Kerry did not give one example of what he would do different in Iraq except by the force of his wonderful personality on "Europe" and Arab countries to help fund....?
"Playing politics with the Constitution" is so vague I don't think people are going to get his point..His health care plan sounds like a real budget disaster..
The "misled" bit is his main attack...How about Bush was misled, Blair was misled, Russia was misled, even France was misled by intelligence!
Lets consider the strategies being used by the Kerry camp. They Kerry Kampers (or is that adult pampers) know from polls and focus groups that the economy is not a good issue for them. The economy is good and no amount of Media saying it isn't is going to scare the guys at the plant.
People get scared when they fear layoffs. When people are being hired.. even if only a few are being hired .... the workers do not fear lay off. The workers think, they are not going to lay me off... they are hiring people. No media reporting gloom and doom can change that. The workers know better.
That leaves Iraq. The problem is that there has never been a time in American history when cut and run was a good political tactic. It ain't our style. Kerry is well aware that Nixon in 1972 running against an anti war McGovern won the second biggest victory of the 20th century. Only FDR in 1936 bested the Nixon victory by a fraction of a percentage point. So Kerry can't campaign on cut and run. It does not work and he knows it.
What is to be done for Kandidate Kerry? He can play the "I can do anything better than you!" game with Dubya and hope voters believe him. He appears to be trying that ploy. That ploy can reach the centrist voters. But "I have a secret plan", is a bad strategy if it is challenged by President Bush.
What Dubya will likely do is demand that Kerry reveal his plan. Dubya will just say that if Kerry has a good plan, I will immediately put Kerry's plan into effect. Bush could say "Why should More Americans die waiting for Feb. of next year or even never if I win." "If the Kerry plan will work, let's do it now!!" Bush can say, "If you don't think I can accomplish your plan, I will have you accomplish it Senator Kerry." "I don't want Americans to die if your secret plan can work." That puts Kerry in a world of hurt. His bluff will have been called with President Bush in total control. Kerry wouild be on the spot and at the mercy of the Bush Administration.
If Kerry refuses he is toast. If he reveals his plan to be not much different than what Bush is now doing, Kerry is in a world of hurt. If the Kerry plan is to suck up to the French, Bush can destroy him with Kerry own plan being a surrender to Europe. If it is a good plan and Bush does it an it works, then Iraq is off the table and the booming economy is back on. If it worked no matter how much Kerry tried take credit Bush would get a bigger bounce for puttin the nation ahead of politics. It is a lose-lose situation for Kerry.
When Ike used a secret plan in 1952, all Stevenson had to do was demand that Truman send Ike to Korea to end the conflict BEFORE the election. Ike under pressure about his secret plan said he would personally go to Korea and do that it took to end the conflict. Stevenson should have said, "Why should Americans die while waiting.. Solve it now before the election, General Ike." Stevenson should have called on Truman to sent Ike to Korea. The North Koreans who did not want Ike to be president would have made sure Ike failed. It could have elected Stevenson.
The same is true of Nixon in 1968. HHH could have demanded that LBJ send Nixon go to Vietnam to end the war. HHH should have demanded that Nixon produce peace with honor BEFORE the election. Nixon could not have done that either and HHH might very well have won the election. The president is in charge there is no way for the challenger to succeed if the president calls his bluff.
I mentioned the Dewey economy fix in 1948 in an earlier post. Truman called Dewey's buff and Dewey the sure thing lost to Truman the certain loser.
One thing is clear to me. Dubya or someone close to him knows history. Not just what happened, but the strategies used .. what worked and what failed in similar situations. Why it worked and how it could have been defeated.
Time after time George W. Bush has pulled a rabbit out of his hat and turned the tables. Time after time I have been blindsided by his moves. President Bush tends to do brilliant things that people like me can not anticipate. But if president Bush does not follow my take, it is because he had come up with a better strategy than has occured to me.
I think Kerry believes he can just keep stonewalling. The media will make a half-hearted try and then drop the subject. But Bush has a ton of paid media to run. The media can't take it off the table.
The Republicans and the media in 1948 tried to tar Truman with the "Truman is making nasty and unjustified attacks on Dewey" act. Truman turned that into,"Dewey and the press are accusing me of giving Dewey Hell." "I just tell the truth on Dewey and they think it's Hell" Soon crowds at every stop interrupted every Truman speech with chants of "Give'em Hell Harry. Give'em Hell."
When the press asked Truman about his negative attacks, He said if Dewey can't stand the heat he should get out of the Kitchen. Truman took a media attach on him being mean spirited and turned it into a Dewey is a wimp ploy. It worked.
Kerry is taking gambling shots. Shots with little chance of success. It may be lack of political skill, but more likely they have decided that take have to take the log odds shots. They are not likely to work. But they might as well try them.
Does the Kerry camp knows they are in trouble? They are taking long shots. That is good evidence about how they see the race shaping up.