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."
What did he do to his face? He reminds me of a middle-age woman who just got a face peel because she's trying too hard for a date. He looks awful!
"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." "
He will make it up with all the fraudulent absentee ballots.
I think one of the rules are that the time will be on the screen for the viewer to see so if Kerry keeps going over the time limit, people will see what a long winded overdetailed nincompoop Kerry is.
The remain 12% are real Kerry supporters that believe both
Looks like he is vying for the Orange Power vote.
Hmm. Do you think that's why the recent "Democrats are voiceless" creeping rumors are showing up? To explain away, make excuses for what Dems know will be Kerry's longwindedness?
(big grin): Yep, the stage is indeed being set-up. And Dems, again, are going to underestimate President George Bush.
Yeah...but knowing now what they learned then...Baker got the Dems to agree to show an overtime indicator to the audience.
Can't help but compare that to this...
... orange man shows evidence of lots of windsurfing.
Sorry, hawks are not voting for Kerry.
Baker did the right thing. I was very annoyed during the 2000 debates. I didn't even need a timer on. It was so obvious that Gore was going over his time allocations; and he kept hopping in on Candidate Bush's time, too!
Funny thing is Dick Morris is wrong. He may like to believe kerry will be forced to admit his position on Iraq, but in reality, kerry will flounder and flip-flop as usual, making himself look worse than he already has, and dig his own hole deeper.
That would be accurate if they were voting for John Kerry to begin with. However, they are not voting FOR John Kerry, they are voting AGAINST George Bush. Kerry's stance on Iraq is not going to matter to the anti-war types. They are already in the Kerry camp.
Yeah. Since Bush is running against '2' Kerrys, the question is...which Kerry will come in #3...???
"Dick Morris raises good points. HOwever, in "debates 2000", Al Gore kept going over the time limit, over and over again. "
I heard where the timeclock will show on the bottom of the screen - constantly going over might hurt Kerry now that people can see it for themselves.
Morris is very smart and totally unscrupulous. Whenever he speaks his first priority is--himself. He wants to get back into the center of power, which is very difficult since he has betrayed both parties. So he says whatever he thinks will do him the most good at any particular time.
At the moment he is speaking favorably about Bush. I think that says, at the least, that he expects Bush to win. There's no point buttering up kerry if he loses and has no jobs to give out.
If Kerry alienates a portion of his base, where are they going?
They are stuck regardless just as I, an ultra conservative, am stuck with Bush even though I don't like his more liberal choices.
The future is bright. The future is Orange
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.