If I were Kerry's campaign manager today . . .

[Chomskyite]

Needless to say, my strategy would run more toward the scorched earth variety. I don't believe there are many undecideds these days. We're so saturated by opinions, by stories, by tugs at our ideological feelers, that to have our minds unmade on most of the important issues is like driving through a hard rain without getting wet. This is especially true when there's an incumbent running. The electorate has had years to decide his merits. If they've not come along to a final opinion yet, they're not going to. And they won't vote.

So with all that as preamble here come my instructions to Kerry:

1) Make "trust" the focus of your campaign. You can trust John Kerry. From his service in Vietnam to his http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0409.sirota.html taking down of the crooked bank BCCI during his senate career, he's made sound judgements and he's followed through on them. You can't trust George W. Bush. It's not that he's evil. He just doesn't know what he's doing.

2) NEVER cede national security to the Republicans. They've made more than enough big mistakes. And those mistakes have been of historic proportions. I'd mention at every opportunity Bush's http://www.iraqwatch.org/un/IAEA/iaea-tuwaithasafety-041103.htm>failure to safeguard the nuclear material at Iraqi facilities. I'd mention many times http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2004_03/NunnLugarFunding.asp his failure to fund the program to safeguard the nuclear material in the ex-Soviet Union. Kerry has mentioned these, but only in the far interior of his foreign policy speeches. I'd make commercials out of them.

For inclusions in future speeches. "He told us the war in Iraq was to save us from weapons of mass destruction. But all he really did was make it easier for terrorists to get hold of them."

3) Harp repeatedly on the number of former administration figures (Paul O'Neil, Richard Clarke, Anthony Zinni and today's latest, http://www.tipponline.com/articles/00/final.htm a marine general in Iraq who is criticizing Bush's conduct of the Fallujah attack and retreat). Ask when any other administration has hemorrhaged so many illustrious figures. Ask what chance there could be that they're all wrong.

Say that unlike your opponent you will solicit views from the entire political spectrum and you won't ruin those who disagree with you. You'll listen to them.

4) Put your health care plan very simply. "We're going to share the burden of costs so that burden will be lighter."

5) List all the ways Bush has tried to divide us. From red v. blue to the blacklisting of the Dixie Chicks. Point out that he's failed and that your election will prove it.

[Kolesar]

1. 2.A.) failed to deal with North Korea's nuclear program ... eom

[BootinUp]

2. Some very good suggestions there...

There was another explanation on Kerry's healthcare plan that made a lot of sense. Insurance companies waste money trying to avoid paying catastrophic illness, injury claims. Have the government cover those costs and you eliminate the waste and reduce premiums.

[hippiegranny]

3. get a good slogan!

JFK All the Way! ok, I know that one has been used once, but recylcing can be for more than cans.

[LibDemAlways]

4. I'd tell Kerry to let Bush's

words and actions speak for themselves. I'd saturate the "swing states" with ads showing the chimp sitting in the classroom on 9/11. I'd show him in the ridiculous flight suit on the carrier with Mission Accomplished behind him, followed by graphic footage of the continued violence in Iraq. I'd show the clip used in F9/11 about the "haves and have mores." I'd juxtapose his tough talk regarding Bin Ladin following 9/11 with his Bin Ladin is irrelevent comments months later.

In short, If I were Kerry's manager, I'd put the real Bush in front of the American people.

[WI_DEM]

5. Rally the base

That is what Bush is doing. He isn't running any "swing voter" strategy. Kerry must generate excitement among the base: African Americans, Latinos, Seniors, Teachers, environmentalists, union members, activists, ect.

That means attacking Bush for every miserable act he has committed as president.

[Joe Turner]

6. Those are all good ideas and how about this....

John Kerry should seriously consider doing a series of 15-30 minute “talks to the nation” outlining Smirk’s disastrous record as president. I mean the sky is the limit here. Kerry can talk about the millions of Job Losses in the last 4 years. The unprecedented gutting of America’s manufacturing base. The out of control Health Care costs. The staggering budget and trade deficits. The middle class squeeze. The misleading way Smirk led America into the Iraq Fiasco, our Wide Open Borders during a time of war etc, etc. etc. then explain what he will do as president to get America back on track.

It will work. Ross Perot used such commercials to great effect in 1992 when he skewered Bush Sr. on job losses and NAFTA. Perot’s unfiltered, no-nonsense straight talk really resonated with millions of Americans and played an important role in Bush senior's defeat.

Perhaps most importantly this type of message helps people become more familiar and comfortable with a candidate, unlike the usual 30-second sound bite ads.

I am 100% convinced that doing uninterrupted 15-30 minute talks to the nation that bypasses the Bush Smear Machine and Media Filters will give a tremendous boost to Kerry’s campaign, especially in the swing states where people are hurting and looking for Answers not more Bush Spin.

Just my two cents.

[no name no slogan]

9. good ideas

welcome to DU! :hi:

Your ideas remind me of the infomercials Ross Perot ran during the 1992 race. He was frank, straightforward and spoke with candor, and came across as the genuine article, and not "just another politician".

Sure, we may have made fun of his pie charts and bar graphs, but the man did get 12% of the popular vote-- enough to deny PoppyBush a second term.

Jesse Ventura (in my state of MN) did much the same thing in 1998: when faced with a couple of career politicians, he gave straightforward, common-sense answers to voters' questions. While Norm Coleman and Skip Humphrey were trying to out-schmooze each other, Jesse simply set 'em up and knocked 'em down in a no-BS manner. He was written off by both major parties, but come election day he beat both the major party candidates.

Right now, John Kerry has a lot of very good positions, but he hasn't really communicated his vision-- much the same problem Poppy Bush had in 1992, really (remember all those news stories about "the vision thing"?). A platform is not a vision-- it's a roadmap for what you want to accomplish. Your vision is about how you see this country in eight years from now.

John Kerry (and Democrats in general) need to focus on the FUTURE, not on what did or did not happen 30+ years ago.

[Joe Turner]

11. I Agree

and Thanks. Yes, the BushCo Smear Machine has done an excellent job of knocking Kerry off message and obfuscating Smirk's dismal record of failure.

This is why I think Kerry can make up a lot of lost ground with a series of Ross Perot-style infomercials where he can go right to the issues that concern people in a no-nonsense, straight forward manner. We know that a majority of Americans are unhappy with Smirk and are looking for reasons not to vote for him. I can see where a few riveting Kerry infomericals could very well provide the reason for millions to jump ship for Kerry.

And by going right to the people during prime time in an extended infomercial format Kerry can get his message out very effectively without it getting hacked into 5 second sound bites. While such ad buys are no doubt expensive, I believe they have much more bang for the buck than the usual 30-second ads.

Glad to hear this also worked for Jesse Ventura. All the more reason for Kerry to do this.

[jab105]

7. NO!! This election has to focus on Bush NOT Kerry!!

When CLinton won, it was because people didn't want Bush, not because they wanted CLinton...this isn't about Kerry...it is about BUSH!!

[cheezus]

8. not sure people are undecided

I did some polling last night and about 20% of the people I got were undecided. A lot more were "leaning bush", but they didn't sound very sure about it.

then again, thos epeople may not be voters

[KoKo]

10. From your words to Kerry's ears.....couldn't agree with you more. You

have some good "catch" phrases there. Kerry needs to be better on making simple points which will stick in peoples minds.

"We're going to share the buden of costs so that the burden will be lighter." What a great phrase.