I wish Kerry would stop trying to change his image.

[Lover of Liberty]

I loved this guy in February and March. He seemed like the good, old-fashioned, intellectual Massachusetts Democrat; but since Dean began leading in the polls, he's been changing his image to the point of where he's not an appealing candidate anymore.

Take his attacks on Dean for example. Sure, he may have a point when he accuses Dean of threatening to slow the growth of Medicare; however, attacks like that make him seem crass and desperate. He has an angry, rude tone when attacking Dean that doesn't fit with the image of Kerry at the beginning of 2003. In addition to this his attacks display a cold ambition and irresponsibility because you can rest assured you'll be seeing Karl Rove next year with an ad saying, "This is what Dean's fellow Democrats have said about him... Do you really want to vote for Dean?" should Dean win the nomination.

There are also his exaggerated photo-ops and TV appearances designed to make himself look more like an average guy and less like a New England aristocrat. Am I the only one who liked Kerry for his aristocratic image? He seems like a phony now going on Jay Leno (Kerry shouldn't even be promoting this asshole's show by appearing on it) in a motorcycle and going hunting.

Does anyone agree with me, or am I just strange?

[blm]

1. Kerry is guilty like Gore was guilty of waiting for the media to do a job.

The media never scrutinized Dean's positions on issues he was attacking others for, like IWR. Just like they did with Bush.

Dean was even attacking Kerry when he was off the campaign trail and recovering from cancer surgery. No media noted this. It seems all of those who applauded Dean for his attacking others disingenuously are now whining that Dean is finally getting some reciprocation. Too bad it's too late, though, since Dean certainly had it coming last spring. If I was part of any other campaign, I'd have Dean's lies and attacks turned on him by last March.

[Lover of Liberty]

2. I do not mean to bash Kerry

I'm not affiliated with any particular campaign. I am just trying to point out how Kerry's campaign has become a disaster.

[GalleryGod]

25. Do me a favor then-Comment on the Major League Winter Trades

Since "you're NOT affiliated with any campaign" (whatsoever?)

Yeah,sure!:puke:

[killbotfactory]

3. Does Kerry have a learning disability?

Or did he live in a cave during the 2000 election?

Kerry waffles on issues and image.

[Killarney]

4. I personally liked the whole Mass. Democrat

aristocrat thing he had going, too. Memories of Kennedy and all that. However, a large chunk of the country (namely, the South) hates that image. To them, it reeks of elitist yankee. So, he has to appear more everyday everyman to appeal to more of the country.

[Lover of Liberty]

6. Screw that

we can sense that Kerry's a phoney. It's better to be honest. And to many Southerner liberals (including myself), the Mass. aristocrat image is extremely refreshing after four years of racist jingoistic idiocy.

Kerry's campaign is like Dukakis in a tank and speaking beside haystacks.

[blm]

7. Except Kerry is a fighter and always has been.

Aristocrats don't chase down a guy shooting at their boat with a rocket launcher in a jungle and kill him.

Kerry has been a biker and a pilot for about 40 years and you think it's phony? That's the meme started by the Nixon White House and continued for over 30 years by GOP operatives.

[Lover of Liberty]

8. I couldn't care less if he was a biker

Dukakis was in the military too. That doesn't mean riding a tank is acceptable.

What I do know is that Kerry was born in a silver spoon in his mouth and was educated at Yale and Boston College. He is an aristocrat. We liked his "aloof" quality. It was refreshing. Playing the bad-boy-rich-kid is Bush's game.

[blm]

11. Bikers and pilots are not "bad boy images"

many bikers love it for the same reason that Kerry does.

[Lover of Liberty]

9. I couldn't care less if he was a biker

Dukakis was in the military too. That doesn't mean riding a tank is acceptable.

What I do know is that Kerry was born in a silver spoon in his mouth and was educated at Yale and Boston College. He is an aristocrat. We liked his "aloof" quality. It was refreshing. Playing the bad-boy-rich-kid is Bush's game.

[Eloriel]

22. No, the phoney part

is staging the photo ops.

Eloriel

[cosmicdot]

5. take a head count to see if Donna Brazile is near him

((of course, it's hardly fair to think she was the only one Al Gore had to 'catch on' about))



it's bad enough to see junior landing on aircraft carriers or delivering turkey on a platter ...

be casual ... be natural ... be real

[seaglass]

10. Why is it that he's changing his image instead of

revealing more of himself to let the electorate get to know him?

He's not a one-dimensional sterotype, he's a person.

[poskonig]

12. Selling the statesman-like Kerry is the way to go.

Making Kerry do the corny stuff, even if it is part of his personality, isn't helping him. We didn't see Dean or Dick Gephardt do the motorcycle thing on Leno, for instance.

Sticking with the dry image and making occasional jokes such as "Kerry gone wild" works much better, imo.

[Scott Lee]

13. It's because Kerry never FOUND his image.

John Kerry is a Washington Insider who has done a lot of good, in the past, for the right reasons. Problem is, we're in a period in which Democrat Insiders are doing as much good for us as glass shards in our underwear. Kerry has gotten entrenched, is in the Insider Dem elite, and first and foremost feels he is the most entitled to the nomination for the President. Only far down the list does he think about image, a cohesive matrix of positions on crucial issues, and being a public servant in the White House.

This is why he is a man without a mission or an image. His entitlement comes first. And this is EXACTLY why the whole rotten statist stagnation of the Democratic Party needs to be overhauled.

[Cha]

17. "Glass shards in our underwear" = BAD!

Vivid imagery!

[IndianaGreen]

21. I agree with your analysis, Scott Lee

Kerry has gotten entrenched, is in the Insider Dem elite, and first and foremost feels he is the most entitled to the nomination for the President. Only far down the list does he think about image, a cohesive matrix of positions on crucial issues, and being a public servant in the White House. This is why he is a man without a mission or an image. His entitlement comes first.

I think that is what Kerry has oozing from his pores, entitlement. Kerry feels that he has earned his stripes, has played the game, and he is entitled to the nomination. He is not alone. Why do you think the DNC chose Boston as the Covention site? It was supposed to be a Kerry Coronation! Why do you think the DNC and the DLC did their damnest to get Gore to dropout? To get their boy Kerry to be the front-runner.

What happened? Iraq. The rank-and-file was too pissed and too tired of Bush's lies to accept the lies of the Democratic Establishment.

Kerry is toast!

[mzmolly]

14. I agree, when he said he would punch anyone burning a flag in the face

I thought he was taking the tough guy bravado a bit overboard.

[Renew Deal]

15. Kerry is on CSPAN now.

He looks stale, lame and over-produced. He has gone from one John Kerry to another to now another. I think that he should begin to go away.

[Lover of Liberty]

16. Which C-SPAN?

I only have 1 and 2, and he doesn't seem to be on either.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Scott Lee]

19. Come on, Pete

You started a couple of thought provoking threads but now you're coming off as a lap dog for Kerry. You're more thoughtful than that. This thread is anything but "lame". It points up a truly difficult dilemma for your candidate - as in who, exactly, he is. If you cared for him you'd watch what was being said and see if you have some constructive comments for how he can salvage himself.

Dismissing this as lame won't make the core issue, which is vital to his campaign, go away.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dfong63]

23. Kerry's lame PR stunts and attacks on Dean also do little

... to "add value to the debate".

[GalleryGod]

26. Gracias, Pedro Nueva York! Refried BS!

When you've got a "ticking time bomb" in your back yard, you send for the Bomb Disposal Unit and NOT

some EMMIT from the "Mayberry Fix-It Shoppe", with No experience whatsoever in Bomb Disposal AND Damned Proud of it,too!

Wake me later!:argh:

[sandnsea]

24. Great speech today

19 post newbie shows up bashing Kerry and the regulars leap right on it. What a coincidence.

Nothing personal against you, just observing.