Call him crashin' Kerry: Early leader now lags in Prez race (Behind Sharpton!!!)

New York Daily News ^ | November 7, 2003 | HELEN KENNEDY

[PJ-Comix]

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Things look grim for John Kerry these days.

Once the Democratic Party's solid front-runner to take on President Bush next year, the Massachusetts senator's campaign has taken a dive.

He doesn't lead in a single primary state. In New Hampshire, his own backyard, he trails Howard Dean by double digits. In South Carolina, a state he considers so key that he staged his formal campaign announcement there, his numbers are so bad that he's being beaten by the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Next summer's Democratic convention in Boston, once expected to be a coronation of the favorite son, threatens humiliation instead. The veteran Democratic pols who belly up to Boston's Parker House hotel bar, most of them Kerry fans, are shaking their heads over his slide.

But the candidate and his campaign remain confident, dismissing the polls and insisting the real fight hasn't gotten started yet.

"We're still in the phase of courting activists," said campaign spokesman David Wade. "The wholesale campaigning begins in earnest about now. He always says things get real when the weather starts changing."

It is far too early, counsel political analysts, to write off any of the top-tier candidates - especially an experienced, tenacious campaigner like Kerry, who tends to rally at the last minute.

"Two-thirds of the electorate hasn't woken up yet and his history indicates he's a late closer," said University of Massachusetts pollster Lou DiNatale, a longtime Kerry watcher. "It literally requires his life to pass before his eyes for him to come alive."

Kerry launched four days of intense campaigning in the Granite State this week, trying to recover some ground. He sharpened his attacks, calling Dean "two-faced" and a "weasel" in a bid to shoot down Dean's straight-talking image.

Kerry's camp is hoping for more incidents like Dean's Confederate flag imbroglio this week, sparked when Dean said he "wanted to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks." They believe the hotheaded Dean will self-immolate, leaving the field to the less exciting but steadier Kerry. Supporters hand out bumper stickers reading "Dated Dean, Married Kerry."

Kerry has been hurt by the large field of candidates, each of whom chips away at one of his strengths. Though he is a Vietnam War hero with solid foreign policy experience, Gen. Wesley Clark is, well, a four-star general. Rep. Dick Gephardt has a big advantage with the labor union vote. Liberals, turned off by Kerry's support of the Iraq war, are backing Dean.

"It turns out he's everyone's second choice but nobody's first choice," DiNatale said.

In interviews, undecided voters tend to focus most on Kerry's patrician demeanour.

"He seems a little too aloof and statesmanlike," said Jeff Brodky, 29, a Manchester marketing consulant.

"Voters want to see some energy, some spunk, some fire."

[San Jacinto]

.....his numbers are so bad that he's being beaten by the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Yet another backhanded swipe at the Rev Al. What is keeping this man from getting the respect he deserves? Tawanna Brawley? Phony financial statements? Washington Heights riots/murders? Neon purple suits? What?

Let's MoveON ! I say-- Victory for Al in South Carolina and on to the Convention!

[OpusatFR]

I like Al Sharpton. He just doesn't pretend he's anything but a hustler out to create havoc.

And he dresses really well. I get so tired of the pretentious, oh-so-preciously blue collar nonsense of the other dwarves and their shirt sleeves.

[Young Rhino]

The only thing better would be turning on the local news and seeing the "Fat Bastard" Kennedy being wheeled into the cardiac unit at Mass General Hospital.

How about finding his corpse floating in Boston Harbor while the Kopechne family watches?

[Semper Paratus]

When the dust settles in April Sharpton may be the last one standing.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Hillary has more foreign policy experience than Sharpton ....

Except hers was in transfering money from China and Indonesia to Swiss bank accounts.

[oust the louse]

"THIS thought coming from John Kerry's wife.....:

This presidency run by John is soooooo silly, I mean really.Just plain utter nonsense that candidates have to be measured by votes.Why can't they all just get along.Let my husband John Kerry win the one week and the let Mr Sharpton win the next and then Mr Dean the next....this competeition thing is just sooooo silly....(end of thought).

[twigs]

Several times, it's been Al Sharpton who's shown a little leadership. In one of the debates, a heckler went after one of the debaters--I forget which one now. They all wore the deer in the headlights look and it was Al who addressed the guy and basically told him to shut up so that they could debate--and did it with humor and dignity. He also said something lately that showed more class than the rest--I just forget the situation. I certainly don't want this man to be president, but I agree that in some ways (not all), he is more authentic and shows more understanding than his fellow stooges.

[PJ-Comix]

They all wore the deer in the headlights look and it was Al who addressed the guy and basically told him to shut up so that they could debate--and did it with humor and dignity.

When Bob Graham was interrupted by a heckler he just stared blankly ahead like a robot whose internal hard drive was saying "Does not compute! Does not COMPUTE!"

[freeperfromnj]

I think that ridiculous picture of him in the hunting get-up holding a rifle finally did him in. He's nothing but a phony. He got was he deserves for being "unstatesman" like and undermining the Commander-in-Chief during war time.

[lonerepubinmass]

I have no respect for the Kopechne family. They were bought out by the corrupt Kennedy money and allowed the murderer of their daughter to go free. No autopsy. No statement, even allowed the funeral to be turned into a photo op. neck brace and all.

[ladyjane]

FreeperfromNJ - I've been looking for your posts this morning. Did the fruit vendor show up this morning?

[TC Rider]

Cut them a little slack. They were a lower class blue collar family in a coal mining town in NE Pennsylvania.

I didn't know the family, but lived there at the time and knew many like them. They were so far out of their league in dealing with the Kennedy huckster lawyers it was unbelievable.

JFK and the rest of the family was still treated like a god in that area at the time.

[freeperfromnj]

He's a no-show again. Today's exactly a week. Last Friday was the first time in over a year and a half that he, or a younger guy that sometimes works with him, hasn't been there.

[jmaroneps37]

Sharpton will do very well in South Carolina because, by that time the few white democrats left in the state will be so turned off that the turn out will be very low and very very devided for the white "non crazy" rat voters.
Since fully 40% of those expected to vote in that one will be Black, Al looks very good indeed.
Can't you just hear him demanding reparations at the rat convention? Hee hee hee hee!

[GulliverSwift]

"Voters want to see some energy, some spunk, some fire.

A perfect example of media bias at work here. Whenever a Republican candidate goes around talking in similar tones to Dean, he is called a "firebrand" and an "extremist." Dean, on the other hand, is just "spunky" or "feisty."

[GulliverSwift]

Of course Dean is going to win. He's nuts and so are the Democrats.

[republicanwizard]

GO HOWARD DEAN!

We need to start Freepers for Dean, a group which will cross party lines to vote for Dean in the primary elections.