Should KERRY Focus on National Security or the Economy?

[liberalpragmatist]

Personally, I've read that some say that Kerry may focus more on the economy and domestic issues over the next few weeks. I think Kerry needs to discuss this, in ad buys and whatnot, and he should certaily publicize his health-care plan.

But I still feel like Kerry needs to aggressively challenge Bush on national security as the premier issue in this race. Kerry CANNOT win on the economy if people are scared shitless. He has to convince them that he's a credible commander-in-chief and someone who can be trusted with national security. Personally, I think he should bring up criticisms of Bush's strategy at Tora Bora, continue criticizing Bush's strategy on Iraq, and argue for a more sustained war on Al Qaeda.

Just my 2 cents.

[Jack Rabbit]

1. Both

Bush has failed at both. He needs to say that, even if nobody listens.

[bushwakker]

2. The election is about 9/11, not health care - and Kerry can win it

starts with call Bush AWOL, thus undemining his personal integrity and at the same time weakening his nat sec credentials. The voters know the truth about Bush's policies - they just need to know Kerry is tough enough.

[Sparky McGruff]

3. I think he needs to stress the LIES that Bush used to get us into the war

I think he needs to use the word LIE a lot.

Iraq LIES.
Medicare LIES.
9/11 LIES.
Lots of LIES.

Keep using it. But, maybe it's just me.

Yeah, he needs to focus on National Security. How Bush has made us LESS safe. But maybe it's just me.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

4. He's gotta do both

[Nite Owl]

5. How about connecting the dots.

The war has cost us nearly 200bn and going to go increase every year besides what the cost of the lives lost and maimed are. This affects what we as a nation can do to increase research and create jobs. Because we opened this hornets nest it will cost us for a very long time.

[Melodybe]

6. He should focus on Iran Contra and the Environment

Hello, Bush is letting companies poison people, one of Kerry's strong suits is the Environment, honestly it effects everyone, give Kerry a plan to talk about the future and the Repubs not only can't fight back, they won't be expecting it either.

I think Kerry should use his assets, plus people are sick of hearing about Terrorism, we haven't talked about it in a while. The Day After Tomorrow brought up the environment for a minute, but that was global warming, which is still reguarded as a theory. Poisoning people with harmful chemicals we can prove and it is already killing people.

[OneBlueSky]

13. the environmental issue ties up the whole Bush administration . . .

and their subservience to big oil and other multinational corporations very nicely . . . it's not JUST about the environment . . . it's about how BushCo does business to the detriment of the American people by letting polluters write pollution regulations and by giving away the country's national resources to private firms for their own profit . . . it's about sleaze, and dishonesty, and how BushCo serves its corporate masters at the expense of the rest of us . . .

[The Straight Story]

7. Since most voting for kerry are ABB

He could always go overboard to appeal to those who are on the fence: (radio ad) "I'm John Kerry, and if elected I will kick some terrorist ass, make iran a UN parking lot, and rescue barbie from those chinese child slave laborers and bring her home to be made in the USA. While that sorry ass bush was trying to read a book about goats terrorists were whipping our butts good, under new leadership the only planes you will hear about crashing into buildings are the ones we shot down in north korea while we are putting the smack down on kim jong long gone. Do you want girlie man bush in office, or a real man who fought in a war?"

Hell, with an add like that even cheney would vote for him :)

[Nimrod]

8. Security

Even though it's NOT the most important issue in my mind, the administration has had four years to lie to people to try to get them scared enough to submit to martial law. Kerry should campaign on National Security, then work on Economy. Us poor pieces of shit are already disgusted with Bush anyway, so Big K doesn't have to win OUR vote. He's got to get the idiots who see terrorists behind every fire hydrant.

[Metrix]

9. Kerry is running against hologram Bush

It's hard to wound air. Kerry needs to make voters think about how they feel about the people who are really running things -- Wolfowitz, Feith, Cambone, Perle, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Greenspan, Ashcroft, on and on. They all need to be thrown out.

[FlaIndie]

10. his focus on national security...

and hee should say this a lot, is that he will not fear monger and trick America into war. he says it sometimes, but he has to say it a lot. People will clap about the Afghanistan war, but Kerry has to talk about Bush sending us into Iraq, which had NOTHING to do with the war on terror.

[AP]

11. Like FDR (and Edwards), needs to frame national security in terms of econ.

& middle class wealth and opportunity.

Bush uses terror as an excuse to rip off the middle class. Kerry needs to point out the truth that you can't have a strong America unless we're all working together and creating wealth, and you don't do that by ripping off people who work and rewarding people who don't.

[sonicx]

12. Both but...

Add more details, like...

With NS, Kerry needs to talk about things like the low homeland security funding, unguard plants, airport security holes, etc.

With Economy, Kerry should talk about the fact that the CEO vs workers earning ratio has gotten higher and ofcourse talk about the overtime situation.

[Democat]

14. Security

Didn't we already try the economy in 2002?

[DieboldMustDie]

15. Let America know what know what a miserable failure Bush has been...

at national security.   He paid no attention to Hart/Rudman Commission report, he ignored the August 6 PDB, and on 9/11 he completely froze. :grr:

[Placebo]

16. Definetely Shift Focus To the Economy...

When voters vote on the Economy, democrats win
When voters vote on National Security/War, republicans win

kerry can't hope to change those deeply engrained stereotypes of both parties in ONE election!

focus on the economy kerry, it's the one thing you can definitely kick bush's ass on

[WI_DEM]

17. National security

is the issue. He needs to convince voters he is ready to be commander in chief--we thought he did that after his convention, but now polls show Bush leading on this question. He needs to say bluntly that Bush has blown the good will we had after 9/11. Instead of working to find Bin Ladden he abandoned Afghanistan to go into Iraq. This took precious resources away from the real war on Terrorism and away from the true culprits of 9/11 just so Bush could settle an old family grudge.