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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: AuH2ORepublican

Gore, believe or not, was a better candidate than Kerry. Kerry cannot reconcile the disparate opinions of the Democrats. The last several weeks will be deadly for him as the anti-Bush faction (whose numbers are legion) realize that Kerry is not going to win; they then desert him and vote their consciences with Nader.

We'll know soon enough which of us is correct.


61 posted on 09/28/2004 9:58:10 AM PDT by bagman
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To: paul51

Kerry is going to wear a 70's style avacado green polyester suit, along with a dark brown tie, this will tie in with his orange color, plus remind people that he served in Vietnam...


62 posted on 09/28/2004 10:01:14 AM PDT by JoanneSD
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To: epluribus_2

The 12% of Kerry supporters ...

dead ...


63 posted on 09/28/2004 10:01:38 AM PDT by dartuser
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To: COBOL2Java
Kerry can express totally opposing positions from one debate to the next, and the true believers will not be swayed.

Kerry could come out with a proposal to take all children away from their parents at 12 weeks to send them to proper care facilities and those with mental or physical defects will be killed and he would still get over 30% of the vote.

64 posted on 09/28/2004 10:02:40 AM PDT by Phantom Lord (Advantages are taken, not handed out)
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To: ironmike4242

I will say that 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.



Agreed. They will vote for a pro-war Kerry because they will assume that he is just saying what it takes to get elected. Just like gun-owners voted for Bush in spite of his anti-AWB position in 2000.


65 posted on 09/28/2004 10:03:42 AM PDT by Atlas Sneezed (Your Friendly Freeper Patent Attorney)
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To: AxelPaulsenJr

I always cringe when Dick Morris offers his "gifted commentary" on policy or foreign affairs. But he does seem to have a specialized insight on the mechanics of polling and election-related procedures.


66 posted on 09/28/2004 10:03:48 AM PDT by NewJerseyJoe (Rat mantra: "Facts are meaningless! You can use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!")
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To: RS

You are right. Thank you.


67 posted on 09/28/2004 10:05:08 AM PDT by Alia
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To: Alia
Except this year the rules are the candidate gets cut off by the moderator once his time expires. Kerry cannot go over his time.
68 posted on 09/28/2004 10:06:58 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Vote Bush 2004-We have the solutions, Kerry Democrats? Nothing but slogans)
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To: Alia

No question that Kerry will break the rules and run long among other things. In that instance, all Bush has to do is ask the audience if they understood what his opponent just said.


69 posted on 09/28/2004 10:08:10 AM PDT by Thebaddog (Dawgs for Bush!)
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To: So Cal Rocket
Bingo! Toe Sucker nailed this one on the head! Perhaps this is why Bush was fine with three debates. As an aside: My law professor said yesterday class would be canceled on Oct. 13 because of the debates. I told him that he may want to wait on that because Kerry may be dropping out before then. I got a pretty good laugh out of him and the class. Nobody around here has any respect for Kerry.
70 posted on 09/28/2004 10:10:35 AM PDT by Clump
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To: Republican Red

...the return of Pumpkin Head III? :) - Hillary's October Surprise?


71 posted on 09/28/2004 10:10:52 AM PDT by Alia
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To: TJC

Orange in very attractive.... in a pumpkin patch. Give him a break, he's courting the Coast Guard vote.


72 posted on 09/28/2004 10:11:14 AM PDT by kylaka
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To: epluribus_2
12% NO OPINION. It is surprising, and a little upsetting, how willfully ignorant so many of the American people are.
73 posted on 09/28/2004 10:12:10 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Vote Bush 2004-We have the solutions, Kerry Democrats? Nothing but slogans)
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To: kylaka


sKerry alert elevated to ORANGE


74 posted on 09/28/2004 10:17:17 AM PDT by Cyclone59
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To: Joe Bfstplk
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'

Ever heard of the Reagan Democrats? The old style John Kennedy Democrats who do NOT support the John Kerry style Anti-American, weak on defense, extremist leftist that currently run the Democrat party? If he alienates them, as Jimma Carter did in 1980, they can and WILL vote for Bush.
75 posted on 09/28/2004 10:18:12 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Vote Bush 2004-We have the solutions, Kerry Democrats? Nothing but slogans)
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To: TJC
You've never heard of a horse of a different color?


76 posted on 09/28/2004 10:19:55 AM PDT by Samwise (The Pajama People: They also serve who hunt and peck.)
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To: Legion04
>>kerry will flounder and flip-flop as usual

I think you're right. He has to be ambiguous so he can spin and re-interpret it a day later, if need be. Besides, on nationwide hookup (as we called it in the Stone Age) he's going to have to take a center position, and few lefties will be shaken loose. Like fleas, their choice is to hop on the dog or suffer in the Bushes.

Any points he loses will be for more fundamental reasons, like how he's buttugly as a gila monster.

77 posted on 09/28/2004 10:21:54 AM PDT by Graymatter (Reload Bush/Cheney 2004)
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To: TJC
ORANGE IS ATTRACTIVE?????

He could wear a blue tie and pose as a Gator fan. Where are these debates, anyway. If they're in Miami, he better not wear blue.

78 posted on 09/28/2004 10:24:11 AM PDT by js1138 (Speedy architect of perfect labyrinths.)
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To: Alia

"HOwever, in "debates 2000", Al Gore kept going over the time limit, over and over again. No doubts Kerry will too, in order to allow himself an opportunity to explain his current vacillation, and then the next one."

True, but the MSM is on alert now. They know that the Pajama brigade of bloggers is going to be on the alert for favoritism by the Moderators.

Maybe it won't help maybe it will, but I believe that every organization involved in putting together questions will be reviewing them very carefully so that they don't get Rather-ized the day after the debate.


79 posted on 09/28/2004 10:28:32 AM PDT by webstersII
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To: kattracks
[ Dick Morris: Bush Set Debate Trap for Kerry ]

Bull... anyone that is still confused today will be still confused on election day.. with these folks the vote could swing on whos dressed better in the debates. The ditz vote will be decided on the ride to the polls.. on the last political sign that voter sees.

80 posted on 09/28/2004 10:30:09 AM PDT by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole....)
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