Some Democrats Say Kerry Must Get Back on the Trail

NY Times ^ | 3-20-04 | DAVID M. HALBFINGER and ADAM NAGOURNEY

[teletech]

Okay, I'm gonna play "devil's advocate" here (probably a sensible thing to do when you're talking about a party as evil as the Dems)....If they try a "Convention Nomination Surprise", who are would they pick at this point who could possibly have a chance of winning for them? Hillary? She's not going to run this time unless she knows for sure she can win...Gore? He doesn't look like he wants to run (or can)...Besides the two of them, who else is there they could nominate?

Senator John McShame

[leftcoaster]

Kerry and the Dems have been blind-sided. They thought their whining about mean Republican attack ads would be enough to hold their own until Kerry could raise more cash. At first they handled the $900 Billion new taxes ad OK, except it is still being run and they have no way to buy as many counter-ads. What they didn't expect was Kerry's own blunders, like the foreign leaders and "I voted for it before I voted against it" comments being used so quickly and effectively.

Their attempt to shame or blame the mean, nasty Republicans doesn't wash because it is Kerry's own words that indict him, not some bogus distraction, like the intern problem or pictures with Hanoi Jane.

[Steven W.]

The problem with getting Kerry back on the campaign trail is then he'll be forced to make more gaffes and soundbites by the ever-elusive corrupt, lying republican smear machine.

[Betaille]

"If the Dems tried replacing a presidential candidate four weeks before the election"
No... i'm saying he may do it BEFORE THE CONVENTION.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

"Do you get the creeping suspicion that Kerry may have taken this vacation in order to think over whether or not he really wants to run? It's not too late for him to drop out yet."

The thought has definitely crossed my mind-absolutely.
And if we're thinking it, you have to hope the RNC is , also.
I haven't had time to research the options as far as the nomination process goes, but, I do have questions.
If it happens before the convention, I would assume that Kerry would release all his delegates.
And I would imagine that the Dems wouldn't have an official and legal candidate until July, since the primaries are over.
Therefore, how could they run ads touting so and so, as the Democrat nominee, if they didn't have an official candidate ?
If Kerry gets cold feet after the convention, does the VP automatically ascend to the top or is there some other mechanism to select a candidate ?
I find it interesting that Dean is refusing to give, rent or sell, his internet donor list to anyone,not even Kerry.
Makes you wonder if Dean is also keeping his options open.

[Consort]

He's on the ski trail.

[Jim_Curtis]

Democrats were wondering if even Mr. Kerry had underestimated the ferocity of the White House attack.
***
Day after day Kerry was on the stump pleading "BRING-IT-ON". Bush finally steps up to the microphone and says "John Kerry flip-flops" and now they are begging "call off the dogs"?

Bush hasn't even gotten around to Kerry's treason yet so if they are whining about ferocity already it's a rather laughable attempt to instill guilt in conservatives so that we become back-offish and the libs have already set the standard of appropriate political discourse with the "Bush is a deserter, Bush was AWOL" lies and the truths that are told about Kerry won't measure up to that level of ferocity.

[Fiddlstix]

I've got to get a vote for Kerry bumper sticker
and hang some FlipFlops next to it.

I love it!

That deserves a
BIG
BUMP

[Betaille]

"Makes you wonder if Dean is also keeping his options open."
Dean is finished... His negatives are above 50% and he's still making reckless gaffes. I think Edwards is more likely to snatch it if Kerry gives up. It would be hard for the Dems to win if they dont have a candidate until the convention... but it would also be impossible for Bush to start attacking anyone until after the convention then, since nobody knows who the nominee is.
One other possibility is that maybe Kerry retreated to make a VP pick to get the momentum back. That would be pretty stupid though... it would just give him a week-long bump, and then he would have very little convention bounce. It would be disasterous.

[Betaille]

"Kerry was on the stump pleading "BRING-IT-ON"."
Haha! We haven't even started to "Bring it" yet you pathetic snob. Bush barely said boo and Kerry is already running for the mountains, truly pathetic.

[dawn53]

I have an idea for a bumper sticker or t-shirt.

It would say Kerry, 2004, but as you got close enough to see it, the letters would be made of little "flip flops" placed in lines in order to form the words and date.

[Betaille]

"And, their attacks will have less and less of an effect on Bush, IMHO."
Thats definetly true. Kerry's "crooked liars" gaffe was a big turning point. First of all it drew attention to just how nasty and negative his campaign is. Second of all, it makes it much harder for Kerry to defend himself from republican attacks since people are reminded of the "crooked liars" comment every-time he responds to an attack and they now take his comments with a grain-of-salt.

[NYCVirago]

Haha! We haven't even started to "Bring it" yet you pathetic snob. Bush barely said boo and Kerry is already running for the mountains, truly pathetic.

Good point. And could he his people even keep their lies about his vacation correct? On the one hand, it's that he needs a break from that rough campaign. On the other hand, he's doing photo-ops to show how virile and active he is, with snowboarding, snowshoeing up past 9,000 feet. Which one is it?

[July 4th]

and retooling his campaign to appeal to a general election audience. Après ski, of course.

I think that this is a very important line, particularly when appearing in the Times. It means that the elitist persona has finally stuck. Bonne chance, Monsieur Kerry...it's a long way to November.

[Jorge]

"....the Republicans are trying to label him as a flip-flopper,"; said Gordon Fischer, the Democratic chairman in Iowa. "I don't think that's fair."

Not FAIR?

I almost can't wait for Kerry to get back.
...and to hear his tortured explanations for saying a vote against the $87 Billion for Iraq would be "reckless" and "irresponsible", and then actually voting against it.
Incredible.

[Jorge]

Dean is finished... His negatives are above 50% and he's still making reckless gaffes.

I saw Dean on TV today trying to weasel his way out his claim that Bush was responsible for the terrorist attack in Spain.

As soon as Dean comes out in support of Kerry, he makes an outrageous gaff that Kerry has to distance himself from. Perfect.

[AF68]

I'm going to Wal-Mart to buy a case of flip-flops and hang them from every Kerry sign I see. I want to get a "Vets Not Fonda Kerry" bumper sticker and attach a pair of flip-flops next to it. The visual association will be unmistakable. Thanks for the great idea, tet68.

[End_Clintonism_Now]

The Dems have nothing to worry about. Their ultimate WMD is the 9th Inning Candidate Switch. Frank Lautenberg knows how well it works. If the Bush team is smart, they'll have the anti-Hillary ads ready to go when Kerry looks like a sure loser.