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Kerry's muddled message
US News ^ | 9/27 issue | Gloria Borger

Posted on 09/18/2004 9:14:24 PM PDT by Cableguy

It's hard to remember a presidential campaign without a repetitive stump speech that reporters could chant line by line. Ronald Reagan asked, "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" Bill Clinton, the Comeback Kid, felt your pain, every day, in every way. Al Gore preferred a rant about "the people versus the powerful." And George W. Bush will always have his "compassionate conservatism," not to mention his current daily promises to fight an unrelenting war on terrorism.

Then along comes the John Kerry campaign. After beating us about the brow with his commander-in-chief credentials at the Democratic convention, what are the other reasons he gives to would-be Kerryites to report for duty? Let's see: One day it's something about the evils of George W. Bush's allowing the ban on assault weapons to expire. The next day it's about the president's damaging huge deficits. Or blaming Bush for the rise in Medicare premiums. Or about Kerry's vision of healthcare for all. "It's like the campaign wakes up every morning and says, 'Gee, what's on the front page?' " sighs a pro-Kerry Democratic strategist.

(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: kerry; kerrystrategy; worrieddems
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1 posted on 09/18/2004 9:14:25 PM PDT by Cableguy
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To: Cableguy
"It's like the campaign wakes up every morning and says, 'Gee, what's on the front page?' " sighs a pro-Kerry Democratic strategist.

Dennis Miller said it better on yesterday's show: "It's like Kerry wakes up every morning and someone hands him a fresh 3x5 card with his core values on it."

2 posted on 09/18/2004 9:19:44 PM PDT by macbee (Hanlon's Razor: "Never ascribe to villainy that which is best explained by stupidity.")
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To: Cableguy

This is hurting the liberal media most of all. The Democrat shills that staff the Washington Post, New York Times, CBS, ABC, NBC and CNN want very badly to get a clear message from Kerry that they can repeat to the American public ad nauseum. Unfortunately, it is not forthcoming.


3 posted on 09/18/2004 9:21:17 PM PDT by nsc68
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To: macbee

Kerry will lurch all the way to the left next week and promise a complete pull out of Iraq.


4 posted on 09/18/2004 9:21:21 PM PDT by Texasforever (Mainstream Media Has Been Outsourced.)
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To: macbee

"...every morning... someone hands him a fresh 3x5 card with his core values on it."

"Nuance" is just the French way of spelling "flip-flop."


5 posted on 09/18/2004 9:23:16 PM PDT by Socratic (Kerry/Edwards - Forging a New Reality)
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To: Cableguy

Lately he says that Iraq is a mistake. The moveon ad--Quagmire---the 6 months withdrawl stance---I think they know they are going to lose and are setting up an "I told you so" position. Edwards has disappeared in an attempt to break his association with Kerry. If things go very badly in Iraq the dems can claim they KNEW it and if things go well then Kerry is alone and the others, Hill, Edwards can disown him and appear clean.


6 posted on 09/18/2004 9:23:43 PM PDT by wildcatf4f3 (out of the sun)
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To: Texasforever

Whats up with so many liberals dissing Kerry? I guess the Kool-Aid is running low.


7 posted on 09/18/2004 9:23:45 PM PDT by MisterRepublican
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To: MisterRepublican
Whats up with so many liberals dissing Kerry? I guess the Kool-Aid is running low.

He has lost his base. He has to become completely anti-war to hold them down.

8 posted on 09/18/2004 9:25:14 PM PDT by Texasforever (Mainstream Media Has Been Outsourced.)
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To: Cableguy
The mainstream press has taken to telegraphing the Kerry strategy to the Kerry campaign.

They STILL don't get it!

9 posted on 09/18/2004 9:25:37 PM PDT by sinkspur ("John Kerry's gonna win on his juices. "--Cardinal Fanfani)
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To: MisterRepublican

They're upset because Kerry hasn't given them clear marching orders.


10 posted on 09/18/2004 9:25:50 PM PDT by vbmoneyspender
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To: Cableguy

It took this long for the democrats to figure out thtat "hate Bush" and "reporting for duty" were not campaign slogans.


11 posted on 09/18/2004 9:26:51 PM PDT by KC_Conspirator (I am poster #48)
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To: sinkspur

"The mainstream press has taken to telegraphing the Kerry strategy..."

Kerry's problem is EVERBODY is giving him advice, and he's so accomodating, he's taking it. (Get a core man - even if it's nougat).


12 posted on 09/18/2004 9:28:27 PM PDT by Socratic (Kerry/Edwards - Forging a New Reality)
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To: Texasforever; SittinYonder
Kerry will lurch all the way to the left next week and promise a complete pull out of Iraq.

And 2 weeks later, he'll be to the right saying not only would he have done it, he would have done it the right way, and so he'll be sending 50,000 more troops.

Less than a week later, he'll say Bush is stretching our troops too thin, and without the right equipment, the same equipment he voted for before he voted against it.

How many times can Kerry change his position on Iraq before the election? It's like the Tootsie Pop question: no one may ever know.

13 posted on 09/18/2004 9:29:38 PM PDT by eyespysomething (I'm typing up lottery tickets. I mean, as long as the content is true the rest doesn't matter.)
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To: Cableguy
When you stand for nothing, your message is usually muddled!

Does anybody have any doubt where President Bush stands on Iraq, Taxes, Abortion, Health Care, Social Security or the economy??? The answer is NO, and that's why he will be reelected in a landslide

14 posted on 09/18/2004 9:33:03 PM PDT by MJY1288 (John Kerry Says He Can Do a Better Job of Implementing President Bush's Policies :-))
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To: MisterRepublican
Whats up with so many liberals dissing Kerry?

They see he's losing and the thought of Bush being re-elected is driving them nuts. When Gore lost they could console themselves by believing he really should have won: "Bush stole the election". This time they will be looking for a scapegoat (Kerry) and a savior (Hillary).

15 posted on 09/18/2004 9:34:00 PM PDT by Hugin
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To: eyespysomething
He cannot continue to be "Bush-lite" on Iraq. It is killing him and he knows it. Kerry is going to have to go for a hail Mary and decide his final stance is that Iraq is unwindable and stand by that. He has no other choice and it will certainly focus the debate.
16 posted on 09/18/2004 9:36:24 PM PDT by Texasforever (Mainstream Media Has Been Outsourced.)
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To: Cableguy

Good article. True Kerry's message is muddled and his campaign looks more and more like a knee jerk reaction to whatever is the week's headline news.


17 posted on 09/18/2004 9:36:24 PM PDT by baltoga
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To: Cableguy

Kerry's muddled message?

What! Nothing muddled about it at all, Don't you know that he was in 'Nam? How many times does he have to say it to get it understood?

Blessings, Bobo


18 posted on 09/18/2004 9:42:22 PM PDT by bobo1
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To: Cableguy

Kerry's muddled message?

What! Nothing muddled about it at all, Don't you know that he was in 'Nam? How many times does he have to say it to get it understood?

Blessings, Bobo


19 posted on 09/18/2004 9:43:08 PM PDT by bobo1
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To: Cableguy

If I were John Edwards I would find a way to get off this sinking ship. Two months ago this man thought he would be the next VP, and possibly in eight years the next president. Now the campaign is imploding, the liberals in the party are going beserk, and the guy at the top of the ticket is running the worst campaign in history. Edwards' political career is going down the drain as part of this fiasco. Such is the reality of hardball presidential politics. Winning at this level brings you power and prestige. Losing means going back to anonymity and establishing pariah status among your peers. Enjoy your last 45 days in the national spotlight John and John.


20 posted on 09/18/2004 9:43:59 PM PDT by midftfan
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