Kerry needs Chris Lehane

[Doosh]

here's an article about Lehane, he's exactly what we need, a brutal, ruthless, Rove/Atwater type assasin. I'm sick of being the nuanced nice guys all the time, but Kerry's campaign needs some punch, and they need to sling some mud because Rove is covering us with shit.

The truth isn't enough, neither is "I served, he went AWOL" where did it get Dole in 96, Bush Sr. in 92?

Maine political consultant ´terrifies´ opposing camps


Associated Press

©Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

PORTLAND, Maine — As a student at Kennebunk High School, one of Chris Lehane´s favorite sayings was "In your face!" These days, as a political consultant, his ferocity strikes fear into opponents´ campaigns.

A spokesman and strategist for Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark, Lehane has developed a national reputation as a practitioner of political warfare, whether in New Hampshire, where Clark has been campaigning fiercely leading up to Tuesday´s primary, or elsewhere.

"Other campaigns are terrified of Lehane because he´s so effective at nonstop spin," said Kevin Mattson, a former executive director of the Maine Democratic Party

http://news.mainetoday.com/apwire/D80AJE301-25.shtml

[NMDemDist2]

1. didn't he resign from the Kerry campaign ??

yes he did here is the Kos article

http://www.dailykos.net/archives/004185.html

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Feh. He didn't help Clark at all

and he totally sucked on TV.

[Doosh]

6. Clark's big mistake

was not going to Iowa, he had a shot in Iowa, but nobody had a chance to stop the Kerry wave once he won. The Iowa bounce won the nomination and nobody expected that. There wasn't much Lehane could do.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. That might be true,

and I don't know whether that was Lehane's advice or not. But the bigger problem with Lehane was his really horrible TV appearances. He was just awful, cringe-inducing. If he does get back with Kerry, he absolutely has to stay off TV.

[Doosh]

8. he won't be a TV guy

I think he'll be a behind the scenes dirt digger/mud slinger. And we desperately need someone like this.

[Julien Sorel]

3. John Sasso is on board with Kerry now.

He has the reputation as someone who knows how to play hardball.

Amusingly, he ran Dukakis' much-maligned 1988 campaign...

[Jim Sagle]

13. He did until Dukakis kicked him out for going negative on Joe Biden.

[Julien Sorel]

14. He re-hired him after a month or so.

By the way, he didn't just "go negative" on Biden -- he's the one who uncovered the Biden plagiarism scandal, as I recall, and leaked it to the media. But remember -- Dukakis was weak!

[Jim Sagle]

15. I DO remember. Dukakis WAS weak.

[Julien Sorel]

16. A weak candidate, perhaps.

But the weakness of his actual campaign is grossly overblown here. And Dukakis himself was a strong person -- he just didn't exhibit fire. That, more than his decision to try a "high road" campaign early, killed him.

Of course, the fact that he was running against the VP of Reagan at a time of prosperitywhile the Soviet Union was collapsing didn't help him any, but we must continue operating on the DU fiction that each election is a 50/50 affair, and if you lose, it's because your campaign sucks and you suck, too.

[Jim Sagle]

17. Yes, a weak candidate.

I leaned Republican at the time, but I was open to voting for Dukakis. But two campaign developments swayed me to Bush:

1) Dukakis' horribly dry answer to the (admittedly assholic) question "what if your wife is raped and murdered?" and

2) Dukakis in a tank. That was devastating, and I suspect I was not the only swing voter who saw it that way.

Of course, knowing what I know now, I would simply say, "Fuck the Republican, vote for the Democrat." With age comes simplicity and wisdom. ;)

[JI7]

19. Dukakis was leading for a long time by a huge amount

there was probably a sense of not wanting to change what seems right rather than being weak or anything. if he had been closer in the polls or behind he probably would have changed his strategy.

the dukakis answer on the wife being raped and murdered was one he had used many times before so he probably thought there was nothing wrong with it. it wasn't about being weak.

Kerry learned from this which is why when asked about whether he supports laws or amendments to ban flag burning he responds with saying if he saw someone do it he would want to punch them but, and then he goes on to explain why he opposes such laws. and he learned from the dukakis answer on rape and murder by saying he would want to strangle whoever did it but and goes on to explain his position.

[seventhson]

4. Yeah but isn't he the one who dropped the "intern" story that even I fell

for?

For Clark?

I mean it was a well-placed and nasty bit of business.

But all's fair in love and war and this is war -- so maybe Kerry should suck it uyp and invite Lehane back (otherwise he'll probably end up working for THEM (ie Rove etc.)

I agree that Bush =Hitler and we need to exploity his families Nazi past.

[vickie]

5. Kerry fired Lehane from his primary staff. Lehane is thought to be

the source of the intern/bimbo rumors (while he worked for the Clark campaign) during the waning days of the primaries.

[Doosh]

10. You're probably right

but it's all hands on deck now

I don't think it was personal, but Kerry has to be impressed at his find. He'd better try and re hire lehane because he's the best mudslinger we've got.

[UTUSN]

9. For What? Look, I Love Any Dem But ...

[John_H]

11. Even I wouldn't go that far....

[Touchdown]

12. No. Kerry needs HER!!!!

George W Bush, You ARE the weakest Link.

Goodbye.

http://www.thejokeline.com/funny/weakest/?s=t

[NV1962]

18. Let's keep *talking* about getting Lehane onto Kerry's campaign

that alone strikes fear among the other side!

:evilgrin: