Old-School Team To Sell Kerry as Modern Centrist

The Washington Post ^ | April 21, 2004 | Jim VandeHei

[neverdem]

As he prepares for the most ambitious and defining phase of his presidential candidacy, Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) is relying on image-makers schooled in traditional Kennedy liberalism to sell himself anew to voters as a 21st-century centrist Democrat, a muscular hawk on national defense and deficits.

Bob Shrum, longtime confidant of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), is emerging as the most influential shaper of Kerry's image and words. Shrum, a purveyor of populism who has a reputation for angling for control of campaigns and sometimes alienating colleagues in the process, helped elbow out Kerry's campaign manager last year and is putting a distinctly populist us-against-them stamp on the candidate's more mainstream "new Democrat" message.

Shrum's power is rivaled by only a select few, including his business partner Michael Donilon, described by three Kerry insiders as the smartest, though stealthy, daily strategist, and Boston-based pollster Tom Kiley, the campaign's pulse-taker and calming presence. Kiley is part of small, though influential, band of Bostonians who have watched Kerry's back since his first run for Congress in 1972. Most are veterans of Kennedy's campaigns as well.

It is Shrum's word and Kiley's polling data and Donilon's ads shaping a soon-to-be-released media campaign introducing Kerry to voters in battleground states. But it is Mary Beth Cahill, campaign manager and another longtime adviser to Kennedy, calling the final shots and overseeing the fast-growing operation.

Their lofty mission: to set aside a long-running feud within the Democratic Party over its direction to position Kerry as the presidential candidate who is pro-national defense, pro-middle-class tax cuts, pro-balanced budgets -- with the rhetorical dash and inspiration of John F. Kennedy, a hero to Kerry and many of his top aides.

[neverdem]

Kerry is a centrist. How absurd?

[BenLurkin]

Well, it depends on what you mean the center of. Some might say he'd fit right in the middle of these guys: aka "Hillary's heroes

[GeronL]

Most liberal member of the US Senate is centrist... please.

[Conservative4Ever]

This is a play from the dems playbook. Claim to be a centrist, then if elected make a sharp left turn.

Red

[MNJohnnie]

Centerist??? Have they been watching his most recent speeches? Kerry is running HARD for the fringe wacko left! Don't take my word for it, look at his most recent speeches on the UN, on the Enviroment and on Iraq.

[MEG33]

They are planning to lie about his great leadership,his voting record,his basic beliefs about the US and the UN,his lack of a good voting record on national security,his flirtation with the radical left and his lack of credibility with his '71 sliming of our men in the military.

He will have to have very convincing liars and lie very well to get by with proclaiming himself a centrist.He has the MOST LIBERAL voting record in the Senate and invokes the UN as a likely,willing savior in Iraq.

[highlander_UW]

I was reading some posts at the DUmmies and some were complaining about Kerry being a center right democrat. Guess that says something about where they were at!

There were a number of posters that were beginning to agitate for a new candidate to step forward at the DNC because they were offended by Kerry's lack of taking stances as well as supporting Israeli targeting of Rantisi.

[jimtorr]

....Kerry as the presidential candidate who is pro-national defense, pro-middle-class tax cuts, pro-balanced budgets -- with the rhetorical dash and inspiration of John F. Kennedy....

Thanks for posting this. My first laugh of the day. I wonder if the writer meant to make such a funny comparison of JFK with JFK? Imagine, implying that Kerry is as good a speaker as Kennedy. LOL!

[GailA]

trying to sell a pig's ear as a silk purse

[kcvl]

Firm
Shrum, Devine, & Donilon

Principals
Robert Shrum
Tad Devine
Michael Donilon


Present and Past Clients
Al Gore for president
Ron Klink for Senate (Pa.)
Bill Nelson for Senate (Fla.)
Sen. John Edwards (N.C.)
Al Checchi for governor (Calif.)
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.)


Who They Are
A wordsmith best known for polishing everything from State of the Union addresses for President Clinton to Kennedy family speeches, Shrum is a leading member of Vice President Gore's media team. Shrum's partnership with Carter-era pollster Pat Caddell broke up with an acrimonious lawsuit in the 1980s; later he broke with partner David Doak. Today his firm also does corporate work. When Pizza Hut found itself under attack from rival chain Papa John's, Shrum responded with negative ads.

[mewzilla]

ROTF!!! How are they gonna sell his voting record? LOL!!!

[kcvl]

Example of John Kerry's message through Shrum, Donilon and company...

National security adviser Condoleezza Rice suggested on NBC's "Meet the Press" that she believes Kerry would weaken the fight against terrorism if elected.

"If we're going to roll back the Patriot Act, the people of America are going to have to know that they're taking an enormous risk," she said. "Those are the debates we're going to have."

But Michael Donilon, senior adviser to the Kerry campaign, told CNN's "Inside Politics" that Kerry does not want to replace the Patriot Act.

"He wants to improve it," Donilon said. "And clearly, there are ways we can do that, protecting us here at home, but also protect the civil liberties. It's an important distinction between President Bush and Senator Kerry."

Don't EVER believe them!

[tdadams]

Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) is relying on image-makers schooled in traditional Kennedy liberalism to sell himself anew to voters as a 21st-century centrist Democrat, a muscular hawk on national defense and deficits.

They must have gotten the idea from watching too many episodes of "Extreme Makeover". In other words, lie through their teeth.

Making Kerry look like a fiscally conscious, strong on defense centerist is about as easy as making Janet Reno look like Jennifer Anniston.