Kerry sleeps while Bush defines him....

[tableturner]

This is the moment of opportunity for the Bush camp to define Kerry. According to the polls, a good portion of the country, mostly those who have not made up their minds, does not know John Kerry or knows very little about him. The Bush goal? To define Kerry while the void of knowledge exists.

The biggest liar and flip flopper of all time is casting Kerry as a liar and a flip flopper. They have the Kerry camp ineffectively responding to their attacks, in a defensive mode, all the while preventing the Kerry camp from attacking Bush. The Bush camp is in a very coordinated attack mode, not just using Cheney and Bush to attack, but IN A COORDINATED WAY, using Congress people and the usual group of right wing hacks and surrogates to buttress the attack. Just yesterday, in my home state, two Florida Congressmen, Foley and Diaz-Balart coordinated an attack that is all over the state's papers with no or at best little defense by Kerry or his people.

And the Kerry defense is so far too weak by a long shot. Kerry needs to:

1)Defend with real strength, with a fury, to set the record straight. Depending on their debunking web site and sound bites in the news is not doing the job. Compared to the non-stop drumbeat of the advertising push of Bush, along with the coordinated attack drumbeat of the surrogates and the compliant press' pandering to Bush, what is being done in Kerry's behalf is pathetically weak. Kerry needs all the former Presidential candidates, along with all Democratic Congress people and Senators, plus the entire corp of former Clinton officials and other Democratic surrogates, to defend the Kerry record, IN A COORDINATED WAY, and BEGINNING NOW, not next week.

2)Attack Bush, and attack him hard! Make him defend himself. Not only will this impede their efforts to lie about Kerry by causing the Bush camp to spend time and money now being used to attack Kerry, but it will help to define Bush as the true liar that he is. This also must be done in a coordinated way as described in number 1 above. It must be an incessant drumbeat, and again, STRONGLY COORDINATED!

3)Understand that NEXT WEEK MAY BE TOO LATE!! I'm telling you, the polls are changing before our eyes, and if the coordinated defend/attack by the Kerry forces waits even a few days, this race could be lost just as it begins.

4)RAISE MONEY FURIOUSLY, because later will be too late!! I know that it is difficult, but it is a do or die proposition.

As for us, all I can say is let's rise to the occasion and SEND MONEY to (donation links for the web sites listed below, in order) the Kerry camp, the Moveon Voter Fund, Harold Ickes' The Media Fund, and Americans Coming Together. DO IT NOW!! Please keep this kicked to the top!

https://contribute2.johnkerry.com/contribute.html?team=138

http://www.moveonvoterfund.org/donate/creditcard.html

https://contribute.victorycampaign2004.org/contribute/

https://secure3.ctsg.com/act/donation/

[grannylib]

1. Sent in my donation yesterday on Kerry's website and got instant e-re

sponse (sorry) form letter thing; I am unemployed but in good conscience had to send in $5, all I can really afford, but hey...IF WE ALL SEND IN WHAT WE HONESTLY CAN, we can help make a difference...
And keep pressuring the media to play the good stuff Kerry IS coming out with...they are being shameless propagandists for Chimpy at the moment.

[Lindsey]

4. How can we get our ideas directly to the Kerry campaign?

...I have to believe that they are at least as smart as we are...they have to know how vicious the repubs are and that we are in for the fight of our lives!

[grannylib]

7. use the 'contact us' button on the left side of the kerry homepage

[Feanorcurufinwe]

10. The campaign reads both the blog and the forum

http://blog.johnkerry.com
http://forum.johnkerry.com

so that is another way to feed them ideas....

[eissa]

2. Carville and other dem pundits

have been saying this for a long time: Kerry needs to define himself before the repukes do it for him.

[trotsky]

5. Very hard to do when going up against $180+ million.

I think Kerry has done the best he can with what he has. His campaign has been lightning-quick in responding to the ridiculous Bush smears. They just don't have the war chest at this point to blast a commercial nation-wide.

[phantom power]

6. not good enough

Lighting-quick response is very good, but it's not enough. Kerry has to get AHEAD of the Bush campaign.

If we play only defense, we will lose. Even super-fast defense will eventually crumble without an offense to go with it.

[gone fishing]

9. it's not a matter of $

at this point the problem is when he does get air time he tells spain
to stay in iraq and then goes on vacation in the american alps. i'm
wondering about his health.seriously

[smirkymonkey]

11. What about Teresa's $600 Million??

Also, I can't beleive that they didn't anticipate this crap coming from the Chimp administration coming into the race.

They need to organize now, or he'll be toast in a few months.

[trotsky]

12. Not allowed.

Campaign finance laws allow you to spend whatever you want of your own money, but not your spouse's.

[jsw_81]

30. She can spend an unlimited amount on Bush-bashing "issue ads"

As long as she doesn't mention Kerry in the ad. And she has pledged to go that route if the Bush slime machine attacks her or her husband personally.

[gone fishing]

14. few months?

i'll tell you how this little vacation is going to play out. running on empty this is no time to disappear in idaho

[AlinPA]

3. You are right. I'm seeing it here in PA.

The broadcast media is in full Bush* mode already. With over $200Million, he can buy nearly all TV and radio time. I'm wondering again whether we can even buy time on Clear Channel Radio stations or on any Fox related TV stations. Can't they just refuse to run Kerry ads?

[slor]

8. I agree!

The fact that we are still seeing the "foreign leaders" comment, when it has already been shown that he said "more leaders" is part of the proof. Where the hell is the DNC, where are all Democratic reps. This * admin is a weak beast, becoming trapped by its' own deceptions, now is not the time to grant it any respite. Kick it when is down and do not stop until election results are in!

[K-W]

13. Stop blaming Kerry for things he cannot control.

This isnt Kerry's fault, Kerry is trying. He is getting in the news, getting his statements covered, and he is making strong statements.

Bush has the tools that Kerry doesnt have.
1. Democrats still trying to make up for a perception gap as a whole.
2. Being sitting president makes you more visible, more quoted, more heard and allows you to use the perception of your position.
3. Bush has more than double Kerry's warchest.
4. Bush has the conservative media establishment that is still very much in control of the overall media in the country.

Kerry is doing everything you said. He isnt sleeping, lets keep our eyes on the ball and do what we can to try and counteract the advantages Bush has. Kerry has done a good job so far of standing tuff. His media perception is shacky, but so is Bush's. Hes running right where he needs to be in the polls. If things start looking down we can scrutinize our strategy, but right now lets focus out and find ways to help win the election.

[tableturner]

16. Sometimes doing "your best" is not good enough!

I know he is trying. But sometimes one must dig down and do better than one believes one can. This is a must! You can always do better! They must respond better because what we are seeing is not good enough.

They CAN do better because they MUST! No excuses!!

[K-W]

20. That is asolutely rediculous

This isnt a boxing movie. Sometimes even 110% wont overcome some challenges. Kerry can only do his best, and you need to just accept the fact that democrats face certain obstacles in elections. Its easy to call the democrats weak. Its more insightful and accurate to accept that much of that is a result of societal factors out of thier control.

[tableturner]

18. Where are our people pushing the same coordinated themes?

I want to add, where is the coordination? Where are the surrogates out in force with a repetitive drumbeat of both defense and attack? Money has nothing to do with this, nothing! At least get our people out in force, all pushing the same coordinated themes.

[K-W]

21. Money has everything to do with this.

Organization costs money. Mass media costs money.

But fine, you want to see more volunteers out there getting the message out, contact John Kerry and valunteer. Talk to your local party affiliates and find out if there are any campaign HQ in your area. Then have a volunteer drive and try and raise help.

That is how grassroots campaigns work. But dont turn around and fire shots at our side everytime things dont work out perfectly as if every factor is under Kerry's control.

[tableturner]

22. What about our big guns out on TV?

Come on....how much does it cost to get our top people out on TV with the same concentration as our foes? Where are they? They should be out in force, but are in actuality are being outnumbered. Just watch TV one night on any of the cable news channels.

I say don't be defeatest. We can do better. Yes, money is critical and I have contributed. But, there are some things that are outside of how much money is available. And I think our people should be out blanketing the airwaves, calling press conferences, and incessantly get the message out.

I mean...can you imagine Cheney getting away with telling Kerry to fully expose what he knows? Cheney....the number one hider of information about what he has done? But he IS getting away with it.

We CAN do better....get our people out in mass!!!

[K-W]

24. This is a pointless discussion

You seem to believe that the playing field between Repubs and Dems is level, and it is only the laziness of dems that has accounted for the massive repulican control of the media and perception.

You are completely out of touch. The playing field is very stilted, so even if the dems are working harder than the repubs, they will still probably look like they are doing less.

Networks dont let as many dems on TV. They dont give them as much time to talk. They will bring on radical right wingers, but radical liberals are unairable. THe commentators themselves are conservative. Then the republicans can afford a larger organization. They can fund thier candidates better and they can organize national campaigns better. Then there is the right wing media, magazines and radio shows and stations that make no profit, but are kept running to desseminate the repubs message. This means that the lazy reporters of mainstream news are getting more right favoring stories.

Stop blaming democrats. They arent perfect, and constructive criticism is good, but holding insane expactations for them helps no one.

[tableturner]

25. Yes the playing field is unlevel, but....

I agree that the playing field is unlevel. However, we still need to do a better job and we CAN do a better job. You sound defeatest to me. You cannot convince me that we could not have more of our people out on TV, all using the proper talking points, to drive home the message better. We have to do the best we can with what we've got and we are not. Again, I agree the playing field is unlevel, but we CAN level it to some degree, and we MUST! Otherwise, we simply give in like Gore, Dukakis, and the others, who I know fought hard, but who also let the GOP control the dynamics of the campaign. They didn't fight like they should. They let the GOP totally control the message and let them frame the debate. We cannot let that happen.

Edited to correct spelling

[Malva Zebrina]

29. Bush is running full tilt on the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism

That is all he has to run on really, but he is using every bit of modern propaganda to drive that baby home--every emotional connection is made with extremely emotional words and the stringing of those words together to force the average person to believe he is really a great leader.

I know this will not be popular, but I am disappointed in the Democrats. They cannot effectively counter this because they themselves voted for the war:shrug: For all I know, maybe most of them did approve of pre emptive attacks and are not concerned one bit over the moral and ethical decay such sanctioning embodies.I heard it said by a few Republicans on the floor of the HOuse today that the Democrats are whining, but why are they if they voted for the war. So, if Bush keeps hammering that nail, the Democrats really have no rebuttal that can be effective. And I am sure he intends to keep it up everyday for eight more months.

If Bush keeps up this powerful rhetoric that appeals to the reptillian brain of many people in this country, he will be in charge of the debate. If the Democrats cannot come back with anything that is effective re the "success of the war" in Iraq except to verify Bush was great in getting rid of Saddam, that is ideed a very sorry situtation we find this country involved in.

Accusations about his ads using actors and such are just rolling off the paper they are printed on. Accusations about his lies preceding Iraq and the existence of the WMD, even with Waxman's data base of misrepresentations, are just rolling off the paper--and, by the apparently extremely organized herding of all Republicans and rehearsing them to say the same lies over and over, I fear that Bush has successfully transformed those lies into something like:--we took down a bad evil man who gassed his own people, raped women, and gave them freedom, ( Americans like to think they grant freedom and democracy to others)--and George is the hero without whose brilliant leadership the freeing of all of those poor people would never have happened. And I think it has been successful, much to my sadness and dismay over the stupidity of the American people who allow such things to sway them.

Perhaps the Democrats would have had more money had they supported their own people these past three years. I refused to donate a thing to the party becasue of the abandonment actions of the Democrats. I may not have been the only one.

[AlinPA]

31. I agree with you. Bush*'s side is in total control of broadcast media

[proud patriot]

15. My shipment of Kerry Gear arrived yesterday

I have a Kerry Yard sign , extra bumper stickers
a T-Shirt Hat and Buttons ...

My Neighbor came over and asked where she could get one .
She said the people who live across the street from her
voted for bush and Ahhhhhhnold , she sick of it and wants
to put a sign in her yard too ..

Time to go on the offensive ...Positive Kerry Messeges
Unity in the Democratic Party ...Strength in Signs

:headbang: Yes I took my Dean sign down ..

I still love Dean though :loveya:

[tom_paine]

17. Send this to www.johnkerry.com

That's really all we can do.

[wyldwolf]

19. Great ideas, but this article is contrary to your feelings

I agree with you, though. Kerry and us need to kick it up a notch or two.

Compare and contrast

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/election/0304nation/14kerryads.html

John Kerry is mounting the most aggressive presidential campaign a Democrat has run in decades.

The tactics already seem to have caused a sputter in the much vaunted Bush political machine at a crucial point in the campaign — when the president is anxious to define the Massachusetts senator before the senator can define himself, much as the president's father defined his opponent, Gov. Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts, in the 1988 campaign.

"John Kerry is no Michael Dukakis," said Darrell West, a Brown University professor who has closely followed Kerry's 19-year career in the Senate. "He will respond immediately to any Bush attacks to make sure news stories carry the rebuttal. His goal is to make sure negative information does not stick to him. If you can rebut charges right away, it reduces the odds that voters will believe them."

In fact, the Kerry campaign does not wait to respond. Thursday, hours before the Bush campaign began its first television ads attacking Kerry, the senator's "war room" had distributed rebuttal facts by e-mail to hundreds of political reporters, set up a conference call with Kerry surrogates, and made Kerry officials available to television news programs. It also responded with TV ads of its own Friday.

[tableturner]

23. I think that reporter...

is a few days behind the cycle. Things have really changed the last few days, not for the better. The Bush attack has escalated tremendously during this period!

[chimpymustgo]

27. They bring a knife, you bring a gun.

Kerry has lost momentum in just these last couple of days. This is a DANGEROUS time. I don't like the vacation. We can't let up.

[DoYouEverWonder]

26. Don't worry it's a long 8 months to the election

and just cause Kerry took a few days vacation the repug meme machine wants everyone to think his campaign is falling apart. Which couldn't be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, at the rate things are going, Kerry could probably take the whole month off and let the Bu$h misadministration implode upon itself, which they are in the process of doing.

I just pisses me off that the repugs can float there latest meme and some many dems jump on the bandwagon. It's time to stop the spin and win.

[BabsSong]

28. table--take a look at the thread I started this morning on the board

and I just added to it at 4:13 this afternoon to emphasize it more in light of what has just happened. Same concerns. It's BabsSong post and it starts with "Where is Kerry.....".