Paul Tully, are hauling out the big guns to revitalize the lagging Kerry campaign.
"Man these guys are good. I love photo-ops that make me look commanding."
Posted on 09/22/2004 9:23:30 PM PDT by StarCMC
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bowing to political realities, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has canceled plans to begin broadcasting television commercials in Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana and the perennial battleground of Missouri.
The decision to shrink his political playing field reduces Kerry's strategic options -- at least for now -- in the homestretch of the campaign. George W. Bush won all four states in 2000, and Kerry can't win the White House without taking a state or two from the Republican incumbent.
While pulling back from some states that Bush carried, Kerry is still strongly competing in several GOP-leaning battlegrounds, including Ohio, Florida, Colorado and Nevada.
Ads were scheduled to begin airing Oct. 5 in Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri as part of a $5 million investment through Nov. 2, but campaign advisers concluded Kerry isn't doing well enough in the states to justify the cost.
The campaign, which has reserved commercial time in 20 states through Election Day, notified television stations in the four states that Kerry would not follow through on his plans for the first week of October.
Plans are still in place to air ads starting the second week of October, campaign officials said, but those will likely be tabled, too.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Arizona, Arkansas and Louisiana are unlikely to see Kerry ads unless there is a major shift in the campaign's dynamics. Missouri is still the subject of debate inside the campaign, with some advisers pushing to advertise in the traditional swing state.
With its burgeoning exurbs and rural areas turning more Republican every day, Missouri cannot be won by Kerry in a close race, some advisers have concluded. But some think it's important for the Democrat to spend money there, forcing President Bush to defend the GOP turf.
Bush and the Republican National Committee have been advertising moderately in Arizona and Missouri. With Kerry chased from those states, Bush can shift their budgets -- $330,000 this week alone -- to states that Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore won four years ago.
Kerry spent about $15 million in the four states, half of it in Missouri, trying to put them in play. It was part of a strategy to stretch the battlefield into GOP territory, from Virginia and North Carolina in the South to Arizona in the Southwest and Nevada in the West.
Constantly shifting their strategies, both campaigns recently increased their ad budgets in West Virginia and Colorado. Bush has boosted his ads in Minnesota, Maine and Oregon -- all states won by Gore that Kerry can't afford to lose.
Ohio and Florida, with a combined 47 electoral votes, offer Kerry his best hope of claiming territory won by Bush in 2000. After that, the options dwindle to a few small states: New Hampshire, Nevada, West Virginia and Colorado.
Kerry ads are running in 14 of the 20 states in which he reserved commercial time. His schedule calls for ads to begin airing next month in Washington state and North Carolina.
Because of population shifts since 2000 that favor Republicans, Kerry could win every state taken by Gore in 2000 and would have just 260 electoral votes, 10 short of winning the presidency. Gore lost to Bush by five electoral votes, 271-267.
OR maybe he's trying to save his cash to buy some thugs to terrorize people at the polls and rig what they can.
...as I have been saying since April...Missouri is BUSH COUNTRY.
I agree.
Something stinks though. Something's not right and I can't put my finger on it.
I read somewhere that in August, Kerry had to spend 10 million from the Fed money he got
It amazes me that the money the Swiftees have raised, and the impact it has had! George Soros has to be rubbing his multi-million dollar ass every night wondering why his millions aren't working for Jacques Fraud Kerry.
BWAHAHAHAHA
This is still a tight race. And Democrats have a way of winning many tight races... always have had...
That's why I'm still worried--Kerry has absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. If he loses he still has his safe Senate seat; if he wins he is POTUS. Whereas with Bush, well, it's tough not only being at the top, but staying there, so many want to knock him off and will do everything to achieve that end.
I'd like to know WHY he still has it. They forced Dole to resign while running.
No, no! None of you people understand what the Dems are doing, do you? Kerry's pulling his ads in those states in an effort to IMPROVE his numbers! That's because the more people see of Kerry, the less they like him.
You are preaching to the choir. But thanks for the wakeup.
I can't find that quote attributed either to Patton or Eisenhower. I recall it being said by Eisenhower but would certainly not bet money on it, and it certainly sounds more like Patton. I did find this quote, which I enjoyed:
"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us... they can't get away this time" -- Lieutenant General Lewis B."Chesty" Puller (when surrounded by 8 enemy divisions)
"I can't find that quote attributed either to Patton or Eisenhower. I recall it being said by Eisenhower but would certainly not bet money on it, and it certainly sounds more like Patton. I did find this quote, which I enjoyed:"
After I posted, I thought some poster would come back and correct us both and tell us it was Bradly. :>)
Yes, that is a great quote from 'Chesty'
I like the one, when the first time he saw a flamethrower he asked 'where do you put the bayonet'.
"Man these guys are good. I love photo-ops that make me look commanding."
Write Off!
They can't "write off" Edwards' home state.
I thought Kerry's plan was to sue for the Presidency.
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