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Much like I would toss a bottled message upon the swells and surges of the ocean, with no expectations, but still with the hope that somebody who can make a difference will read it. Here goes.
I first want to congratulate the Kerry campaign and the candidate himself for the masterful performance he put on last night in the first debate. While the pundits and media whores are calling it a draw, among the people who count most, those undecided swing voters, it is increasingly apparent from the polls that Kerry hit one out of the park. These pundits and poltrouns are paid well for their support of Bush, and the fact that they were forced into calling the debate a draw, rather than a Bush win, is a good thing. Don't pay attention to their bleatings, we all know that they wouldn't say Bush lost even if he came out and admitted he was the anti-christ. We know, and the polls are showing that Kerry won.
However there are a couple of areas that I think the campaign needs to shore up and take action on. The first is that Kerry and his campaign need to shore up his base among women, specifically the soccer/security moms who seem so important. I see that from the polls, and also in person, that they aren't being addressed by the Kerry campaign, and they are slowly, but surely, trickling over to the Bush camp. Kerry needs to shore this base up before the trickle becomes a flood. You have a great opportunity to do this in the next debate, please use it.
The other concern is more personal. That is the state of Missouri being given up for lost. I think that this is a premature move. I realize that the polls show a large Bush lead, but I think that polling appearances are decieving, and that there is at least ten percent of the voters in this state who are still on the fence. Your masterful performance last night helped sway some of these people, and if you put some resources and time back into the state, you could regain it for the Democrats. Your pull out is not only threatening your election chances, it is adversely effecting the chances of local and state Democratic candidates. Yes, you have a large rural population in the state, with the buckle of the Bible belt smack dab in SW MO, Springfield area. But you still retain that belt along I-70, St. Louis, Columbia, and KC that are solidly Democrat. With a little effort and money, I think that you could bolster this solidly Democratic strip enough to put the entire state into your column.
So please take these suggestions for what they are worth. I realize that I am just another poster on a political chat board, but I've worked in many campaigns, and have much experience with the people of my home state. Meanwhile I will keep doing what I can, placing great hope, but low expectations upon this message in a bottle.
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