Posted on 07/25/2004 4:02:03 PM PDT by nwrep
BOSTON - In a windowless room beneath the podium, a team of speechwriters is imposing John Kerry (news - web sites)'s will on the words of the other speakers at the Democratic National Convention. Their orders: Go easy on the Bush bashing.
Each speech is read and re-read, heavily edited and rehearsed as part of a tightly controlled process designed to impress independent voters who are tired of negative politics. Mindful of polls showing voters say they need more information about Kerry, the team also is ensuring that speeches are laced with the candidate's biography and policies.
Campaign spokeswoman Debra DeShong said speakers are getting clear direction from the Kerry team "because we do have a very clear message that John Kerry and John Edwards (news - web sites) will make us stronger at home and respected in the world. Our speech process is helping people get comfortable with that message."
For most speakers, the process began when they received a three-page memo titled "Procedures for Convention Speakers" from Jack Corrigan, Kerry's convention point man. It offered the services of speechwriters and coaches, as well as personal assistants to help speakers navigate security, deadlines and other big-day minutia.
First drafts were due a week before the convention, Corrigan wrote, warning that "suggestions" might be made "to help highlight the campaign's themes for the convention. Please understand that this system is not intended to `take control' of your speech; rather, it helps ensure that each speaker makes the best possible speech and avoids embarrassing repetitions."
In case they didn't get the message, the speechwriting team, headed by Californian Vicky Rideout, contacted speakers or their staffs with guidance:
_ Keep it short. Speakers assumed they had more than the typical three minutes to deliver their remarks. Several egos were bruised.
_ Stick to the message. Each night of the convention has a theme, such as plans for America's future on Monday.
_ Keep it positive. Criticism of Bush is allowed, but only as a subtle or indirect dig when comparing Kerry's vision to Bush's record. Red meat won't be served at this convention.
Texts poured into the team's offices in downtown Boston — about 100 for delivery in the prime 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. time slots, and an additional 160 scheduled for afternoons. Most needed editing to shorten. Some needed more extensive work.
"Make speeches gooder and more short," read a sign jokingly posted at the speechwriters' headquarters.
They moved this week to new offices, tucked beneath the convention's elaborate stage, across the hall from FleetCenter locker rooms. There are three rehearsal rooms nearby, complete with podiums.
Surrounded by cinderblock walls and exposed wires, a half dozen convention staff speechwriters, two Kerry staff writers and two Kerry campaign researchers pore over the drafts.
One speaker submitted a text that accused Bush of "failing to fund No Child Left Behind," his education initiative. The line was softened by the speechwriting staff to say, "We can do better. We need to fund No Child Left Behind."
A congressman's claim that Bush has "deceived Americans" about Iraq (news - web sites) was watered down in a revised draft to promise that Kerry will never go to war without ample reason.
The speechwriters kept intact about 75 percent of keynote speaker Barack Obama's speech, adding references to Kerry policy and rephrasing some points to echo the language used by Kerry.
Few escaped the heavy hand.
"We went back and forth a little bit," said Rep. Robert Menendez (news, bio, voting record), D-N.J., of his interactions with the Kerry speech team. "But I gave in and they gave in a little bit and I'm happy with it."
Some speakers are too big to push around, but Kerry advisers say even VIPs like President Clinton (news - web sites) and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (news - web sites) understand the strategy to build up Kerry while giving Bush a bit of a pass.
Former Vice President Al Gore (news - web sites), who has fired up Democratic crowds with harsh criticism of Bush, also "understands the drill," said adviser Carter Eskew.
The Kerry strategy is based on polls showing more than 90 percent of voters firmly aligned with one party or another, with as little as 5 percent up for grabs. Kerry's polling shows that those "persuadable" voters don't like negative politics. They give Bush poor approval ratings, but they still aren't comfortable enough with Kerry to vote against the incumbent.
"Swing and independent voters are very much up for grabs. Kerry has to make the sale, and he has a long way to go to make the sale," said Harold Ickes, who helped run President Clinton's re-election convention in 1996.
If they dont bash Bush, what will they possibly have to talk about?
DemocRATS couldn't be "positive" if their lives depended on it! This is just AP drivel for the unwashed masses.
The Democrats are genetically incapable of behaving themselves before the cameras or an audience.
Isn't this censorship?
teh media is talking about the protesters in BOSTON as if they are right wingers..LOL...meanwhile its a bunch of unwashed losers from every liberal spectrum possible....
Why are they not being called supporters as their is no chance in hell these dolts are voting for Bush.
I don't have the stomach for it, but would someone who does please go over to that alternate universe, Dirty Underwear, and do a little play-by-play?
Well, if they do manage to mind their manners and behave with propriety (which I very much doubt), it would be a huge improvement. Thus one ought to wish them a success in their difficult endeavor to restrict their inner democrat.
The media will do all in it's power to keep the hate speech off the air.
Of course, Dan Rather will praise it as eloquence unparalleled, and Peter Jennings will laud the arrival of a second JFK. Katie Couric will faint with desire, and when she "comes to", she'll declare John Frenchie Kerry to be the true definition of passion and policy combined.
America will hurl at the thought of a Taxachusetts liberal, and vote for the re-election of the President in November.
Someone post the pic of JFK with the child ...so we can have fun captioning the pic.
HA HA HA
LOL! Your caption and picture of Arnie cheered me right up! Thanks!
I have an idea for the Freepers who want to put some "excitement" into the dnc convention activities.
How about a vanity thead that Freepers can guess the # of times that the speakers at the podium,center stage,(say just the ones from 7pm est,until the close of each of the 4 nites),remind "us" that kerry is a "Viet Nam vet" or "war hero"??
Commentators comments could be included ,or excluded.
If included,A winner for each channel(I.E. alphabet,Fox, C-span,) and a grand prize winner for who comes closest to the TOTAL of ALL the channels each time it gets mentioned .
We'd have to have a "monitor" for each channel to "count" if the commentators and their "interviewees" are included.
IMHO, it would be kinda neat to know the "total"....and maybe save my TV screen, because I would have "reason" not to throw something at it everytime I would hear "it"...
Unfortunately, even in the middle, he'll still be a horse's ass. Won't matter.
Old familiar name on board: Mr. Arrogant and smarmy himself, Harold Ickes.
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