Mr. Goldstein said Republicans did not customize their message because they had one basic point. "If your message is 'Kerry is bad,' you don't have to tailor it," he said.
Actually Kerry's message was "Bush is bad". This is why Democrats tried to squash their competition for the "Anybody But Bush" votes (including keeping Ralph Nader and the Reform Party off ballots in several states).
John Kerry had to tailor his message for different audiences because to socialists he was pro-choice/pro-abortion but to Catholics he was pro-life. To socialists he was against the Vietnam war and the abuses he witnessed and even participated in and is against the war in Iraq but to veterans he was a proud war hero and he voted to finance the war in Iraq. To socialists he was pro-same sex marriages/unions (ribbons==medals) but to Christians, Jews, and muslims he was against them.
Yep. It's called pandering.