Why does Kerry seem ready to rebuke his Primary platform?

[JCMach1]

It's not even the convention and every move Kerry seems to make takes him further to the right...

-on Iraq
-on the Palestinian/issue issue
-on slavery reparations


This a VERY different Kerry and I don't like it...

I don't believe it is just a SIMPLE shift for election purposes. This is fundamental and more in line with his vote on the IWR.

[Maat]

1. Oh, relax, the guy's just trying to seem only slightly to the left...

of center. He's been a liberal for ages, and is one at heart. We don't have to worry.

[mhr]

2. Look Out Nader, Here I Come, Damned DLC Democrats, Good For .....

eom

[JCMach1]

4. I have never been a Nader supporter, but I am POed as hell

about Kerry at the moment.

[Avalux]

8. Do you want to beat shrub or not?

We have to play it smart. The liberal line will not win this election. You may not like what I'm saying but I've come to realize the majority of Americans won't go for it; the media won't allow it. That's just the way it is.

[Avalux]

3. Keep in mind -

he's trying to pull from the middle and even snag disgruntled repugs. I'm not worried about it. He's going to do whatever he needs to do to beat shrub. Look at his record over the past 20 years - do you really think the man has changed his convictions in the past couple of months?

[Maat]

5. Exactly.

You can bet that Kerry wouldn't back a domestic spy agency once he is in office. Or appoint an attorney general who would be more concerned with covering a statute's boobies that preventing a terrorist attack (hypothetically speaking -- no insult intended, As*cf*t if your reading).

[sangha]

6. " don't believe it is just a SIMPLE shift for election purposes"

Well, that settles it then. If you don't beleive, then it couldn't possibly be true.

[David Dunham]

7. Kerry will lose big unless he seems to move to the center.

He cannot afford to be seen as a Massachusetts liberal or he'll lose.

[JI7]

12. he will need someone like Edwards

and maybe Clark. but someone who can help balance that image.

[OneBlueSky]

16. that is SO wrong . . .

if Kerry is perceived as nothing more than Bush lite, he will most definitely lose . . . why elect an imposter when you can have the real thing? . . . he needs to go completely opposite Bush, and explain why Bush's vision for America is the wrong one . . .

[sangha]

17. Tha's too black and white, "you're either with us or agin us" logic

As if there's no ground between Bush*-lite and Massachussetts liberal

DU is the only spot in the universe where Kerry is considered Bush*-lite. It's a very small vortex

[fearnobush]

9. It's all about strategy right now. The planet is in a most volatile

state. The Republican Empire will creat the illusion that the UN will take over on June 30th. Since the Empire is only interested in the complete distruction of the United Nations charter <http://www.getusout.org/>, Kerry has to get as much $$ as he can to beat the BFEE. If he has to pander to the center for it, then so be it. He will not be a Bush lite or a simple centrist like Clinton. Now he must do these things in order to fight the real campaign this summer and fall. Don't worry.

[LoZoccolo]

10. I think you mean "revoke".

A primary platform won't listen to you no matter how much you rebuke it.

[David Dunham]

11. No Dem supporting reparations or Arafat would stand a chance.

That's the fact of political life in the Bush era.

[WhereIsMyFreedom]

13. The harder Bush tries to paint Kerry

as a Liberal, the harder Kerry tries to appear centrist. It is about winning the campaign. Most politicians are different during the campaign than they are in office. Kerry has a quite liberal voting record for the past 20 years, and I don't think he's changed that much in the past couple of years.

Bush has an extreme-right history in politics. In the last election he ran as a moderate. He gets elected and moves back to the extreme-right. I think a similar thing will happen to Kerry.

Besides, at his worst Kerry will be orders of magnitude better than Bush at his best. So even if I didn't have some faith in Kerry that this is all a campaign thing I'd still be voting for him. Worst case, Kerry is ABB. Best case, Kerry is one of the more Liberal presidents we'll have had. I'm happy with that.

[Lexingtonian]

14. it's not that easy

It's not even the convention and every move Kerry seems to make takes him further to the right...

-on Iraq

He's having a great time pointing out how the WH caved and has begged the UN to come in. Now it's a hustling contest between Annan and Bush, with Annan having time in his favor.

-on the Palestinian issue

He can only lose votes and provide the Bushies a line of attack by backing 'the Palestinian' side. As you know, even educated Americans have an extremely one-sided exposure and bias on the subject. The empirical thing is that Bush's endorsement of this crap doesn't matter if Kerry gets elected.

-on slavery reparations

SR is fundamentally not a serious policy proposal, it's a negotiating point. But if the federal government were to accept it at face value, what point of principle could be held against American Indian claims? It's simply too difficult a can of worms.

This a VERY different Kerry

Perhaps...

and I don't like it...

but this part was kinda predictable.

I don't believe it is just a SIMPLE shift for election purposes. This is fundamental and more in line with his vote on the IWR.

Ah yes, The Original Sin. Which nothing will ever wash away. Do you know why prior convictions are usually excluded in courts of law?

[David Dunham]

15. Guys, Kerry is the most liberal Dem nominee ever except McGovern

So chill out.

[CTLawGuy]

18. yeah, David's right!

I mean Kerry supports corporate tax cuts!

How much more liberal can you get?

[blondeatlast]

23. DU is the Real World , remember, and the far lefties

are our shamans and priests! :eyes:

And I'm a DK supporter!

[JohnKleeb]

28. me too I am a DK supporter,

I am among the far left though, except I am a yellow dog too.

[Classical_Liberal]

29. If even educated Americans are right wing on the Palesitinian

state, how come Clinton didn't approve of destroying it?

[meti57b]

19. a suggestion, but why not campaign against bush instead of against Kerry?

[Robb]

20. Kerry's "dance to the center" is going to seem complex

...Back when I was convinced Dean was going to win the nod, I saw an easy track for him. The GOP painted him in the primaries as a hothead, and all he would have to do come GE-campaigning time was to constantly appear cool and collected, presto, GOP message rendered impotent.

Kerry has to do an issues dance, and frankly we're not going to like every part of it. But it's election time, and the important thing (sadly) is how he comes off in broad terms. And that's going to have to appear moderate. NOW, that said, I don't have any concern that he'll be anything but the biggest liberal in the WH in decades once he's in. :)

[blondeatlast]

24. Now, Robb; why are you known as a dingbat?

That's the entire thing in a very neat, intelligent nutshell.

I won't blow your cover, though--in the Lounge, you'll still be MY favorite dingbat!

[Robb]

25. Self-branding, the miracle

...of lowered expectations. ;)

[blondeatlast]

27. HAH!

[Skinner]

21. I think it may have something to do with the fact that he is now

running a general election campaign, rather than a primary campaign.

I'm not really sure I agree that he has changed his positions. I think it is more accurate to say that he has changed the rhetoric and he is now focusing on different things than he did before.

But it is perfectly normal -- in fact, it is expected -- for a candidate to change their campaign message when they transition from a primary campaign to a general campaign. Ultimately, he is trying to appeal to a different electorate than he was just a few months ago. During the primary, he was trying to appeal to approximately 30% of the left half of the electorate. But now he's trying to appeal to 50% of the entire country. Big difference.

(By the way: I can see your point vis-a-vis Iraq. But did he have different positions on Israel/Palestine or on slavery reparations during the primary? I don't remember those being much of an issue.)

[Classical_Liberal]

30. His position on Palestine is way to the right of Clinton

.

[blondeatlast]

22. Specifics, please...just saying it doesn't cut it with this DK supporter.

JK may be our only hope.

[retread]

26. I'm not sure I see the purpose of your post. It goes without

question that you are much more intelligent than 99.9% of shrub's supporters. So how come they understood what his move to the center really was and if your post is taken at face value, you don't understand the necessity for Kerry's?? What is your real agenda?