Posted on 10/12/2004 3:12:46 PM PDT by johannes89a
Today's Newsweek web commentary picks up on something I wrote about on this site two days ago. Regarding the flap over Kerry's "nuisance" comment:
This kind of phony debate can only take place outside the real debates, on the campaign trail in front of partisan crowds.
I hate to say I told you so, but we really shouldn't have jumped on that out-of-context quoting thing so hard. People are reading the actual NYT article it was clipped from and getting anti-Bush rhetoric -- the story is backfiring on us just like I suggested it would.
We need to up the bar, people. Responsible campaigning is the only route to victory.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
While it is approximately 50% anti-Bush, it takes some hard swings at Kerry, perhaps unwittingly. On balance, I wish everyone would read it.
I think you vastly overestimate the number of people who are going to read the NYT article, as opposed to the number of people are are going to learn by other means that Kerry once thought terrorism was a nuisance like gambling or prostitution. Incidentally, that's exactly what the NYT article says as well, regardless of how the Kerry people attempt to spin it and -- like the proverbial kid with his hand caught in the globe-shaped cookie jar once again -- whine about "being taken out of context."
I'm not so sure of that, however I had similar criticsm with a different take on it.
The message to destroy Keery is in the quote, the full quote. It's how it is used that matters.
The Bush campaign has used it poorly, and as I said, by not focusing it, they may lose it as an issue. It may already be too late.
The substance of it is that Kerry want to "get back to" a September 10th mentality. His use of "nuisance" dovetails nicely with Bush's description of Clinton's approach to terrorism, which was "swatting at flies."
If they get on this, they can get a lot out of it. But the ad they are running is overly parsed when parsing is not needed. The more of the entire quote they use, the more damaging it is to Kerry, so long as they frame it in the September 10th "swatting at flies" mentality, and the idea that terrorism is something we will just have to get used to living with.
To say I'm suspicious of your motives would be an understatement.
Been here posting for less than a month, and already posting critical of 'our' side. Here to demoralise us? Not going to happen.
FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS!
What a load of crap.
Kerry gained in the polls because Bush had a terrible debate and the media spun the loss even more. End of story.
Kerry's own damning words and record does help him and the GOP should continue to use them both against him.
Your joking right? Nothing was taken out of context. Yet Bush is constantly twisted and lied about. No gloves here.
"Out of context," my deep blue eyes. Here, Kerry's remarks with all the context you could possibly want. What he said demonstrates clearly and convincingly that this man must not be Commander-in-Chief, and I want as many people as possible to read his words.
Wow, who's 'we,' newbie?
The Bush campaign may find itself winning the war of the election and losing the peace. By campaigning so strongly against consulting with allies and so strongly for pre-emptive strikes, the president is effectively undoing his own diplomacy over the last year or more. If he wins re-election, Bush may well find himself rediscovering the laws of physics. For every action on the campaign trail, there’s an equal and opposite reaction in the outside world.
Bush is willing to put America first. Bush has a coalition of the willing.
The author's world view which considers the rest of the world to include France and Germany exclusively is a view neither Bush nor any of us should subscribe to.
I Agree. That must mean "nuisance" is working.
Even more damning than this ludicrous Kerry statement was another statement from that same interview:
When he was asked how Sept. 11 had changed him:
...it didn't change me much at all....it wasn't as transformational as it was a kind of anger...
You're going to give credence to someone who "believes" the poll numbers from those two right after the debates? We all know the dems hijacked all the polls with their spin.
I disagree with you. I have seen several DemocRats turn on Kerry over this quote. Obviously the Bush team thought it was good enough to use in a commercial.
It is DEVESTATING that Kerry actually compared the war on terror to victimless crimes like prostitution and gambling. This kind of thing does NOT play in Peoria.
And yes--I read the whole article. The only people upset about this quote being used are the DemonRats who are seeing their loser candidate getting flushed down the toilet.
It's not just MSNBC. Wolf Blitzer just did a piece on it titled "dirty politics," ABC, CBS, and NBC are prepping stories for this evening's news, and papers across the country are questioning the validity of this latest ad.
Speaking of dovetailing, this fits it perfectly with the Kerry campaign's strategy of portraying us as distorters and manipulators of the truth.
I'm sorry that some of you don't take me seriously just because I've only signed up to FR recently. I am a long-time reader and joined up because I am seriously concerned that we are going to botch this election by playing into the hands of the enemy.
In the tank. Its a standing order at Newsweek. You spin for the Dems until its clearly too late and then you blame them for not being 'real' demorats.
That's a good one!
"It didn't change me at all", one of Kerry's best quotes.....Let's use that one too and let the dems wet their pants again!HAHAHA!
* were it not for Kerry having a campaign that is totally out of context of everything he has done as a politician he wouldn't have a campaign
Ask Ann Richards and Algore how it "feels" to run against Bush. Then ask yourself, who do you want defending this nation? A weiner who whines over every little thing "said" about him?
I don't.........I want a MAN who speaks plainly and lets you know where he stands...........
Let Kerry stop saying these stupid things if he doesn't want them used against him..........
You are exactly right. Comparing Terrorism to Prostitution or Gambling is sick. The RNC and the Bush campaign should be pounding the daylights out of Kerry for this.
Heck, the entire State of Nevada made gambling and prostitution legal. Does anyone in their right mind think that the good citizens of Nevada would ever contemplate legalizing Terrorism! Of course not. Kerry is nuts for making this comparison. Bush has got to pound the he!! out of him for this.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.