Campaign Now On Track: Kerry Taking "High Road," Tough-guys Guarding Rear

[WiseMen]

Kerry has put some tough guys, Sasso and Whouley, on point in the campaign.

Kerry, himslef, cannot at this point, get into mud-slinging, because it will seem totally out of character. It will look desperate.

So what do we have:

1. Independents have to dig up and run with whatever dirt which raises questions about Bush’s character.
2. Surrogates have to make the sharpest attacks focused on Bush’s honesty and competence.
3. Kerry has to counter-pose his vision of the future against Bush’s on Iraq and the economy.

Then, we have to keep our fingers crossed for a couple lucky events that will change the momentum:

1. A Bush scandal grabs media attention and dramatically raises Bush’s negatives.
2. Bush says or does something outrageous, again, to give Kerry the opening to hammer him in one powerful display of righteous indignation.

The rest is just getting out the vote.

[AntiCoup2K4]

1. High road???

Kerry needs to attack these lying pieces of shit. Geezus, that speech he gave immediately after Dipshit's convention looked at least a little hopeful.

Here's a clue, John Boy.... Bush gained in the polls by attacking you. Because people believed the bullshit. Whether it was the Swift Boat Liars, or Cheney's latest crap about "Vote for Kerry and Osama will rape your cats" or whatever, people are buying this shit.

Fight back. You know Bush is a fucking failure. USE IT.

Of course, when you're supporting a continuation of the failed policy, that's a little difficult. Maybe it's time to rethink that?

[WiseMen]

5. Campaign SHOULD have done that Early: When Flip-Flop Attack Began

Now, after 4 months of being the aloof intellectual, it will look
erratic if Kerry suddenly becomes the attack dog.

Firstly, that is the usual roll of the V.P. and surrogates. It was probably an error to chose Edwards as V.P. given the orientation of Edwards and his campaign team.

Secondly, there should be some "trigger" for the switch to attack, but main opportunities have been missed to date:

1. Start of flip-flop attack
2. Start of Swift Smear
3. Repub Convention

We are now stuck with what we have got, unless there is some
major event to change the dynamics.

[unfrigginreal]

6. We need to use the time between now and the first debate

to tear down Bush on character issues. We're not exactly in the drivers seat at the moment and if we're going to go nuclear now is the time to do it. We can use the last month to accentuate the positive, after we have driven up Bush's negatives.

[WiseMen]

12. I agree. But it is out of character for Kerry to do it. 3rd party needs to

[kentuck]

9. Notice that the Bush campaign doesn't wait when they are attacked ?

They mount a vicious counter attack immediately. Like they are now doing with the "fake" documents.

[WiseMen]

15. Bush was ready for "Presidential" campaign. Kerry had Little League team.

Now we have to play catch-up.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

2. "Bush says or does something outrageous"

Kerry needs to read Bush's "Agenda for America."

http://www.georgewbush.com/agenda/

Specifically, Chapter 1 (http://www.georgewbush.com/agenda/Chapter.aspx?ID=1). He no longer is doing a soft-show around the "National Sales Tax," he's put it in his AGENDA ("encouraging a pro-growth, fair, and simpler tax system"). This means the average working family could pay as much as 150% of the price for any taxable items.

I'm sorry, but this crossing our fingers and hoping Bush will screw up logic is utter bullshit. Read the "Agenda For America." Kerry has everything he needs RIGHT NOW. We've GOT a "media scandal"...the AWOL scandal...and the Rove machine is furiously spinning it. We HAVE something outrageous...read the "Agenda for America." We need to stop making excuses for why Kerry is not AGGRESSIVELY attempting to win this election as if his life, and OUR lives, depend on it. The alternative is to throw up our hands in November and say "Oh well, he did his best" as Bush leads this country down a road to destruction:

"Three years. Three tax cuts. An economic recovery—American ingenuity—unleashed. At a critical moment in the Nation's economic history, while a recession was taking hold, America was attacked, and corporate fraud was exposed. In response to these challenges, the President acted decisively to strengthen the economy and create jobs. The President's leadership resulted in Congress returning taxpayer money to the families, entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors who earned it.

In his second term, President Bush will focus on building a more prosperous, competitive economy that will continue to be a strong engine for jobs and prosperity for years to come. The essential elements of his plan include: taking the next bold steps in reforming education; building a skilled and effective workforce; encouraging a pro-growth, fair, and simpler tax system; promoting research and development in both the public and private sectors; opening markets for American goods around the globe; meeting our energy needs and lessening our energy dependence; reducing the regulatory burden; and reforming Government to be smaller and more efficient, responsive, and effective. President Bush is committed to making sure America has the best prepared, best educated, and highest skilled workforce in the world.

President Bush believes that education is the key to opportunity and America's best tool in an increasingly competitive global economy. This means that every child deserves a world-class education and every worker deserves the support of a Government that makes a lifetime of learning a top priority."

[unfrigginreal]

3. We'll get back on the high road when we get back in the lead

for now, it's time to drag Bush down into the gutter that he's pushed this entire campaign into.

[WiseMen]

10. But Kerry cannot do that. It is up to Independent Dems to find and fund

the Dirt on Bush. Lots of opportunities:

Major AWOL-scam Ad campaign -- Bush the scam artist, liar, coward.

Ad based on Kitty Kelly revelations -- Bush the hypocrite, liar, coward.

Abu Ghirad memos -- Bush the torturer, liar, coward.

etc

[unfrigginreal]

11. Kerry can and should show some indignation

over the attacks on his honor. That will show him as a person willing to stand up for himself and at the same allow him to throw some mud at the Bushies. As I said in another post on this thread, we have between now and the first debate to go negative and still leave time to get back on the high road.

[Stephanie]

4. I think the poster is correct - Kerry takes the high road

Kerry's job is to be presidential, so he is a viable option to undecided voters or to those disgusted by bush. Kerry's team, which is broad and deep, handles the destruction of Bush tactics. Kerry rises above, but the attacks are made by the surrogates and bush's credibility and viability are destroyed. Kerry's playing it just right.

[LynnTheDem]

7. I agree.

Dems stand for the highroad...it's rightwingnuts that are the reTHUGS, not us.

So Kerry should take the high road...and the rest of us should rip bushCartel several new ones!

LET'S GET EM!!!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

:D

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. This is what Kerry has been doing all along

I don't see why he should change his strategy now. In the end, we will all be better off and Kerry will win.

In the meantime, it is up to us to have some fun and sling some shit. Yahoo!

[Raya]

13. Still think Mary Beth has stranglehold on campaign. Agressive campaign

would have help a major bazooka-fest event immediately Cheney
made his treat of terror attack. Kerry should have held a huge
rally to tear Bush and Cheney apart as chicken-hawk who are
terrorizing the American people.

Campaign paralysis still in evidence.

[WiseMen]

14. Change of Campaign Manager would create too much negative media

attention on campaign problems rather on message.

Thanks for all your support.