What can Kerry do differently to pull ahead?

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

We’ve seen the polls. Personally, I don’t buy ‘em all. But I think the fact remains that Kerry is running a pretty lack luster campaign. I offer this thread as constructive criticism.

What could he be doing differently?

1. Go on more talk shows, Do more interviews. Kerry comes off better when he’s not delivering a speech and doesn’t seem so wooden. That ‘Bring it On’ voice doesn’t exactly endear him to voters. Anyone who heard him on O’Franken knows that he can present himself well in one-on-one interviews.

2. Get the youth engaged. In our state, the WV Democratic Party is actually going out of its way to distance itself from college students (it’s a long story-I can share it some time). A huge chunk of the ABB vote is going to be 20-somethings. One thing Kerry could do is steal a page from Nader’s 2000 playbook and have super rallies to energize college age kids. He’s definitely got the celebrity backers to pull it off.

3. Rethink the 9-11 message. I think one reason for the current Dumbya surge in the polls is the fact that the 9-11 commission is backfiring. Hard questions are not being asked, leading the sheeple to believe that it’s all much ado about nothing, which of course is hardly the case. He needs to ask hard questions or think of a way to reframe Bush’s failure. Sorry to be so vague on this one.

4. Most importantly – GO POPULIST – go after Enron, Haliburton, gas prices, rising state taxes, etc. This worked for Gore. When he adopted this tactic following the Democratic convention, he surged ahead in the polls and maintained a lead until the debates.

5. And get out from under his handlers a bit. It’s stagnating the campaign and letting Bush define him. They need to think outside the box. During the primaries Dean, Clark, and others tried new tactics and it energized the party as a whole.

Those are my ideas for now-your thoughts?

[Politicub]

1. Develop a visionary speech

He needs to deliver a speech that inspires America, and not be so focused on Iraq and the negatives of the Bush admin.

[Juansmith]

4. I completely agree

I don't think Kerry can win if he keeps starting all of his sentences with "The Bush administration".

Granted, there are lots of negative things to say about Bush, but saying how bad things are now will not getting him elected. Telling us how good things will be under his administration would be better for him (and more voters would be inclined to listen to him).

[girl gone mad]

17. Absolutely.

A series of positive message commercials right now to counteract Bush's attack ads would work well, IMO.

[Politicub]

22. I completely agree

Think about Clinton's Bridge to the 21st Century, Kennedy's New Frontier -- Kerry needs to inspire Americans to see his vision, which I believe is a great one.

Someone else suggested going populist. I think that's a good idea, but it may not be in Kerry's nature. Kerry has been around long enough to know how to make government work for -- not hold back -- the middle class.

[bearfartinthewoods]

13. how about naming is VP now?

why bundle it close to the convention bump. do it now.

[BillZBubb]

27. I partially agree. You are on the right track.

Kerry now is doing just about all the heavy lifting himself. Bush* has a seemingly endless stream of stooges out all the time blasting Kerry and defending BushCo, while Bush* himself talks about his issues.

I've been saying this for some time, but the Kerry campaign has to get some grenade throwers out there attacking Bush*/Cheney et al and, most importantly, making news doing it. Kerry needs to be primarily concerned with his vision for the future--laced with appropriate examples of Shrub screwups.

[tinanator]

2. equally important question

why wont he do these things? (Assuming of course that he wont)
If he was to go populist he would draw everyone into his corner, and he could organize his entire campaign for pennies online. Im not so certain that he is either going to have the chance, or take the chance, to win an election. Just a creepy feeling, not ill wishes.
Be prepared for all sorts of very dastardly deeds and nasty events in the next 200 days.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

5. good point

I'm also not certain he's goint to take the chances he needs. He's running too conventional of a campaign and is being muzzled by handlers. We're getting a reversion to the inept campaigner he was throughout 2003. It was only by adopting the Dean message that he got a spark and now he's playing it way too dafe.

I also agree that he needs to give an inspiring message (think kennedy inaugural or cuomo at the 1984 convention) and quit focusing solely on the negatives of bush. there are planty of bad things to say about bush and others are doing it superbly. kerry needs to break out of this funk and give us a bright vision for change.

[freetobegay]

3. I would tell him to look up Bill Clinton

& ask him for help with the spin machine.

[judy]

6. Have a little chat with Dennis Kucinich,

and understand that saying what will get you elected doesn't necessarily work as well as saying what you truly and really believe in.
Voters want a clear vision of what will get us out of the Bush nightmare. Not strategically placed remarks to court this or that vote.

Bush will define him as long as he is so far to the right, and just spends time criticizing Smirky as opposed to proposing clear solutions for Iraq and the Middle East. Agreeing with Sharon and Smirk is NOT proposing a solution. It is announcing that the politics of hate and destruction will continue under his watch.

That said, he has my vote. But his remarks on Meet the Press really threw me for a loop.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

7. oh yeah, and #6

hire James Carville, dammit!

[tinanator]

10. carville worked for the coup in Venezuala

keep him out of my sight

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

16. i was unaware of that - scratch #6 then

make that hire Joe Trippi - to focus on getting youth involved

[theboss]

38. He better mortgae another house if he hires Trippi

Oh, I kid because I love.

[jonnyblitz]

40. figures.

team Clinton strikes again. gotta love whose side these DLC types take at times...

[JHBowden]

8. Conserve ammo; backload the campaign spending.

I wouldn't change much at this point. Who the running mate will be is a more interesting question.

[lastknowngood]

9. He needs some fire I don't know if he has any but he needs to

be able to express passion and clarity on issues. Stop answering ever question with a 15 minute dissertation, I know he knows the issue but it's just boring. He needs some quick clear answers to questions on interest i.e.

Social security should never be privatized as the shrub and his money monkey Greenspam are trying.

The war was a mistake the shrub used false and misleading information to take the country to war and he and his contributors are war profiteering.

The shrub lost 3 million jobs and is supporting the exporting of jobs out of this country by his contributors.

The shrub was handed a 5 trillions surplus and he turned into a 1.5 trillion deficit in 3 years thats a 6.5 trillion dollar loss to this country without making the country safer or in any measurable way a better place to live.

The anti patriot act is an invasion of privacy to every American and
violates the 1st, 5th and 6th amendments to the constitution. The holding of people in Cuba is unconstitutional and illegal.

The shrub is a religious insane zealot who believes god talks to him and he obeys. If he were anyone else he would be locked up.

Thats a good start for the first day work.

[chimpymustgo]

11. Talk to the Big Dog, John Edwards and Al Sharpton.

Get some courage and vision from Clinton, some sunshine and fire from JRE, and get some punchlines from the Rev.

AND GET OUT FROM UNDER THE HANDLERS: Kerry is much better than the campaign he's been running (paging Joe Trippi?). I don't want to sound alarmist, but this election is ARMEGGEDAN. We have to stay on the attack - not with constant criticism, but with constant optimism and ideas.

Go Kerry!

[DemNoir]

12. Put it in perspective

Look at where Bush was a year ago; now the best you can say for him is that its 50-50. And thats after just spending 50 million on TV ads.

I think with the election 6 months away Kerry is in great shape.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

18. sure it's better than last year

but it's worse than 2 months ago or just last week. a constant downslide by the chimp is turning into a slight uptick, kerry's unfavorables are rising. we can't take anyhting for granted and can't sit idle

we need the momentum back

[Ardee]

14. OK this aint no transcript...obviously

For those who missed Kerry on Little Timmy's show here is a (biased) version of the proceedings from our friends at Ampol:


Tim: Was the war in Iraq a mistake? (Ha, ha -- a "yes or no" question. This is where Kerry excels in defusing press whores...)

Sen. Kerry: The way the President went to war is a mistake.


Tim: (Phony) poll numbers, including a labor focus group within the AFL-CIO, says Bush "flip-flopping" attack has made inroads.

Sen. Kerry: Bush and GOP spent $50 million to distort my record -- so now I'm going to introduce myself and talk issues while Bush runs away from hi records -- lost jobs, no plan for health care for all, broken education and environment policies. He misleads EVERYONE, including his Security Advisor. I have a plan with an emphasis on fiscal responsibility. (Here, Kerry SHOULD have cited a few of the Bushling's more notorious flip-flops. But he did convey the "misleads" and "distorts" points explicitly, citing examples.)

Tim: Iraq? You said, "We will persevere in this mission."

Sen. Kerry: Vets are miffed about the conditions under which our servicemen find themselves in Iraq -- because the nation was misled. "This president broke faith... with his own promises to the country."

Tim: What's the plan?

Sen. Kerry: A "believable" administration (yes! Kerry is doing everything BUT calling Bush and his handlers "liars" while driving home just that message) that will rebuild relations with other countries. We can't pretend to bring other nations to the table while in fact we are doing it alone. Bush has refused to transfer real authority about the Iraq government transition to the UN.

Tim: A summit, perhaps?

Sen. Kerry: Won't cut it -- the administration is "stunningly ineffective in diplomacy." (Can you say, "Miserable failure?") I will not only "personally go to the UN, I will go to other capitols" and have a Secretary of State who is legitimately empowered. Robert Woodward's new book exposes Powell as powerless. "The war WITHIN this Administration is like nothing I have ever seen." Bush has poisoned the well.

(Look for that assertion to make the evening news -- particularly given that CBS' "60 Minutes" will feature Woodward this evening.)

Sen. Kerry (con'd): I will "immediately reach out... within weeks of being inaugurated turn over a new chapter" -- including the issues of North Korea, AIDS, WMD proliferation and environmental issues.

Tim: There's no guarantee we will get help.



Tim (con'd): The UN is wary about going back into Afghanistan -- how can the UN come to our rescue?

Sen. Kerry: That's the quandary that Bush has put us in -- he missed 3 opportunities:
-- Bush broke a promise to build a real Iraq coalition;
-- then Annan asked Bush to come to the UN after Saddam's statue fell;
-- then he rebuffed Annan AGAIN!
If we want stability that eliminates chaos, then we have to go to the world.

Tim: What defines failure?

Sen. Kerry (looking at Tim as if he were a six-year-old that needed a simple explanation that wouldn't hurt their feelings): A quagmire where our kids are dying -- that's what most Americans think.

Tim: But -- what happens if a theocratic Islamic state emerges in Iraq?

Sen. Kerry: What is critical is a stable Iraq. My fellow legislators and other leaders believe there are other options -- but a change in attitude is absolutely essential. Our policy "has been as arrogant and ineffective as anything I've ever seen."

Tim: You want to sell out US foreign policy to the UN -- you are for internationalism with the UN in charge! (Ha, ha, ha -- Tim's first sputtering "They're MY issues and My spin and you'd better play MY game" moment of the week. He DOES remind us of South Park's Eric Cartman!)

Sen. Kerry (laughing): I said that when I was 27 and just back from Vietnam. I've never voted that way in the House or the Senate. I will NEVER give another nation or the UN veto power over our policy -- and I will build alliances that will STRENGTHEN our foreign policy.

Tim: You voted to authorize the war -- then you voted against $87 billion "to help the troops."



Tim: You said to Bob Schieffer that you wanted to roll back the tax cuts and that you would vote FOR money for the troops -- then you voted against.

Sen. Kerry: That ad is pathetic. Craven and misleading. First, that series of "no"s -- there was ONE vote. And that vote would have NEVER prevented body armor from getting to our troops -- "that was a LIE."

(HEADS UP! Kerry just used the "L" word. This is big -- a more important development than most viewers may think, since politicians never, never, NEVER use the "L" word to characterize their opposition. A little under a year ago one of our writers suggested that there be a shift in the pejorative "L" word -- if right wingers can hurl "liberal" at their political enemies, we should throw decorum out the window and call Bush and hiss surrogates the "liars" that they are. Kerry has just dropped the "L" bomb, and we'll bet that that comment probably drove Karl Röve's blood pressure through the roof!)

Sen. Kerry (con'd): And the PRESIDENT threatened to veto the bill if we helped veterans with more health benefits. You're darn right I voted against it -- because the policy was wrong.

Tim: So you'd vote for $87 billion if it came up again?

Sen. Kerry: You, Bush and every Republican knows (ha, ha -- notice how he groups Timmy with the GOP!) that if I had the deciding vote, we'd sit down and negotiate. Instead, the GOP spent MILLIONS on an ad that's dishonest.

Tim: But... but... Cheney keeps pointing to your comment that the war on terror is NOT primarily military.

Sen. Kerry: The "war" on terrorism is primarily law enforcement and interdiction. The Iraq war was NOT about terrorism. Read Woodward's book.

Tim: The "war" on terrorism is law enforcement?

Sen. Kerry: NO, Tim, PRIMARILY. (Translation: "Don't put words in my mouth, fat boy!") And yes, when I'm in office we'll use special forces to take out armed terrorists. Bush failed to do so in Afghanistan, not sending the best soldiers after Osama, instead letting Afghan and Pakistani soldiers try. Intelligence gathering, financial intervention, diplomacy -- THAT is how you fight the war on terror.

Tim: Are you sending the wrong message to the troops by criticizing the war?

Sen. Kerry: I checked my words during the primary phase of the Iraq invasion. I also read about families taking up collections for body armor for their kids. Our military was NOT READY for the Iraq war. The president's job is to MAXIMIZE success while minimizing cost and danger. "Bush has failed." We are united around our troops and support them, and they deserve a strategy that will maximize success.

Tim: The Moonie Times says you met with foreign leaders that want you to beat Bush.

Sen. Kerry: First, that article is inaccurate. Second, this administration doesn't talk about private conversations; neither do I. Go talk to foreign leaders. Ask them. They'll tell you that the US is in the doghouse.

Tim: Do you support the Rantisi assassination?

Sen. Kerry: I support Israel's right to defend itself. Hamas must renounce violence.

Tim: Bush broke with 6 presidents' policies by saying that Israel can keep settlements in the West Bank. Do you support that?

Sen. Kerry: Yes.

Tim: But you won't send Carter as a special envoy.

Sen. Kerry: The envoy must be acceptable to everybody.

Tim: So why isn't Carter acceptable?

Sen. Kerry: That's not the key question -- the real issue is being realistic about diplomacy that is ongoing and staying engaged with Arab states. Israel has no partner, and this administration has been disengaged.

Tim: You want to revisit relations with Cuba -- you cited the way we deal with Russia and China and the power of the Floridian Cuban-American lobby.

Sen. Kerry: I have never suggested just lifting the embargo -- but look at where we stand.

Tim: So lift it -- and tell Castro his regime cannot stand as free enterprise and travel transform his country?

Sen. Kerry: I know how to do this -- remember, I helped open up Vietnam. In the Cuban-American community, there is a willingness to rethink the embargo, but we should not give something for nothing.

Tim: Here you are in 1972 .

Sen. Kerry: Where did all that dark hair go? You know, I've thought a lot about that time, and have I made mistakes? Sure. The language -- my use of the word "war criminal" -- reflected my anger. I was not talking about the soldiers, though, and I regret it if I hurt them, but there were breaches of the Geneva Convention and unacceptable policies in place. That is a simple fact.

Tim: But... but... the Winter Soldiers meeting! A lot of those stories have been discredited!

Sen. Kerry: Many, many of those stories have been documented. Some have been discredited. And I'm proud that I stood up when I did.

Tim: Your commander has suggested that you did not deserve your first Purple Heart. Why don't you release your military records?

Sen. Kerry: I did. That's a political attack. I had shrapnel removed, and that qualified me for the medal. I'm proud of my service.

Tim: Do you still have nightmares about Vietnam?

Sen. Kerry: I used to, and I don't know people who've been in combat who never had them.

Tim: You say you'll create 10 million jobs and cut the deficit in half. Will you not run for a second if you fail? (Hmmm... so Tim thinks Kerry's going to win...)

Sen. Kerry: There's no reason you can't create 10 million jobs -- but you can't with Bush's policies. 98% of all Americans will get a tax cut now, most businesses get one too, and I can afford it. And our program is "pay as you go."

Tim: You get $50 billion a year by cutting taxes to the rich...

Sen. Kerry: Oh, it's much more than that...

Tim: The National Taxpayers Union says you can't balance the budget.

Sen. Kerry: Ha! A special interest group with their skewed numbers and their own agenda. I'm giving the tax cut by removing the subsidy American workers give to companies to move jobs overseas. That's what YOU are paying for, Tim. And I see to it that my education plan is paid for -- at market rates. That's the healthy capitalist way to do it. "I will pay as you go.... and I've been honest" and will scale back programs I can't pay for. Bush can't pay for his plans.

Tim: Social Security trustees say they will have to either cut benefits or raise payroll taxes. You said that the age should be raised and means testing should be imposed.

Sen. Kerry: I said it would have to be looked at and rejected it. And you were wrong about Clinton's approach to Medicare in 1997! You WRONGLY predicted that Medicare and Social Security would be insolvent by 2001 and that benefits would need to be cut and/or taxes may need to be raised to keep the programs afloat. {Ha, ha, ha -- looks like Tim-Bob isn't the only one on hand with an archive of Meet the Press episodes.) Meanwhile, back in the real world, Bush has dropped the ball on protecting Medicare and Social Security. I will -- with a bigger economy. There are plenty of ways to look at things -- and we don't have to cut benefits to pay for tax cuts.

Tim: Do you want a 35 MPG mandate for new vehicles? They'll hate that in Michigan.

Sen. Kerry: "We're not fixed in stone" -- and I'm going to move our nation toward energy independence. No young American should be held hostage to Middle East oil dependence.

Tim: Nader! He received 90,000 votes here in Florida! You said you're planning to meet with Nader.

Sen. Kerry: I've known Ralph for 30 years. He's done great work. His PIRGs are terrific. I'll be talking to Nader's supporters -- and by the time I'm through, I hope that they'll see the changes to come.

Tim: Geraldine Ferraro released her tax returns but her husband did not. Will your wife release hers?

Sen. Kerry: We have far tighter ethics laws than we did in 1992. Go look at the ethics forms on our holdings that are on file.

Tim: Here you are on March 10th. (Video of Kerry saying, "These guys are the most crooked, lying...") Who?

Sen. Kerry: The GOP attack machine -- notably on the Internet. Americans want an honest vision. Unlike Bush who broke promises on the war, kids, job creation, the economy, I have plans.

Tim: You're a member of Skull and Bones -- do you leave the room with Bush as you are supposed to do when it gets brought up in the Presidential debate?

Sen. Kerry: I think we're going to debate the issues! Monthly, I say.

-----

Looks to me like Kerry can make hs points just fine, when he is given a forum to do so and he is MUCH better live and spontaneous than ever he is when speechifying.......hell a little more of this and Ill stop ranting about Nader ......

[aintitfunny]

15. Fire, passion and sincerity

are 3 ingredients I would inject into his speeches, his presentation. When he is speaking about something that angers him, he should come across as more than mildly irritated. Stop the spin. Even those that tell me they don't like Bush, and there are many, cannot go for Kerry because they don't like him at all. This is the republicans talking. Many democrats have told me they don't feel comfortable with him but don't see an alternative so he will get their votes, if tepidly.

Let go of the handler's formula for success. They have packaged him incorrectly and he fails to interest except as the alternative to the awful administration we currently have. If the swing voters just see more of the same where is their incentive to vote the shrub out of office?

Be a person. Talk to the people, not at them. Clinton did it the best. I know it is does not come easy to Kerry as it does to Clinton, but the bottom line is people have got to LIKE him to elect him.

[Liberal Christian]

20. One of the problems with Gore

was that he tried to be what other people thought he should be, tried to inject passions and emotions that were not part of his personality into his "style."

John Kerry needs to know who HE is, be who HE is, and bring the fullness of himself, his ideas, and his knowledge to the discussion. He will do best by not pandering to who we all think he should be.

[RobinA]

32. Absolutely Agree

This campaign is starting to look like Gore all over again, and that ain't gonna win this time around. These guys have got to get out there and SAY SOMETHING. Get a plan. Get a vision. I like Kerry. I don't just like him because he isn't Bush. But he needs to start saying things and educating people about why what he says is right.

Oh yeah. And call Clinton.

[elfin]

19. Speak in simple declarative sentences

and THEN elaborate - but not too much. Only get "talky" in policy speeches AFTER a simple declarative outline.

The shorter the sentence the better for sound bites and LNCB dumbed down sheeple.

Smile more, be righteosly angry more to combat "aloof" tag by ignorant media.

[camero]

21. no. 4 most definitely

He is not winning over any converts by just being as right wing as the right wing, liberal past nothwithstanding. The past is the past and it's now that matters.

[snippy]

23. He needs to destroy Bush's credibility.

The entire world knows that Bush is the most compulsive and incessant liar in the history of American politics.

Bush claims that John McCain has an illegitimate Negro daughter so Bush promised to veto McCain-Feingold and the yawning boy was not there and was not yawning and besides he was standing some place else and Richard Clarke had complete access to Bush and Rice which proves that Clarke was out of the loop which is Clinton's fault which means that unnamed White House sources may be identified whenever Bush wishes even though everyone except Bush himself knows where he was during his Alabama National Guard service which was after he volunteered to go to Viet Nam but before he was no longer required to take a flight physical and about the same time that God ordered Bush to smite Saddam which is Clinton's fault because the 60 lines of embryonic stem cells amd more arsenic in the water and more mercury in the air prove that republican science is better than sound science but the Bush administration did not illegally conspire to illegally reveal the identity of a covert CIA operative which resulted in 2,000,000 new jobs being created because democrats support terrorism and are not good Americans just as the Jews were not good Germans which is why Bush said he would veto the creation of the 9/11 Commission and the Depatment of Homeland Security and so the White House is cooperating with the 9/11 Commission which is why the White House withheld documents and called the republicans on the Commission before Clarke testified and is not co-ordinating an attack on the integrity and bi-partisanship of the Commission since the dental xrays prove that Bush spoke with the CIA director everyday and did not ignore either the repeated warnings of the dangers of al Qaeda and Osama or the August 2001 intelligence briefing specifically warning of the upcoming 9/11 attacks because the United States is a nation with a mission and that mission is to bring freedom to every single person in the world which will cut the deficit in half if you do not count those parts of the deficit which will increase under Bush which is Clinton's fault but the boxes from China were labeled "Made in USA" which resulted in 2,600,000 new jobs being created even though the $400 billion decorative medicare turkey was not labeled $550 billion and was passed without bribery or criminal deception which proves that government spending under Bush has gone down if you do not count the increased government spending under Bush which is Clinton's fault and Bush's plane to Baghdad was spotted because before Saddam bought the uranium and became an urgent but not an imminent threat which is Clinton's fault Bush had no plans on his desk to invade Iraq since the invasion was not planned before Bush took office even though it was the subject of Bush's first national security council meeting and in December 2001 Bush was focused on the military operations in Afghanistan and the aircraft carrier was too far offshore for the Navy to make a large enough "Mission Accomplished" banner to describe the WMD we have found in Iraq some of which Saddam was giving to Osama for following Saddam's plans and using Iraqi hijackers on 9/11 which is Clinton's fault but everyone who pays income taxes got a tax cut which created 3,000,000 new jobs and allowed Iraqi oil revenue to pay for the cost of the reconstruction of Iraq after the invasion by a small number of troops who would be greeted with floral program related activities except for the dead and wounded troops who are being brought home secretly which is Clinton's fault since Bush is the one who hugs the mothers and the widows and the wives and the kids and that is why Bush who will use the jawbone of an ass to force OPEC to open the spigots and who is responsible for good economic numbers but not bad economic numbers which is Clinton's fault wrote the poem that he did not write blaming Laura for dropping the dog?

There is no subject so somber, serious, or shallow that Bush will not lie about it. The only other option is not to lie. And that apparently is something Bush can not do.

Ridiculing Bush for his compulsive and incessant lying needs to become common.

FIRE THE LIAR

[wasichu]

24. he should fire his PNAC policy makers

that would be a good start.

[Killarney]

25. Two things

1) Completely denounce the draft. Say, "I was there during Vietnam when there was a draft and blah blah blah I WILL NOT BRING BACK THE DRAFT TO FIGHT FOR OIL." Then explain where he's going to get his troops from instead to fix what we've broken in Iraq.

2) Go on some talk shows with Teresa to show his human side and his personality. Don't mention Bush. Just talk about himself, Teresa, the kids. Lots of people I know who didn't like Dean much liked him a lot better after he and his wife were interviewed by Diane Sawyer. This also worked for the Clintons when they were interviewed after the superbowl. He has to let people in.

[Egalitarian]

26. Become more Human

and less of a Politician (ie. grow some gonads and stop trying to be the person polls say you should be and be a leader with a heart!)

[onecitizen]

28. Get a personality..........

ANY personality would do at this point. I know he has one. He showed it to us right before Dean dropped out of the race.

[IronLionZion]

29. Get coaching from the Big Dog

Clinton knew how to win the hearts and minds of people and how to win big. I'm interested in finding out his short list for VP

[qanda]

30. Listen to C-SPAN's Washington Journal

And spend some time on DU to find out about the issues that are on the minds of his base.

[daa]

31. Nothing

If shrub gained in the polls after Clarke and Woodward.

[nonkultur]

33. Endorse medical marijuana

and stand against the pork barrel waste of the War on Drugs.

[blm]

35. He does.

Pot groups rated Kerry A- on their issues.

[nonkultur]

36. I can't find anything on his page

I could not find the issue anywhere under the issues section of Johnkerry.com except under the crime section.

In order to deal with the problem of illegal drugs in this country, efforts must be focused on keeping drugs out of the country and our communities, as well as reducing demand for illegal drugs. John Kerry supports aggressively targeting traffickers and dealers, as well as making a commitment to sufficiently fund drug prevention and treatment programs.

[Poiuyt]

34. Smile more and develop enthusiasm

If he would smile more, he would look more "likable," and except for Nixon, the most likable candidate always wins.

He could develop enthusiasm in his message by studying televangelists. I know it sounds corny, but they do know how to cast a hypnotic spell over their followers. Like you said, he needs to appear less wooden.

[wadestock]

37. There are many obvious things on the table.....EDUCATE PEOPLE

For one thing...don't assume people are stupid....use an approach which EDUCATES people.

#1 - get people to appreciate the effect the debt has on people. Survey your friends and ask them how much they've paid on the debt this year. They will look at you as if you had 2 heads.

Examine 1040s from the 80s to the present. What YOU paid on interest on the debt went up to as high as 15 cents!!!! on each tax dollar. After Clinton and pay down the debt initiatives took hold...this went down to as low as 7 cents on the dollar. It's on it's way back again up as you can imagine....and some predict it could be as high as 20 cents on the dollar with another 4 years of Bush.

Add those amounts up year after year for yourself. You should easily come up with a total amount of 10 to 20K and if invested in other things could yield much higher. Wouldn't you like to put that money into college for your kids or health care?

Perot got the country to look at this issue with charts and graphs and it made a big dent in how people perceived things. Today, with Limbaugh and other issues like terrorism making people generally tune out...there is no real reality focus.

So that's right on the table and would in and of itself bring a huge turnabout in attitude about how fiscally irresponsible and selfish these right wingers are.

#2 - Educate people on the other countries in the world and what they pay in taxes at the upper eschelon rate. Dispel once and for all the theory being propagated by the right wing that taxing somehow destroys capitalism. Taxing has to be appreciated for what it really is....a wonderful GOVERNOR and self healing force for capitalism. We have considerably more assets than another other nation and they have achieved comparable standards of living (Canada now exceeds ours) and at upper tier tax rates nearer to 50%.

Also point out there is no historical evidence whatsoever that our capitalistic system cannot thrive on an upper tier rate of 40% as it did with Clinton....when in fact for most of the time that our country was becoming the most powerful industrialized nation in the world it was much higher (70% under JFK and 50% under the first term of Reagan).

By keeping the public stupid....you simply get a stupid outcome.
It's really that simple.

[theboss]

39. Be bold

Everything about Kerry is lukewarm. From his voting record to his personality to his vision for his Administration. It's pretty remarkable who started his public life as such a radical is so milquetoast now.

I don't think he can change his personality, but he needs to do something "different." Maybe resign from the Senate. Maybe make some dramatic new program the centerpiece of his campaign.

But if he keeps giving the same Senator's speech over and over, he's going to have problems.

[bluedog]

41. get the Democratic Party

out on these talk shows and fight for the WH along side Kerry.what are they waiting for.Kerry is going against all the GOP'ers and has no damn help....he can't be on every talk show defending himself.I also agree he needs to get his VP picked NOW

[sangh0]

43. Done

Kerry has more support from other Dems than and Dem candidate I can remember. He has current officeholders like Graham, Kennedy, Pelosi, Lieberman, Edwards, etc stumping for him *AND* other Dems like Dean, Wesley Clark, and former members of the Clinton admin (particularly CLinton's economic team like Gene Sperling and Robert Reich) helping him

[WVhill]

42. Do what Bush isn't doing and can't do.

I've already posted how Kerry could take West Virginia by going to the smaller towns in rural areas and meeting the people who voted for Bush last time. He's got enough time before the election to do that in every swing state. Bush because of presidential duties can't do that.

That will reinforce Kerry's image as a man of the people. The press coverage would be huge. People would have a chance to meet Kerry in person. I think that would make a difference. Kerry's poll numbers would improve following each state tour. I think he could build momentum that would leave Bush behind in the dust especially if ads are run that are state specific before, during and after his visits.

If he can start that and finish a significant part of it before the convention, he'll have rising numbers going in plus get the bump from the convention.

[theboss]

45. I'm not sure if that's playing to his strength

I've seen Clinton up close and personal in these settings and he is absolutely wonderful. But Clinton was actually "a man of the people" and anyone who spent 30 seconds in his presence knows that.

Sadly, prolonged personal exposure to Kerry has a tendency to do just the opposite.

Kerry may be better off in stealing a page from the "Hillary!" campaign and doing something along the lines of her "Listening Tour." At first, I thought that was a terribly elitist concept, but it worked for her. She made no pretense of being a common person, but she did get across that she gave a damn about common people.

There is a subtle difference, but I think you can see it.

[WVhill]

47. I'd agree with that.

I've never met Kerry so I don't know what he's like in person. He might try something like a listening tour in one state and do a before and after poll. I think he has enough time to refine the process. If it works he can take it to other states. I wouldn't make a big deal out of the idea. Just do it one area without mentioning or committing to do it elsewhere.

I don't think he's going to substantially change his numbers trading ads with bush and visiting the large cities.

[theboss]

48. The key is not making Kerry into someone else

Al Gore fell into that trap in 2000 and left everyone who had been following his career for twenty years asking, "What the hell is this?"

Kerry is not Jack Kennedy, he is not Bill Clinton, and he is not Howard Dean. He is a very smart, very rich, rather aloof man who happened to make public service the centerpiece of his entire adult life. And you can win with that (just ask FDR). Kerry should not run from his privilege; he should embrace it. He can say "I was given a lot in life, so was George Bush. But I chose to give something back."

[WVhill]

49. I agree with that too.

Kerry can't come to West Virginia and pretend to be something he isn't. But he needs an accurate read of what people are concerned about and address those issues IF POSSIBLE. Don't go to Wheeling, lambaste Bush over problems in the steel industry and then say you won't reinstate the tariffs Bush removed. People are left looking at each other saying WTF? If you can't put the tariffs back on, and Kerry can't, don't bring it up. You certainly don't talk around the issue and then agree with Bush's actions.

[Poiuyt]

44. Is someone going to send these ideas to Kerry's camp?

[skjpm]

46. Quit, and let us vote for someone better.

eom