Why Kerry fears GOP response

The Miami Herald ^ | 23 February 2004 | Charles Krauthammer

[MegaSilver]

As the Democrats enter the final stages of their primary race, the emerging story is how the Republicans are preparing to go negative in the general election with a campaign of singular viciousness against John Kerry.

Kerry's spokespeople have already sounded the alarm, declaring that ``it's time for George W. Bush to call off his right-wing slime machine.''

[MAKOTHEDOG]

It is about time!!!

[xzins]

Krauthammer hits a homer!

[KantianBurke]

Democrats and the Truth: A relationship only Dracula and garlic can understand."

[MAKOTHEDOG]

I hope these guys are serious. It will be 96 all over again if not. Politics is a bloody battle.

[SF Geo]

What does it mean that Kerry's time in country was only 5 months and his purple hearts (2 or 3) resulted in only one day out of action? Neither adds up.
I thought service was a year and know nothing about the details of Purple Hearts except that the injury needs to happen in combat.

[ClearCase_guy]

I hear that Kerry's campaign is running in the red already. Sure, his wife has deep pockets, but if he really taps into that, he's just a taller version of Ross Perot, trying to buy the presidency. Bush has $100M in his warchest.

I hear Kerry's polling across the general population is about 50%. Sounds good. But in the key electoral college states, it's not close at all. Bush wins easily.

Kerry has vulnerabilities all over the place. And Republicans haven't even started.

The economy is getting better every month.

I believe Iraq is to be self-governing in June. And Osama Bin Laden may be captured between now and Nov.

I predict a blow-out of historical proportions.

[MAKOTHEDOG]

I thought it was 4 months?

[Alberta's Child]

This article offers an excellent illustration of why U.S. Senators typically make for miserable Presidential candidates. In addition to having the dullest, dopiest personalities on the planet, U.S. Senators spend their entire careers cutting deals and casting votes to stay in office -- only to find out later that the deals they cut and votes they cast as senators end up being enormous millstones around their necks as White House candidates.

[MarkeyD]

I think we should wait until Kerry becomes the candidate before we start these kinds of ads.

[Mr. Mojo]

Kerry strikes me as a guy who can't handle the heat. ....And a guy who knows the burners are about blasted under his ass.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

. Bush has $100M in his warchest.

It's a little bit more.

My wife and I sent in a donation.

[MattinNJ]

Krauthammer hits a homer!

The libs are batting practice pitchers to the 'hammer-damn shame we live in a country where the left controls the media. How idiots like Dowd get columns in the Times while geniuses like Krauthammer and Victor David Hansen remain relatively obscure is just plain wrong.

[onedoug]

Who says George W. Bush has done "nothing" for conservatives?

[onedoug]

Print ping to the link at #14?...

Thanks.

[longtermmemmory]

This seems to borrow a page from the speech codes of the university. (see also Orwell's 1984 doublespeak chapter) They seek to frame the debate by forbiding the words. By forbiding contradictory speech only proKerry speech would be allowed.

It seems Kerry was told to pound sand.

Emperor Kerry has no clothes.

[ClearCase_guy]

Kerry was injured 3 times. Twice by minor shrapnel wounds. The other was an arm injury (no blood) caused by lifting a sailor into a boat. Two of these injuries did not result in any missed days. The other injury caused him to miss either 1 or 2 days.

An obscure Navy rule allows a sailor to be reassigned after receiving 3 purple hearts. By most accounts, Kerry mis-used this rule pretty egregiously. He then returned to the states and called his fellow soldiers War Criminals and accused them of atrocities.

He ain't no hero.

Oh, and his silver star? He got that by administering the coup de grace to a wounded enemy soldier who had been put on the ground by another sailor.

[macrahanish #1]

I agree. Gutting Kerry before he is the nominee could lead to the rise of Edwards. If Edwards is the nominee, will Hillary be his running mate?

[JohnnyZ]

I think we should wait until Kerry becomes the candidate before we start these kinds of ads.

The ads are slated to begin March 4th -- two days after Super Tuesday, when the nomination fight should be over.

[Zack Nguyen]

We ought not to forget the most offensive thing I have heard thus far this election - Al Gore claiming Bush "betrayed his country." Them's fightin' words.