Dang, I can't wait to get oputta here and get down there!
Posted on 09/18/2004 7:32:30 PM PDT by tellw
ORLANDO, Fla. - (KRT) - Democrat John Kerry's presidential campaign, blown off course in Florida by three hurricanes, plans to resume efforts to win the crucial battleground state next week with a blitz of five key cities.
Kerry or his running mate, John Edwards, plans events in Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Miami and West Palm Beach, the campaign said Friday. Details will be released Saturday.
The resumption comes at a crucial moment for the Kerry campaign, locked in a battle with President Bush for the White House.
In recent weeks, Bush has moved into a lead in some national polls, though the dozen or so battleground states - which will decide the presidency - remain statistical tossups.
For Kerry, it will be his first campaign trip to Florida since July 26, when he appeared at a forum in Cape Canaveral, on his way to Boston to accept the Democratic nomination.
He also visited Punta Gorda shortly after Hurricane Charley decimated the Gulf Coast town, but he made no campaign appearances.
In campaign terms, Kerry's nearly two-month hiatus may seem like a lifetime in a state long targeted as the linchpin in this fall's presidential race.
But Democrats say hurricanes here are changing the political calculus.
"We think the race here essentially has been frozen for several weeks," said Matt Miller, a Kerry campaign spokesman. "But, obviously, we want to be in Florida as much as possible between now and November."
Bush, though, has been active. He is scheduled to tour the hurricane-ravaged Pensacola area Sunday, along with surveying damage left by Hurricane Ivan in neighboring Alabama.
Bush's visit to Florida, which he carried by 537 votes four years ago, will be his 28th trip to the state since he took office.
He also made trips after Hurricane Charley, presenting $2 billion in federal aid, and after Hurricane Frances, for which he has requested an additional $3.1 billion.
The Kerry-Edwards events set for next week were still being finalized Friday.
"It'll be good for him to come here," said Doug Head, Orange County Democratic chairman. "This town is still a little torn up from Hurricane Charley. People have been pretty distracted for the past month."
Kerry had intended to be in Florida, but the triple hit from hurricanes forced those plans to change. He canceled a couple of Florida appearances in deference to the cleanup efforts, and Edwards also canceled an appearance in Fort Myers last month when Charley loomed.
An independent group helping Democratic voter efforts also canceled a Miami Beach fund-raiser with entertainer Bette Midler because of that storm.
"People's attention has clearly been on other things," said Matthew Corrigan, a University of North Florida political scientist. "And that's usually not good for a challenger who needs their focus to make his case."
Since Kerry is going there today, POS is appropriate!
Kerry troglodytes showing up..........(one of the pics that shows a bunch of people walking in was snapped a bit late, one of the "ladies" was flipping us the bird.)
Dang, I can't wait to get oputta here and get down there!
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Sweet, Thanks..........
I want to make sure everyone sees this, as it shows the nature of the beast we are up against -- that you are greeting today: Dirty Kerry ad in FL Times Union Fri Sept 17
I have the actual ad (from page B - 5) scanned, but . . . now what, in order to post? I do wish I could be there w/you all, I'm really angry about this (and more). I was told it was an acceptable ad, that's as far as it's gotten at this point.
Say, did you see that ad (mentioned in my previous post, LINK) the other day? These are the shots across our bow! THANKS all the more to all who are there to respond.
Yeah, I saw that link.
I'm going to call my dad and tell him to save that paper.
Awesome! Just awesome! I probably shouldn't, but I reall like that sign the young lady is holding kindly offering a donation to Kerry. LOL!
Made it through the hurricane.
For the information, including that contained on the minicd mentioned below, send me a snail mail (land mail) address and I will send you a CD that you can use for further distribution, contacting individuals, etc. If Felos is saying Oct. 3rd as the soonest possible time to pull Terri's feeding tube then we don't have much time.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1226162/posts?page=227#227
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