I think it's time for John Kerry to change the subject

[DianeG5385]

While I find the Swiftboat ads despicable and feel infuriated by the lower than low tactics of the Bushies, it seems to me that they have successfully taken Kerry off message. He is having to defend his record against a man who barely did his duty and that is questionable. The bushies have resurrected the ghost of Vietnam and opened old wounds, they want to make Kerry's anti-war activities the issue. I suggest Kerry DIRECTLY confront his anti-war activities HEAD ON and then move on.

Kerry must highlight HIS ideas HIS agenda and stop getting caught up in a reactionary mode to the dirty Bs. He should respond then GO RIGHT BACK to his message. I hope these guys have thought of a pre-convention hard hitting ad blitz.

What I fail to understand is why Kerry has not adequately articulated the difference between the IWR "authorization" and Bush's rush to war. There is a difference. I don't know why he responded to Bush's provocation to say "yes" or "no" to the IWR, he should have blown him off. Kerry needs to find a way to recast this argument and make clear that the problem is the incompetent deceptive way the war was handled.

Kerry MUST focus on why he is the better man to lead the country, there are so many examples of this and do what the pubs do when a message doesn't work, change the subject! They do it all the time! I mean what happened to we are "turning the corner" WMD, "mission accomplished" etc.? Kerry needs to dump the war record as his curriculum vitae and highlight other aspects of his leadership especially in the senate. There are many reasons the pubs DON'T want Kerry to be prez, BCCI, Iran Contra, he knows these guys are dirty. Why not put a little of that out there?

[Kagemusha]

1. Because he'll look bad for saying Bush lied to him and that

he bought it...

[Born Free]

10. Kerry must taunt bush until he comes out from hiding

I diasagree, I believe Kerry must now taunt bush until he stops hiding behind these lying s-o-bs. Kerry must force bush to come out from hiding and discuss what they actually did during the Vietnam War era, the bush team has made this a "character" issue, they plan on using it just as they used Monica against Clinton. The only way to end it is to have full disclosure, and the only way for that is to discuss it fully. bush must be forced to discuss what he did as well as Kerry. Kerry is not afraid, he has shown he has nothing to hide, ont the other hand bush has been hiding his military records from day 1. Perhaps it's time for Move-on to run some ads taunting bush, perhaps they could show pictures of bush at his drinking bars while Kerry is fighting, perhaps they could challenge bnush to come clean...

[fearnobush]

2. That did not work so well for McCain or Dukakus.

Despite what the media is saying, Kerry has know this shit was coming for some time now. Kerry has very very large weapons waiting in ready. Kerry said, "Bring them on" today. The big guns are about to freed.

[ochazuke]

3. The counterattack started when?

Like Thursday? And it's time to change the subject already? No, it will take a little longer to disseminate what we news junkies already know: that O'Neil, Thurlow, et. al. are a bunch of lying hatriots.

Dispatching these bastards won't be pretty. The media won't do it for Kerry; he has to call 'em on it himself.

On Thursday morning, John Kerry turned the swift boat of truth into the face of the Republican enemy. Give the man a few days to chase those cowards ashore and kill them. (Figuratively speaking of course.)

[libhill]

4. Damn I'm tired of this shit -

Kerry fought in the goddamn war, was wounded in it, bled in it. The man had every right to take a pro or a con view , because he EARNED the right. Bush and Cheney are chicken shit, gutless draft dodgers, who have no right to even comment on Kerry and his war record. Fuck them all.

[Bluebear]

5. You said it.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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

[shraby]

8. What they have is not an opinion

about something. It is a fabricated story intended to slander Kerry and if that doesn't work, they'll have another and another and another. Just like was done to McCain and Max Clellan.

Bush has absolutely nothing to run on. No accomplishments whatever. If he did, he'd be bragging about them. He's trashed the economy, gutted Veteran's benefits, underfunded No Child Left Behind, lied to get us into a war with Iraq, didn't give the soldiers proper equipment, Halliburton is a whole story by itself - all bad, fought against forming a 9/11 commission then tried to put Kissinger in charge of it, then stonewalled turning over papers the commission needed when it was formed, won't turn over papers related to the torture in the Iraqi, Afghanistan, and Guatanamo prisons, won't release Cheney's energy meeting papers, and on and on and on. He's a total loser, so he has to throw up Vietnam for a diversion from his record. Jebus, he didn't even finish his stint in the National Guard, but deserted.

[neuvocat]

9. Speaking of going off the subject

that photo you have right there is some funny shit.

[sandnsea]

7. Oh HELL NO

He's decided to take them on and I'm behind him 150%. The only thing I hope is that the people in the Democratic Party actually have the backbones they're always whining about. This is no time for shrinking violets. Balls to the wall, full out assault. No Retreat. NO Surrender.

[sweetheart]

11. Zero tolerance of slander and untruth

Kerry is right to take this issue down to the mat.
It is indicative of everything the bushishta's do, this defamation
and lying to obscure the fact of their criminal behaviour and
negligence.

Kerry is right to stay on message that he is a better security
president, and to penetrate the only bubble that bush thinks he can
defend. Of course they are going to throw every possible deviance
in to this defense, as it is the election winner, the statement
that Mr. Kerry is the better man to secure the american people
from war, terrorism and unscrupulous political families.

Not run away, diane, stand and fight. A warrior does not run
away when the battle gets thick, especially if they are a great
commander and have deliberately chosen the moment of battle.
Kerry is a wise leader, unlike bush. Follow through. DO not
leave wounded people to be shot by the enemy, even though it
endangers one to do so... Mr Kerry is, for all the reasons we know
a warrior president, and its taking a war. FIRE!