  NEW YEAR'S DAY IN KOHNBOATIA? |
Posted on 08/31/2004 3:47:16 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
NANTUCKET, Mass. (Aug. 31) - Hours after George W. Bush is to accept the Republican Party's nomination for re-election in New York on Thursday night, Democrat John Kerry plans to respond at Ground Zero of the presidential campaign - Ohio.
Kerry is kicking off the general election in the battleground state that Bush won in the last race, as has every other Republican who's ever been elected president. Kerry plans a rally in Springfield, Ohio, just before midnight Thursday evening with his running mate John Edwards and their wives. Then the Democratic nominee plans a two-day bus tour to the Ohio cities of Newark, Akron and Steubenville.
Kerry is dispatching his three partners to Midwest battlegrounds that Democrat Al Gore won narrowly in 2000 - Teresa Heinz Kerry to Iowa, John Edwards to Wisconsin and Elizabeth Edwards to Michigan.
The tours come after Kerry kept a low profile at his family's Nantucket home during most of the Republican National Convention, with one notable exception. Kerry plans interrupt his getaway Wednesday to speak to the American Legion in Nashville, Tenn.
The Kerrys and Edwardses also had bus tours coming out of the Democratic National Convention five weeks ago, and the trip resulted in positive coverage in the local newspapers and television that reach swing voters.
The four states at the start of the upcoming trip have a combined 54 electoral votes and are among the most frequently visited by the presidential campaigns. The biggest target of the four has been Ohio, which has 20 electoral votes and has been visited 13 times by Kerry so far this year.
Although Bush won the state by four percentage points in 2000, he is vulnerable because the state has lost more than 200,000 jobs since he took office.
Kerry-Edwards campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill said the message to voters in the general election kickoff will be that there is a fundamental choice in November - ''four more years of policies that benefit the few and catastrophic successes that blame the military for administration miscalculations, or the Kerry-Edwards plan to build an economy that strengthens and expands the middle class.''
Kerry's campaign plans to return to significant advertising in the coming days after a monthlong break. Kerry was mostly dark during August, except for a few small ad buys in six states to respond to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads that criticized his military record. Kerry was saving his money to pay for the ads that will fuel his final two-month push. However, the Democratic National Committee's independent expenditure office, which can't legally coordinate with Kerry, filled in for him in August, spending some $37 million on ads promoting him and criticizing Bush.
Kerry will spend Sunday at his family home in Pennsylvania, then return to the campaign trail on Labor Day for a series of ''front porch'' visits. Once again, Kerry, Edwards and their wives will spread out to different swing states, this time in front of homes talking to neighborhood voters.
Kerry spokeswoman Allison Dobson said a high-profile representative of the Kerry campaign will hold one of the visits in every battleground state to promote his agenda. The campaign will pass out copies of the Kerry-Edwards book, ''Our Plan for America,'' which also goes on sale next week to the public for $12.95.
08-31-04 1011EDT
Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
What a Maroon! Like Kerry doesn't trust 5,000 talking heads to rip apart Bush's speech immediately after he gives it. By this logic, immediately after Kerry's acceptance speech, he should have had John Edwards come on and tell us all what a good speech it was.
I don't think the punditocracy is going to cotton to this. If I was Chris Matthews or Eleanor Clift I would be mad as hell that Kerry wouldn't let me get my 2 cents in ripping the speech.
At least, give them the illusion that they are coming up with these talking points. If you want the friendly media to remain friendly, stop trying to show them up. Look at what they did to Howard Dean.
I'll probably make people mad but I think Kerry is going to come out pretty hard and make a bigger impact against the Bush "bounce" than anyone expects. Kerry is known for coming on strong towards the end of a campaign. He will be very ready to take Bush on because Kerry has had a good rest and has been able to get everything back together. Right now he is recharging his batteries in Cambodia. (gotya)
During the DNC, Bush went home and did some biking, fishing and relaxing. Not the least bit worried about the Dem party in Boston.
Contrast that to Kerry who is running around making appearances and looking totally paniced and out of control.
They're letting Tuh-ray-zuh out of the cage? Whew, they must really be desperate.
That oughta go over well..
Specific examples?
Remember, Kerry and his forces of evil will lie, cheat and steal their way to the White House. We all, working together, must make sure that does not happen.
A_R
Yabbut the Ronco Showtime Grill infomercial is scheduled to be on right afterwards!
- he is sinking and desperate.
I'm guessing they've doubled her Lithium dosage, and are fairly confident her head won't explode in mid-rally.
Okay, we were kidding, it's his wife's family sprawling $3 million home
then return to the campaign trail on Labor Day for a series of ''front porch'' visits.
Does anyone have handy a photo of one of Edwards' recent "front porch" visits - where only 8 people showed up to listen to his blather?
Another day, another gimmick. Maybe he could have Cleland wheel the speech to Crawford.
Don't forget the botox, and for sure don't forget the codpiece that way no one will know for sure if the SBVT castrated you yet or not.
Good luck with that, LURCH!
Anytime I see an article by NEDRA "KNEEPADS" PICKLER, I feel the urge to clik on report abuse.
So we can conclude, according to Kerry, that Iraq is a catastrophic success.
EXACTLY what I thought of! I went to see him at 4:30 am at a Phoenix diner. Kerry's move screams "DESPERATION".
Synchronized screaming?
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