Democrats urge Kerry to turn up the intensity of the campaign.

[mzmolly]

"He's got to become more engaged,'' said Harold Ickes, a former political lieutenant to President Bill Clinton who is now running an independent Democratic organization that has spent millions of dollars on advertisements attacking President Bush. "Kerry is by nature a cautious politician, but he's got to throw caution to the wind."

Senator Bob Graham of Florida, a former rival of Mr. Kerry for the Democratic nomination, said Mr. Kerry still had not settled on a defining theme to counter what Democrats called the compelling theme of security hammered into viewers of the Republican convention.

"The people are there, the candidate is there; it's the reason to vote for the candidate that's still a little out of focus," Mr. Graham said.

Gov. Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania said Mr. Kerry "has got to start smacking back."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/05/politics/campaign/05campaign.html

Smack em back Mr. Kerry!! :spank:

[Democat]

1. These damn "hand wringing" "armchair strategists" - they are hurting Dems!

If only they would read DU, they would know that there is nothing wrong with Kerry's campaign and he is actually winning because all of the polls showing otherwise are just Republican propaganda.

[senseandsensibility]

3. LOL

And they discovered this exactly when? Still, better late than never. I wonder if it's a good idea for them to discuss this in the media, however. I'm sure they have enough contacts in the Kerry campaign to approach them privately.

[bushwakker]

4. i'm convinced there's alot of greens and freepers here

hoping Kerry just "Dukakises" his way to Nov 2nd.

[brentspeak]

6. You can say that again

I've concluded that the "Everything is peachy" crowd are either a) freepers; or b) those with their heads FIRMLY stuck in the ground.

[belle]

13. How about neither peachy *nor* "we're all doomed?" Hm?

Recent bounce notwithstanding, the race has been so neck and neck that it's been an ideal example of "glass half full" vs. "glass half empty."

Look, it sucks not knowing what the hell is going to happen. But that is the *real* truth. We just won't know until it's over. Sometimes I think it's easier for people to just settle on an ending and stick to it, positive *or* negative.

[bushwakker]

2. He's got to ask Bush where he was in 1972.

Why is it that some of you seem to think - that after a month dominated by questions about what John Kerry did 30 years ago, that it would be "dirty" or "improper" to start a discussion about what George W. Bush did 30 years ago? If Kerry doesn't call Bush AWOL he's gonna lose.

[senseandsensibility]

5. Who thinks that?

Am I missing something?

[bushwakker]

8. will pitt for one

let me tell you, 3 weeks ago when this sbl crap really started i was posting how jk had to respond in kind and go after bush's service record. i was called "amateur strategist" and told that a "judo" effect would take place wheras it would all backfire on bush. there was a guy posting her called "dem strat" who will pitt and the other elders vouched as being some kind of dem bigwig (which i don't doubt given what a bunch of pussies seem to running the jk camp). they were all ridiculing those of us who knew we were getting killed by the sbl's - and you know what, there are those here so invested in the idea that the attacks on kerry aren't hurting him that they will never admit it.

[senseandsensibility]

10. I agree

I misunderstood; thought you were talking about someone on this thread. Yeah, I've received some of those patronizing comments from the play nice "chess" crowd myself. Can't believe they're STILL making them, though. The mind boggles.:crazy:

[mzmolly]

11. Indeed some of the handwringers were correct.

Sometimes I'd rather be wrong.

[sangh0]

9. Because so many posters can't tell the difference between

a discussion about what George W. Bush did 30 years ago and having Kerry call Bush "AWOL"

[Only Me]

7. I think he does, but I firmly believe that the party needs to get behind

him more. It always seem the repugs rally around one another, and we leave our candidate stand alone all to often. We need the robustness we had before the RNC. It like swiftboat crap and everyone ran and hid?!!!!

[John_H]

12. Now the Dems are starting to speak on the record

Which sort of blows the "GOP" subversion schtick out of the water.

[Democat]

14. No, it just means that all of those on the record are secret GOP agents!

They are probably involved in all of the fake polls too!

:)