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Dick Morris: Bush Set Debate Trap for Kerry
NewsMax.com ^ | 9/28/04 | Carl Limbacher

Posted on 09/28/2004 9:13:15 AM PDT by kattracks

President Bush has set a debate trap for John Kerry that will force him to take positions opposed by a large percentage of his backers, former top Clinton strategist Dick Morris said Monday.

"What's happened is that Bush has set up a trap for Kerry," Morris told Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes." "He has so emphasized Kerry's flip-flopping, so-called weakness, vacillation, all that stuff, that Kerry has to take strong positions in the debate."

That will force Kerry to make his position clear once and for all on Iraq, the top strategist said - which will inevitably cost him votes.

Morris explained:

"A third of his voters are certified hawks, who say that we're winning the war on terror. . . . [But] half of his voters are doves. When he starts adopting an anti-Iraq line, anti-war line, he's going to alienate a third of his own voters."

If Kerry comes out strong for the war, however, he can say goodbye to the anti-war types who think he'll cut and run.

"Kerry has a strategic problem," said Morris. "And it doesn't matter how good a debater you are and how attractive you are. Every time he opens his mouth on a foreign policy debate, he's got to take a position that alienates a portion of his voters."



TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004debates; bushkerry; bushkerrydebates; debate1; debates; dickmorris
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To: TJC
Yes... "What Color is your Aura" -- orange is the color of the chakra "covering the region of the sexual organs. New-agers subscribing to the color-chakra ideologies, might consider John Kerry to be their kinda guy!

Someone gave John Kerry bad advice on his Mystik Tan, I think..

21 posted on 09/28/2004 9:23:00 AM PDT by Alia
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To: kattracks

What color tie will he wear with an orange face?


22 posted on 09/28/2004 9:24:00 AM PDT by paul51 (11 September 2001 - Never forget)
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To: freestyle

Here is the article saying the like:

Iraq Could Doom Bush - http://cagle.slate.msn.com/news/MorrisIraqDoom/main.asp


23 posted on 09/28/2004 9:24:15 AM PDT by freestyle
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To: kattracks

Bush has not "set a trap" for Kerry...

Kerry instead has fashioned his own trap and Bush is simply doing the logical thing of inviting him to jump in it. After all, it was Kerry's incessant flip-flopping and speaking on both sides of innumerable issues that has kept him a fuzzy cipher to most voters.

All Bush has done is sieze upon Kerry's own inadequacy.. his self-constructed flip-flop trap.. and force Kerry to own up to SOME stand on issues already.

Bush didnt have to plot and plan and do deep strategizing to forge this "trap".. all he had to do was take the siituation and shout it out loud and often and not let Kerry wriggle out of his own self-imposed vacillation.


24 posted on 09/28/2004 9:24:20 AM PDT by UncleSamUSA (the land of the free and the home of the brave)
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To: JayNorth
That explains the genius of Baker getting the "time limit" light exposed to the viewer.

I missed that! Truly? What an excellent use of the "time light". Thanks for pointing this out! But what about a radio bell? To go off when the time-light does? Anything about that?

25 posted on 09/28/2004 9:24:42 AM PDT by Alia
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To: TJC
Yes... "What Color is your Aura" -- orange is the color of the chakra "covering the region of the sexual organs. New-agers subscribing to the color-chakra ideologies, might consider John Kerry to be their kinda guy!

Someone gave John Kerry bad advice on his Mystik Tan, I think..

26 posted on 09/28/2004 9:25:42 AM PDT by Alia
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To: Alia

My favorite SNL sketch of all time.

"I'm going to interrupt again, as if it were my turn to speak..."

"Everyone" thought that Gore would roll W in those debates and it seems like they are misunderestimating him again. He's going to make Kerry look like the cardboard man that he is.


27 posted on 09/28/2004 9:25:53 AM PDT by HRoarke (Kerry and Family--Selling out our troops since 1971)
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To: TJC

ORANGE IS ATTRACTIVE?????

28 posted on 09/28/2004 9:25:57 AM PDT by Redcoat LI ("I am the great and powerful Kerry! Look at my medals!")
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To: kattracks
I'm not so sure.

Morris is forgetting the Democrat Convention, and how willing the lefties, the Howard Dean supporters, the greenies, and the far, far left and anti-war wienies of the party followed the plan for victory. They were just fine with Kerry touting his Viet Nam heroics. they know Kerry doesn't mean what he says..they just want him to win.

The same thing applies in reverse...centrist Kerry supporters will be just as tolerant of whatever Kerry says during the debates. Believe me, the democrats hatred for Bush far exceeds their principles. Whatever portion of the party is turned off by what Kerry has to say during the debates, will be more than made up for with the dead and illegal voters that union and Soros people are registering all over the country.

29 posted on 09/28/2004 9:26:03 AM PDT by YaYa123 (@PhoneyBaloneyMan.com)
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To: bagman

"I've been saying since the Spring that Kerry will finish behind Bush and Nader in at least two states."



Umm, no he won't. Nader didn't get to double digits in any state in 2000, and he certainly won't in 2004.


30 posted on 09/28/2004 9:26:03 AM PDT by AuH2ORepublican (Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.)
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To: ironmike4242
...a good portion of Democrat voters don't care one iota what John Kerry says or does. They're going to vote for him regardless...

Exactly. Kerry can express totally opposing positions from one debate to the next, and the true believers will not be swayed. Always remember that for a Liberal, history began this morning.

31 posted on 09/28/2004 9:26:27 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (Kerry lied while courageous veterans died.)
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To: ironmike4242

The good thing, I think, is that most people believe that no matter what he says about the war and how he just disagrees with the "Bush mismanagement" most people believe he will cut and run.

That works in one direction and not in the other. I believe most people support the war and understand how important it is.


32 posted on 09/28/2004 9:27:00 AM PDT by WHBates
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To: kattracks

Always good to hear from old toe sucker.


33 posted on 09/28/2004 9:27:19 AM PDT by AxelPaulsenJr (Excellence In Posting Since 1999)
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To: kattracks
This photo should accompany ever Dick Morris post.
34 posted on 09/28/2004 9:31:28 AM PDT by WilliamWallace1999
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To: UncleSamUSA
BINGO!

Kerry set his own trap by his constant flip-flops. Now he's either going have to publicly proclaim where he stands, or flip flop once again (for each issue) in the debates.

He has been getting away with this stuff because the MSM hasn't nailed him down (when he finally chose to hold a press conference) but there won't be anywhere to run during the debates.

He either chooses a position, and loses some of his base, or he flip flops once again in front of national audience.

35 posted on 09/28/2004 9:32:27 AM PDT by kattracks
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To: kattracks
It's a little funny to hear Dick Morris accuse John Kerry have having too many positions.
36 posted on 09/28/2004 9:33:01 AM PDT by HoustonTech (Vote for Strength. Vote a straight Republican ticket.)
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To: kattracks

"A third of his voters are certified hawks, who say that we're winning the war on terror. . . . [But] half of his voters are doves."

33% + 50% = 88%. What are the remaining 12%? DoveHawks? Moderates?


37 posted on 09/28/2004 9:33:47 AM PDT by epluribus_2
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To: kattracks

Had there been debates in 1972, McGovern would have had precisely the same problem. With Kerry, everything always seems to circle back to that era.


38 posted on 09/28/2004 9:35:52 AM PDT by KellyAdmirer
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To: Phantom Lord

Let him ramble. When the orange man rambles, it is very good for us!


39 posted on 09/28/2004 9:36:13 AM PDT by cajungirl (Jammies Up!!)
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To: Redcoat LI

To a jaundiced eye, he looks like he has hepatitus.

40 posted on 09/28/2004 9:36:15 AM PDT by MediaMole
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