Kerry camp lowers N.H. expectations

Boston Globe ^ | 12/8/03 | Patrick Healy

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Facing harsh political terrain in New Hampshire, Senator John F. Kerry and his presidential campaign advisers have begun bracing for the possibility of a loss in the state's Jan. 27 primary, which the campaign had previously labeled a "must win" to sustain his presidential bid.

[xrp]

But I thought that f***ing firing his f***ing campaign manager for taking his campaign and then f*** it up as badly as he/she did was the right f***ing thing to do so that he could f***ing re-focus his efforts on getting the f***ing nomination!

[TheBigB]

The campaign issued a memo Saturday night saying for the first time that Kerry is competing for "the top two" spots in the primary, not just for an all-out victory.

Wow, I can see the press release now..."Kerry finishes FIRST in NH, after the winner."

[mondonico]

From http://www.scrappleface.com/2003-12-08) -- Aides to Democrat presidential hopeful John F. Kerry say that their candidate will be "in the thick of things" after the January 27 New Hampshire primary if Mr. Kerry "can still fog a mirror."

"As long as his body is above room temperature it will be win for Kerry," said campaign spokesman Michael Meehan. "On the heart monitor, we're looking for a wiggle above flatline. No matter what the ballot box numbers are, if Senator Kerry is still breathing on January 28, he's still in the hunt as far as we're concerned."

While campaign aides previously said New Hampshire was a "must win" for the Massachusetts junior senator, they now point out what a tiny percentage of the nation's population lives in the "granite state."

"When you look at the size of New Hampshire, it takes a lot of temerity to even call it a state," said Mr. Meehan. "It's really a pathetic little fringe colony. No wonder Howard Dean is ahead by 30 points in the polls. They don't even have an NFL franchise -- sad."

Mr. Meehan added that Iowa and South Carolina should not be consider "all that" either.

"We're in this to win the nomination," he said. "These ridiculous little so-called state primaries are just an annoyance on the way to the Kerry coronation in Boston."

[Cicero]

Well, in the past some candidates have managed to manipulate the press into lowering expectations when going into New Hampshire, so they can make the most of doing better than anyone expected.

Kerry's handlers are obviously trying to do that. But it's too late. If a guy like clinton can come out of nowhere--Arkansas of all places--and do well in New Hampshire, that's news. But if a guy from the adjacent state who was supposed to be the front runner comes in 30 points behind, in a state full of migrants from Massachusetts, it's too late to change those expectations.

[Callahan]

Believe me, Senator, my expectations for your campaign couldn't get any lower. I swear;)

[The Electrician]

Yesterday, he met with veterans in San Diego to mark Pearl Harbor Day and criticized Bush as not providing the resources to keep soldiers safe in Iraq.

Um, do I remember correctly that Kerry voted "no" on the $87 Billion funding bill for Iraq and Afghanistan? If that's correct, then exactly how can he come off as anything but a lying hypocrite for criticizing Bush for "not providing the resources to keep soldiers safe in Iraq"?

[Callahan]

I can just picture cursing Kerry yelling at his advisors:

"B..b..but I f#%# deserve to be President. I did everything I was supposed to. I f&&% served in f#%# Vietnam. I got a f%##$ chin implant. I married a #$$$# rich democrat shill. #%#%$#$#%&*)(#&%)#&%)&#$$##$#$"

Just let it out buddy.

[bobjam]

A narrow Gephart win in Iowa, and big Dean win in NH, and a Edwards/Clark win in SC should pretty much finish Kerry. He'll go to Arizona with a big goose egg in the win column.

[ctonious]

Kerry camp lowers N.H. expectations

No need. The polls are already doing that.

[finnman69]

When asked about Kerry's chances in NH, his campaign manager replies "F**K You!"

[Jhensy]

Facing harsh political terrain in New Hampshire...

Oh, and where's the friendly terrain for this jackass? What he and Dean (and now Clark) have spewed about the President is inexcusable, way beneath the dignity of candidates for the highest office. Absolute pleasure in watching this creep flail.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

LOL - good one!

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Oh, and where's the friendly terrain for this jackass?

Canada, maybe? Home for fleeing, deserting Democratic candidates?

[cynicalman]

"If we can catch Howard Dean before it's all over in new Hampshire, great, but a silver medal actually counts in a presidential primary,"

I thought he won the gold medal in the downhill!

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

"When you look at the size of New Hampshire, it takes a lot of temerity to even call it a state," said Mr. Meehan. "It's really a pathetic little fringe colony.

Oh yeah. That's a great way to win friends and influence people in NH - calling them "pathetic little fringe"....

[cyncooper]

The Kerry campaign shot back yesterday, providing the Globe with three examples of profanity that Bush has used since 1999, including the four-letter word Kerry himself used.

Right now on MSNBC is the campaign embed reporter with the Kerry campaign exhorting us to look at the context of Kerry's use of the word. The Kerry campaign would do well to do the same with the Bush quotes they're highlighting. I do not believe Bush ever said that Clinton "f'd" up anything, though Bush would have actually had a basis for such a statement.

John F Kerry has exposed himself as a craven pandering desperate dishonest zero-vision dolt with this ploy.

(MSNBC segment finished as I was typing)

[Freemyland]

"And in a new Rolling Stone magazine story FreeRepublic post, Kerry Freemyland said of Bush's Kerry's performance campaign as commander in chief of the Iraq conflict and occupation: "Did I expect George Bush Lurch to [expletive] it up as badly as he did? I don't think anybody did."

[Phlap]

Don't laugh. It worked for Clinton.

[Billthedrill]

Ketchup was just trying to act hip for the kids. Pandering isn't expected to be taken seriously by anyone other than the pandered-to.