JOHN KERRY'S QUIET COLLAPSE

New York Post ^ | 4/27/04 | JOHN PODHORETZ

[kattracks]

April 27, 2004 -- THE conventional wisdom is that the presidential election will be close. It's a 50-50 country, so the CW goes, just as it was in the year 2000.

Kerry is a terrible, terrible, terrible candidate.

It's not so much the policies he proposes, although they don't add up to all that much. The problem is Kerry himself. He no sooner opens his mouth than he sticks first one foot and then the other right in there.

[AntiGuv]

Guys, you should have gone with John Edwards.

Yep. They're gonna be whipping themselves for that one for a long time to come.. =)

[Travis McGee]

Will Kerry be the nominee after the convention, or will he step down for "medical reasons?"

If he steps down, who is going to step in? Will Hellary want it in 2004?

[Choose Ye This Day]

John Kerry is deeply troubled.

[Southack]

"Kerry has been the presumptive Democratic nominee for two months now. Ask yourself: Aside from fund-raising success, has he had a good day? Has he come up with a winning soundbite? Has he made a policy proposal you've heard people talking about?"

BWAAA HA Ha!

A Democrat with a positive, new policy proposal?!

That sort of sighting should get as big of a bounty paid as if you had just identified Al Zaqarawi.

[Sabertooth]

Quiet?

Plenty of folks are hearing that deadwood fall.

To say "Kerry is toast" is to insult bread.

[agincourt1415]

Yeah, I think we can guess that Kerry might not be the nominee.

[Southack]

"If he steps down, who is going to step in? Will Hellary want it in 2004?"

Keeping in mind Election 2004 dynamics, I see a half dozen viable replacements for Senator Kerry:

1. Senator Breaux
2. Senator Edwards
3. Former President Carter
4. Former Governor Dean
5. Former VP Gore
6. Senator Clinton

...and at least three of the above are probably the top candidates (minus Governor Richardson) for Senator Kerry's VP candidate (should JFK stay in the race).

[Flyer]

If he steps down

He will stay in. I think the Democrats have already conceded this election and have their sights set on 2008.

[Mo1]

Not so for Kerry. To put it mildly.
Yes, he has time, plenty of time, six months' worth of time. Kerry will surely get better, but that's only because he can't get much worse.

ROFL .. Ya wanna bet

[oceanperch]

What is the procedure, officially if he quits to bring the next Dem up to bat.

Can Hillary get in? Who would officially step up?

They can't be that sinister to plan this from the gate, can they?

[goldstategop]

The Democrats are prepared to do anything to beat Bush. If pulling a Torricelli manuever at the Democratic Convention would serve it, they'd do that. They could put Howie Dean back in or John Edwards, it wouldn't matter as long as the Democrat had a chance. If John F*ckin' is perceived to be damaged goods, he will be made to step aside for the good of the party.

[agincourt1415]

If Kerry drops below 40% in the Polls, they will find a way to dump him, remember we're talking about the CLINTON'S.

[AntiGuv]

What is the procedure, officially if he quits to bring the next Dem up to bat.

If he quits before the convention, then the procedure is simply to have an open convention where the delegates vote until someone gets a majority for nomination.

I have no idea what happens if he quits after the convention, especially if its after the state deadlines to appear on the ballot. Hmm.. I'm gonna try to figure that one out.

Can Hillary get in? Who would officially step up?

Yep. Anyone eligible to the Presidency can be nominated if Kerry quits. All they need is a majority of votes from the delegates.

[oceanperch]

Holy Mackerel! Please tell me I am having a tin foil moment.

[Capitalism2003]

We need to make this a HARD collapse...Kerry is wobbling...ready to go down...I think NOW is the perfect time for every grassroots conservative group to nail Kerry with everything we have...blast the media with emails demanding they cover Kerry's flip-flops...send in lots of anti-Kerry opinions to your local papers, etc. If every Freeper spent 20 minutes doing these things, and maybe sent $5.00 each to a few worthy organizations like Americans for Tax Reform or The Club For Growth, we could sponsor some nice new anti-Kerry ads and absolutely erase his chances for victory this year. All it takes is a small amount of time and a very small amount of money from a large group of people like the Freepers! Oh, and don't forget about getting a filibuster proof majority in the Senate...This is CRUCIAL if we are to get a real conservative agenda passed in a 2nd Bush term. Donate to the National Republican Senatorial Committee. They do an AWESOME job spreading cash in the battleground states where we have the best chances of picking up democrat senate seats. They have done a great job in the past few elections, and we now have a chance to strike the deathblow to liberalism...really.

[AnimalLover]

JOHN KERRY'S QUIET COLLAPSE

I just had a terrible thought!!! What if this continues to the Democratic Convention and then, knowing he's a loser, they nominate Hillary!

[DB]

Ain't going to happen.

Kerry's ego is far too great to step down. This is his life's dream. He'd run over his mother to continue now.

[M1911A1]

Is it up to Kerry to decide? Are the delegates locked in to voting for hime?

[DB]

Why now? The election is 6 months off.

We need the hard crash at a time there is no chance of replacement or recovery. It is now time to keep our powder dry.