Kerry recognizes Americans' short attention spans, so he's biding his time

[Kid_A]

He knows he has to go after Bush and defend himself, but he also realizes that if he does it too soon people will have forgotten it by election day. Waiting for both conventions to be over before finally going on the offensive is a really smart move.

He's got exactly two months now to show Bush for the coward that he is, and I think he can pull it off. Running a campaign based entirely on lies is a dangerously arrogant move, and it will cost Bush this election.

[Catfight]

1. I couldn't finish reading your post, I got distracted....

[volosong]

21. BIDING TIME COULD BE FATAL IN THIS RACE

Often is can work, but luck is involved.

IN a highly polarized race like this, it could be a BIG mistake. People's minds will be made up and Kerry will fall flat.

[9119495]

2. I just had that conversation yesterday with a disheartened friend

Do you think the public remembers:

the Wilson leak?

Howard Dean?

the capture of Saddam Hussein?

and they won't remember SBVT either. Spend your limited funds later Senator.

[goclark]

7. George Bush is a FLOP!!

Subject: George Bush is a FLOP!!!!!!
Message:
You are so right, the public has short memories.
They also only listen to sound bites.
Recall what still sticks in the memory bank of all Americans...

"Read My Lips"

"It's The Economy Stupid"

The Dean Scream

and YES, "Flip Flop"

Flip Flop really makes my blood boil because if any body is a FLOP it is GW. But we are not shouting it to the roof tops.

George Bush is a FLOP
George Bush is a FLOP
George Bush is a FLOP
George Bush is a FLOP
George Bush is a FLOP
George Bush is a FLOP
George Bush is a FLOP
George Bush is a FLOP
George Bush is a FLOP
George Bush is a FLOP

I am listening to MSNBC and they have one of their talking heads telling Scareborough guess what, surprise surprise..."Kerry Flip Flops!!"

Where is our passion! Why didn't we put this right back in their face weeks ago,the moment they said it?

Well it's not too late, starting today let's hope that Democrats will say these four words on the TV,in the newspaper and everywhere they go ...GEORGE BUSH IS A FLOP!!!

Say it loud and be proud!

:grr:

[9119495]

22. We can yell that tonight when bush's speech starts--part of Franken's

shout out!

[goclark]

24. Yea, George Bush is a FLOP !!!

I am attending a Democratic Party in Los Angeles.

When he starts that speech I am yelling " George Bush is a FLOP!"

Hope you join in the cheer. We would love to kick this former cheerleader out of the WH.

[John_H]

3. I sort of Agree and here's why:

What he's now trying to do is...hey, have you seen the new Bud Light commercial?...anyway, he should continue, like Simon does on American Idol--by the way what's up with Clay's new haircut--he looks like Johnny Rotten loose in a gel factory....Anyway, I hope kerry...hey, can I have a bite?...makes his responses short, surgical and immediate. That's the way to deal with low attention...Speaking of attention, did I tell you I used to have ADHD? It was really.....

[Larkspur]

4. From the feedback I'm getting on the Northeast CT streets is

that moderate Republicans and Independents dislike Bush and Kerry.

They have not forgotten Howard Dean, and they have told me that they thought what the Media did to his "Scream Speech" was dispicable. The moderate Repulicans liked Dean because he balanced budgets and that is the kind of Democrat they favor. They think Kerry is boring and while on paper he has better credentials than Bush, they can't get excited about him.

Some Independents are seriously thinking about not voting this year.

Kerry has an 8pt lead on bush in CT. He had a 10 pt lead a month ago, but is still favored to win CT.

[sangh0]

5. Sour grapes

produce bitter whines

[Larkspur]

14. But vinegar makes good marinade

which can produce tasty meat dishes.

[sangh0]

25. So that's what you've been marinating in

No wonder the sour puss.

[LisaM]

8. Are they bitter about how the press mocked "JoeMentum"?

Seriously, it sounds as if a few of them need to move past the primaries.

[Larkspur]

13. Only moderate Republicans liked Lieberman, the rest of Northeast CT

despises or at best tolerates Joemomentum. No one in my section of CT was sorry to see Joe leave the Prez campaign trail.

None of these people I meet are political junkies or activists. They are regular citizens who do vote.

[Ready4Change]

6. I think he's conserving funding.

Waiting till Bush is past the convention so their spending will be more even. It's hard to get a word in edgewiae against a major convention.

[wwbarnes]

9. The Next Time I Hear That Kerry Is "Biding His Time"

I'm going to puke all over my keyboard.

[David Dunham]

10. Kerry had better get in gear and hit Bush hard NOW!

[Minimus]

19. he will

$50 mill in ads coming out

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0902.html

[Kid_A]

11. Why?

He's going up against the HUGE Bush/Cheney warchest, plus he has the handicap of relying on a biased press to report on his actions during the campaign. Why SHOULDN'T he be biding his time? If he were moving at the same pace as Bush, he'd be broke before the election. Plus, it's the only explanation I can think of for how docile he's been in responding to attacks lately.

Also, assuming you're not a Freeper troll (we've had a lot of those lately), welcome to DU!

[wwbarnes]

12. No, I'm Not A Freeper Troll

I'm worried, that's all. One of my brothers, also a strong Democrat, lives in Boston and he was walking by Kerry's townhouse the other day and called me on his cellphone. He said he was walking by the house of the second Massachusetts Democrat to get the shit kicked out of him by the Bush family and not do anything about it. It really really pains me to say that I think I agree.

[Democat]

15. This is a flawed strategy, here's why...

The Republicans have been laying groundwork for their knockout punch for the whole campaign season, while we have not. They have been setting the public up with an image of Kerry, defining him every day with specific targetted attacks. The Swift Liars help the Bush ads who help the others. They all focus on specific areas and paint Kerry in a certain negative way. They try to weaken him every day.

Our side has not had the same long term strategy. It's like in a boxing match. You can either fight strong the whole way and win by beating the other guy down and staying strong yourself, or you can hope for one big punch in the last round. Either strategy can work, but the former is a better plan in most cases.

Are we to believe that Kerry is so good that he is just going to jump out there in the final round and knock Bush out, all the while Bush has been throwing punches and landing for the entire fight?

I am hopefully that Kerry can win, but the strategy so far seems questionable.

[cthrumatrix]

17. you are right...it's a non-stop volley of lies and distortions so Kerry

can't talk issues....stuff that counts.

[wwbarnes]

20. These ARE Issues!

That's what Democrats can't seem to understand. If the public cares about something, then it's an issue. When you lose down your nose and say "that's not an issue," you do double damage. First off, you take yourself out of the ballgame by not responding, and secondly you send the message that you are looking down on the voters for caring. Kerry came into this campaign with the "patrician" problem, and being dismissive about what's an issue and what is not an issue only accentuates this.

[wwbarnes]

18. This Is So Much Like Dukakis in 1988

Kerry has sat there and allowed them to do this without responding. Once the impression gets formed it's very difficult to erase it. Kerry is going to be on the defensive from now until November about something he ought to have in his hip pocket. This isn't Bush's fault, it's Kerry's fault for letting it happen. I'm really upset about it, but I'm afraid the die is cast. I'm not saying Kerry will lose the election, but that he's going to be dragging this chain all the way along. It was so unnecessary.

[qwlauren35]

16. I hope you're right.

I'm fairly sure you ARE right. Kerry's funds aren't endless. He needs to spend most of them in the last 45 days... and we're not there yet.

If you think about it, before the primaries, so many of us were DEAD SURE that Dean would give everyone a run for the money... but Kerry emerged victorious.

Let's hope he can do it again...

[Jacobin]

23. Yeah. And I'm buying a lottery ticket for my retirement plan

[TheRovingGourmet]

26. There is also the chance that the general public will forget the

specifics but remember that there was something or another about Kerry that they didn't like. Since the specifics are forgotten, it will be hard to form a new image in people's minds.

I think if anything is going to happen it will happen during the debates. If Kerry can't show he can defend himself here then it is time to pee on the fire and call in the dogs.