issue. I agree with Drum; the rest is special interest politics. Important but not thematic.

[julyone]

5. Kerry's strategy

The "be nice strategy" sounds wonderful if:

a. the majority of the electorate were nice people

b. the majority wanted peace

c. the majority did not hate

d. the majority were not greedy

e. the majority had an appreciation for honesty

Unfortunately the majority do not exhibit these nice attributes.

There is much anger and division almost to the point of anarchy.

Gore found out too late that nice guys finish last.

[kentuck]

8. Welcome julyone !

Is that your birthday? Cancers are usually interested in astrology. :)

[julyone]

12. Reply to kentuck ie Kerry Strategy

Right on both counts -- July 1 is my birthday and I have been a amateur astrologer for over 30 years.

[abrock]

7. A simple solution to a complex problem.

John Kerry needs to challenge people to find out about Bush for themselves, but at the same time let no mistake be made that Bush IS a lying, flip flopping, evil dictator-to-be who has failed at everything he has ever put his simple mind to. The proof is all over the fucking place, but people are too lazy to find out for themselves, instead content to settle for sound bites, pundit commentary, and the opinion of 'experts' who spin things so horribly that the truth is nowhere to be seen.

Kerry needs to challenge people, to get them to think, to look at the election and the problems facing our country for themselves. As long as people remain ignorant about Bush's real face, and the fact they are controlled by the media as surely as Nazi germany was, our nation is destined for destruction, either by a global war which we will lose (Anyone notice China could soon make a bid for world dominance... of course not, Bush is too busy labelling Iraq a US danger when China has the world's largest army and nationalist ambitions. Once they see how weak we really are we are all screwed.) or a rapid, violent decline that ends in the religous right installing a moral dictator. (Which could very well be Bush)

Moving to Canada won't help us. We need to save our own country. RIGHT NOW.

[Warpy]

10. he needs to sue Regenery for libel

Let a team of rabid libel lawyers start issuing subpoenas and doing all the negative stuff as connections to the Bush team become known.

He doesn't need to dirty his hands. He's got a great case, since not only can he prove fraud, they are on record enough for him to prove malice. All he needs to do is tie them to Bush, something a team of lawyers can do pretty quickly. Good lawyers have good publicists, and the negativity would fly.

Kerry, in the meantime, would be above it all, and could smile and say Bush did it to himself.