If John Kerry is the nominee, who will win the general election?

[Eric J in MN]

Poll question: If John Kerry is the nominee, who will win the general election?

If John Kerry is the nominee, who will win the general election?

[hellhathnofury]

1. Bush.

Remember what happened to the last person from Mass we nominated.

Also Mass was the only state McGovern won and he was a war hero too.

[ClarkGraham2004]

2. lol

Yes, Massachusetts sucks compared to VERMONT.

The last guy we nominated from Massachusetts was 5'7 and had a long Greek name.

[hellhathnofury]

9. Kerry is what 64 not counting his hair.

I still think my point stands, Mass is worse than VT for pres candidates.

[ClarkGraham2004]

13. 64? You mean Kerry's height, i.e. 6'4?

Kerry would tower over Bush.

[hellhathnofury]

21. So he's running on image alone?

Bill Bradly was what maybe 6'6. I'll use to the ' from now on so as not to confuse you.

[poopyjr]

23. JUMBO *YAWN*

[hellhathnofury]

26. Hey, he brought it up.

"The last guy we nominated from Massachusetts was 5'7 and had a long Greek name"

[Feanorcurufinwe]

27. I like the 'JUMBO' touch lol

[ClarkGraham2004]

30. Kerry is nothing like Dukakis. The comparison is poor.

nm

[hellhathnofury]

34. How so? I don't see Kerry hitting anywhere near Clark, Dean or Edwards.

Gephardt even would hit harder.

He's going to take a poll and decide that they want him to be nice face to face with Bush.

[ClarkGraham2004]

41. You don't know Kerry very well, then.

Kerry is a FIGHTER (as proven by Iowa).

Who was the guy who took it to the BFEE and Iran Contra? JOHN KERRY.

[hellhathnofury]

46. And then he failed on Iraq.

I look at the status of candidates on Iraq, not 15-20 year old issues. Kerry was a fighter, but then he decided to run for president.

I'd hope he'd be able to make some headway eventually with the loan. God help him pay off that one (ketchup).

[ClarkGraham2004]

52. DOUBLE YAWN

Apparently the people of Iowa disagree with you. The IWR vote is HUGELY overblown by the extreme left in this party IMO. Kerry and many others were misled.

[hellhathnofury]

57. When Kerry renounces his vote I'll think about it.

I know Hollings did and Harkin too(I think).

Kerry's gotta do that or he's just lost 5-8% of the GE.

[ClarkGraham2004]

63. Hollings and Harkin aren't running for President.

Renouncing it could alienate alot of middle of the roaders.

[hellhathnofury]

67. We'll then he should have thought about it before.

It'd be the right thing to do and frankly Bush/Rove is going to hammer him on it.

The defense stinks so far.

[sangha]

70. Bush* will hammer Kerry over IWR?

That's the oddest argument I've heard this campaign?

[hellhathnofury]

73. See he voted for my war, thus he supported me then, why not now?

Because he's a liberal opportunist, Rove will answer.

[sangha]

89. Why not now? You can't answer that?

Because Bush* failed to plan for the aftermath. Because Bush* failed to gain the backing of the UN. Because Bush* caused us to be viewed as a greater danger than Sadaam. Because Bush* went to the UN and lied. Because Bush* has failed to provide enough troops to pacify and rebuild Iraq. Because Bush* has failed to support the troops by cutting their pay and benefits. Because Bush* has allowed his freinds to profit from this war.....

[hellhathnofury]

90. Simplicity is beauty, to the average voter.

"I was against this from the start" sells alot better.

And then Kerry has to explain why he got suckered.

[sangha]

94. More assertions with nothing to back them up

and besides, "Bush* lets his friends profit from war" is pretty simple. "Bush* didn't plan for the aftermath" is pretty simple. All of the examples I gave are pretty simple and straighforward.

[hellhathnofury]

99. There are just to damn many of them for the average voter to make his own.

We'll when your dealing with 30 second commercials you need a heck of alot more commercials to make those points. See move-on ads for proof, they most I saw stuffed in was 3 (Polygraph).

And he's still going to use Kerry's vote against him alot more effectively than Kerry will be able to use those.

[sangha]

103. Too much evidence?

"And he's still going to use Kerry's vote against him alot more effectively than Kerry will be able to use those"

More assertions, no facts to back them up.

[hellhathnofury]

106. Back up your shit. Kerry hasn't used those effectively yet.

He's just burning money.

I can't prove it cus obviously it hasn't started because Kerry is still despite the misleading Iowa polls(see other DU thread) in a hole.

[sangha]

109. Kerry is surging and you know it

I've seen your posts in threads about Kerry's #'s picking up. Your repeated assertions about the weakness of Kerry's campaign are not supported by the facts.

And Dean is the one burning money. He is spending more than any other candidate, and still isn't winning. And it's odd how the polls were accurate when Dean was in the lead, but now that it's getting closer, the polls are misleading.

[NewHampster]

141. BULL Hockey

Dean is being out spent 5 to 1. Which is one reason the media bosses don't give him positive airtime.

He is saving our money to fight Bush rather than his fellow democrats. Ask the people who paid their own way to Iowa, or make calls on their home phones.

Kerry on the other hand is pissing away his wife's billions and his little ;-) mortgage to try and convince you that he is surging.

I've never believed the polls when Dean was up or down or in between because the only poll that counts is when we go to vote.

[nightperson]

61. Are you serious?

The Adams family, JFK, Harvard, MIT, etc.. Yeah, Kerry hails from an ignored backwater that always spells electoral doom :tinfoilhat: :eyes: .

[hellhathnofury]

85. This JFK is no that JFK. Plus there are alot of questions surrounding 1960

It's a base state, Kerry has no other attributes. Harvard and MIT are irrelevent to the actual voting.

Adams? 1830's?

[ACPS65]

3. Given your signature, I find your post painfully ironic.

eom

[hellhathnofury]

6. Disprove my facts.

[sangha]

58. "facts"?? More like the singular "factoid"

Your argument is that Dukakis lost.

How about my fact - 38% of all voters think Bush* was not legitimately elected. How many people have been returned to office when 38% of the voters think they're illegitimate?

[hellhathnofury]

68. So they'll vote Green.

Dukakis and McGovern, both are similar to Kerry in background and style.

That's irrelevant, hellow Green party vote.

[sangha]

71. Please answer the question

38% of all voters think Bush* was not legitimately elected. How many people have been returned to office when 38% of the voters think they're illegitimate?

[hellhathnofury]

75. That's irrelevant, that's my answer.

People don't vote on illegitimacy, plus 38% does not win an election.

[sangha]

91. More assertions, with nothing to back it up

We all have opinions, and we are all entitled to them, but some of us can back them with something more than assertions about irrelevance. Particularly when your own argument (Kerry is from Mass, and so was Dukakis) could be easily dismissed on the same grounds

[hellhathnofury]

95. It's called an electoral trend.

38% does not win an election and those will go to any candidate.

MA=liberal=Dukakis, McGovern effect.

[sangha]

98. I still see assertions, but nothing to back them up

Phrases like "irrelevant" and "electoral trend" don't mean much unless there are some facts to back them up. I don't see one fact in your post.

[hellhathnofury]

101. New Englanders with poor campaigns and no redeeming qualities don't win.

Enough of this assertation junk, I'm to lazy to dig up bio's and results.

[sangha]

104. Another assertion with no facts to back them up

all you have is opinions, and I don't find them persuasive.

[hellhathnofury]

107. We'll good for you. Cus I'm done.

[sangha]

110. Done?

I was hoping you'd start backing up your opinions with some facts. If you change your mind, let me know.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. I doubt that he'd win even in Mass.

Mass. is too liberal for the likes of Kerry.

[wyldwolf]

7. Yet, he they've sent him to the senate how many times?

[hellhathnofury]

12. The senate is not the presidency.

How many times had Dukakis been elected? McGovern?

[wyldwolf]

131. Matters not

The proposition was that Kerry isn't liberal enough for Massachusetts. Since he keeps getting elected, he clearly is liberal enough.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

42. That was before his vote on the IWR.

Considering that MA is known as a very liberal state..he might have a bit of trouble holding on to that seat when it comes up again. I imagine that a lot of liberals will not forgive that vote.

[blm]

112. IWR was Oct.2002. Kerry was re-elected with 86% of the vote on Nov 2 2002.

.

[wyldwolf]

132. silence....

shhhh...

BAM!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

136. Good for him.

I guess that I was indulging in wishful thinking that the voters of MA were more liberal than they are.

[blm]

140. Wishful thinking that Dean was antiwar, too.

He wasn't.

You're supporting a careerlong, compromising centrist who coopted language from the internet message boards. Isn't that just so comforting?

[curse10]

137. Unless you live in Mass you can't know

I live in Mass. And no one I know has every accused Kerry of not being a liberal. Christ. He's more liberal that most of the candidates- with the exception of DK.

[blm]

5. Suggestion: Go to Kerry's site

and watch ALL his ads.

Think about this, too. Post 9-11, there are two photo ops that Bush can't buy...the Fire Fighters (who endorsed Kerry) and the veterans groups.

[hellhathnofury]

8. The presidency isn't won by photo-ops.

It's about standing up for what you believe in creating momentum to propel to to victory, snowball effect. IWR cough cough.

[sangha]

11. Then why conclude that Bush* will win?

All Bush* has are photo-ops

[hellhathnofury]

17. $$$$$$$$, wedge issues and Rove.

Kerry has none of those things. He's had to borrow on his house for chistsakes.

[sangha]

25. I thought it was because of Massachusetts???

WRT $$$$, wedge issues and Rove - Bush* outspent Gore and lost the election anyway

[hellhathnofury]

28. Mass Liberal, i can see the wedges now.

Bush is in the Whitehouse now, part of that was because Gore's organization sucked in Florida.

It all piles up to a Bush victory in 04.

[sangha]

60. Not much of an argument

You're heavy on the assertions, but you have little to back it up with besides generalities like "Rove", "wedge issues", etc, all of which were present in 2000 when Bush* lost.

[hellhathnofury]

69. What they're doing to Dean now is tame, wait till you see it on Kerry.

Shit they did it to McCain and that was alot harder than it will be to Kerry. It's an obvious thing, all the baggage Dean has applys to Kerry to and Kerry has no real moderating attribute.

Bush lost the vote but won the election, he's in the Whitehouse now. We gave up on that one when we should keep fighting.

[sangha]

74. More assertions, absolutely no facts

They did it to Gore also, and he won the election anyway. And Kerry won't lie down. He never has.

[hellhathnofury]

76. Except on Iraq. Who's in the Whitehouse now?

He lost the vote, won the election.

Kerry flipped when it mattered.

[sangha]

96. More assertions, with little to back it up

No matter how many times you say IWR is going to hurt Kerry, there is nothing to back that up. Most Dem voters support the IWR vote, and Kerry it doesn't seem to be hurting him in Iowa where he is surging.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

16. If you think

Kerry would lose the general election because of his IWR vote, I think your political calculations are a bit off.

[hellhathnofury]

24. He can't win of 5-8% deserts for a third party anti-war candidate.

Think Nader would run if Kerry were the nominee?

[George_Bonanza]

29. I think they'd be coaxed by Kerry's superb anti-war stance after Nam

Not only did he have the toughness to protest it before Congress, he did it AFTER it nearly claimed his life and took all of his best friends from school.

[hellhathnofury]

He screwed up the war that matters now though,

I don't think we should have to coax our base on a key issue. You can't neglect 35% of your vote count.

Look what they did to McCain Nam isn't that much of a shield.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

32. Dean supports the war now

Remember, he wants to keep us in Iraq "for years". So if we have a problem with anti-war voters going third party, that will happen if Dean gets the nod.

[hellhathnofury]

35. You should listen to CMB, or maybe you want another Iran.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

44. Pay me what they paid Carol

and I'd flip too. Face it, Dean supports the war now. No one is going to listen to anyone complaining about Kerry's IWR vote now.

[hellhathnofury]

48. Got a link to back that one up? That's just false and wrong.

Supporting paying your damages is not supporting the war. They damn will, people are starting to turn against this. I knew what would happen, alot of respectable people did too and Kerry still voted for it.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

65. Does Dean steal EVERYTHING from Kucinich?

When has Dean EVER suggested reparations for Iraq? Dennis Kucinich called for that - twice, at two different debates.

Dean has been busy rationalizing why we need to occupy Iraq for years. He was running as the "anti-war" candidate before, but he can't now - he's been on live television telling us we need to "finish the job" (pumping out all the oil?)

Sorry, Dean fans, the jig is up.

[hellhathnofury]

72. Reconstruction not reparations. I'm not going to hand a check to each one/

No, we have to stabalize a government quickly and get out. Read up on successful occupations, I suggest Japan and Germany.

It's called responsibility.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

80. that's exactly what the Republicans say

I don't believe it when they say it, and I don't believe it when Dean says it either.

If Dean supported turning over the oil reconstruction to the UN ... but he's not.

[hellhathnofury]

82. Read up on your history.

I guarantee you ethnic strife and a Islamic revolution spawning more and more groups capable of creating worldwide terror.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

93. I should read up on my history?

Thanks for that suggestion. I had never thought of reading my history before. This discussion sure has been enlightening.

[hellhathnofury]

108. Ok I'll use examples of why we don't pull out or ignore situations.

Cambodia, Rawanda, the Balkans.

You can't just leave a failed state to the hands of what I would consider a less than friendly enviroment.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

122. "If we don't finish the job in Vietnam..."

"...we will be responsible for the bloodbath."

Haven't we hear this before? Is Dean channeling LBJ?

btw: How many people were killed in the bloodbath after we left Vietnam?

[hellhathnofury]

123. Not the same deal. We need to get the UN to help us set up a government.

Hell, I'd be willing to write an Iraqi constitution, MacArthur did it in Japan and it worked quite well.

Then we can leave.

[curse10]

138. Tee hee hee

nice one.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

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

[hellhathnofury]

37. We'll about 40,000 reservists and their families.

The war vote is a big deal for the core of the party and alot of voters.

We all get giddy about O'Neill exposing the planning and then say the war is irrelevant.

:wtf:

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

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

[hellhathnofury]

66. I'm going to be nice about the ignore bit.

"Every single person said Saddam was a threat and needed to be dealt with."

-hmm blank check for Bush? Kennedy saw teh light why didn't Kerry?

"Dean and Clark just didn't have to lay down the vote. It makes no sense to base this election on that one vote. No sense at all. MOST people don't care anything about it at all, that's a fact."

-that's right Dean wasn't in Congress, he just vocally opposed it, Clark decided he was against it when push came to shove. That vote does matter and that's a fact, American soldiers are dying people care a hell of a lot about that.

"I question their true motivations. Far too many people have used the vote as a basis to support their candidate and beat up others, rather than as a true moral imperative. "

-It was a true moral imperative, the UN charter denounces preventative war, that's a fact. Does Kerry believe in teh UN charter?

"That is politicizing the war and people's deaths as much as Bush"

-I never knew war wasn't political, I mean he did vote on it in Congress right?

[blm]

36. That wasn't my point. The GENERAL ELECTION

is about what cuts through to the general public on their television screens.

Kerr has the GREATEST record, the most powerful policy positions, and is one of the best one on one debaters in politics.

[hellhathnofury]

39. I thought Clark had the record? Stars right?

I haven't seen one issue he owns at the debate. Edwards owns education, Clark has the potential to own defense, Gep and Dean could own the economy and healthcare.

[Democrats unite]

18. The only President to come from Connecticut is...

G.W. Bush, so whats your point?

[hellhathnofury]

40. My point is that Kerry is a much worse candidate than...

Dean in terms of electability.

I'm for Dean, the Joe avatar is for the defense of D's.

[oasis]

10. John and Teresa Kerry will display the class, style and intellect that

Americans have hungered for.

[hellhathnofury]

14. Everyone likes weak-footed elitist New Englanders right?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

22. Your name-calling is not persuasive.

I won't sink to that level of 'debate'.

[hellhathnofury]

43. I can go dig up the hair-cut articles?

[ClarkGraham2004]

31. Who? You mean DEAN?

At least Massachustetts has more than 500,000 people.

[hellhathnofury]

51. Nice one. Bush was gov of the third largest state and he still sucks.

Size isn't everything.

[ClarkGraham2004]

77. He's also the president.

[oasis]

38. see post # 6

[hellhathnofury]

45. Dean's not weak footed and he's not elitist.

He lives in a middle class home.

[sangha]

62. Have you read the new rules?

2. Criticism of Democratic primary candidates, their policy positions, and their campaigns is permitted. However, extreme and inflammatory attacks against Democratic primary candidates are not permitted. The moderators have the sole authority to decide whether an attack is extreme and inflammatory. Inappropriate attacks include, but are not limited to, the following: Attacks involving swear words, long strings of negative words, comparisons to Hitler or Bush, unflattering graphics, etc.

[hellhathnofury]

78. It's an honest criticism. Kerry will be painted as a

weak-footed leftist elitist New Englander. This is hardly inflammatory, it's truth.

You think they're just going to leave Kerry alone?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

47. "..the class, style and intellect that" caused him to vote FOR the IWR

That kind of "class, style and intellect(?)" we can live without.

[oasis]

102. "we"? You're going to need a majority to win. So far, "we" is a minority.

[bearfartinthewoods]

143. if the hunger is for old money elitists.

[bigwillq]

15. Kerry is capable of beating Bush n/t

[sandnsea]

19. We are RELENTLESS

Losing is not an option. No Surrender. We will win.

[poopyjr]

20. Kerry would win handily <nm>

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

49. Without the left wing of the party?

I doubt it.

[Name removed]

56. Deleted message

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

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

79. Threat? No. A promise.

There are a lot of us who wouldn't vote for Kerry, Gephardt, Lieberman or Edwards. Why do you consider that "looney"? I consider their votes for the IWR not just looney but a cynical exercise in pollwatching above principles. Should any of them get the nomination I'll be voting Green without a backward glance at those alleged liberals.

[blm]

87. So you punish the left by supporting a centrist

who supported essentially the same resolution for use of force.

[blm]

84. REAL lefties know Kerry is WAY more left than Dean.

Those Greens who are active environmentalists and oppose the death penalty will be pleased to vote for Kerry.

Intelligent Greens with strong recall who understand that Kerry has helped end three wars, and is the one lawmaker who has exposed MORE government corruption than any lawmaker in modern history will be pleased to vote for John Kerry.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

88. REAL lefties are opposed to the war in Iraq - unlike Kerry.

Who voted FOR it. Or, did you miss that?

[sangha]

111. Real lefties says "Bandera doesn't speak for me"

Bandera must have missed a few of us real leftists

[mitchum]

124. He doesn't speak for this real leftist either

apparently the cliche is true about some people not knowing their left from their right

[Name removed]

134. Deleted message

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

[Name removed]

139. Deleted message

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

[blm]

114. Dean SAID he'd vote for Biden-Lugar resolution for USE OF FORCE.

So, you must support Kucinich, eh? You know the ONLY candidate who was against even a resolution for use of force, as were ALL antiwar lawmakers.

[sandnsea]

130. And for the raping of the land

And for turning a state into a tax haven. And for appointing ski executives to the land use board. And for ignoring pesticide use by corporate farms. Are lefties for all of that??

There is ONE anti-war candidate and that is Dennis Kucinich.

Anything else is a fraudulent abuse of people's genuine emotions. At least Kerry never disrespected you so much as to treat your emotions and beliefs as something to be turned into a personal power trip. He respected the protest, was proud of it, supported your right to be out there, to dissent. Was Howard doing that? Don't think so.

John Kerry is the only rational choice for an anti-war person. He won't take us into one except as an absolute last resort. I just can't say that about any other candidate except Dennis.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

135. Was Iraq an "absolute last resort"?

If so, explain how. If not, why did Kerry vote for it?

[nightperson]

118. A very simple question.

Where do you have to go? Or would you prefer Bush?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

133. Short response. Green.

[saltpoint]

127. Agreed. Kerry stomps Bush in all of --

-- Gore's states, plus he picks up Ohio and West Virginia, plus New Hampshire.

Bush loses on electoral college points alone.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

50. Wow someone in this thread is on a mission to convince us Kerry cant win.

Yawn.

[hellhathnofury]

53. I'm tired of being told my guy can't win when Kerry is much weaker.

It's fightin' time.:hippie:

[Feanorcurufinwe]

59. We have 4 candidates who could win IMHO

Clark, Dean, Edwards or Kerry. Any of those four could win and probably will.

[hellhathnofury]

81. Kerry is not electable for all the reasons above.

Clark, Dean and Edwards certianly are.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

83. The real question is

now that you've stated that opinion 20-30 times in this thread will you feel compelled to get the last word on me and state it again in response to this post?

[hellhathnofury]

I'm starting the Kerry is not electable theme on DU.

So yes, I'll take the last word. Thank you.

[nightperson]

115. I gotta say thanks.

Kerry is the "unelectable" one. Awesome. Post away. Bring the insanity. Let people see clearly why Kerry hasn't done well and Bush has. Lovin' it.

[sangha]

100. No, the real question is

what he means by "for the reasons stated above"? So far, the only fact he's provided is that Kerry is from massachussetts.

[mitchum]

125. Who the hell is your guy???

you have the Joe avater , but you seem to spend a lot of time as a Howard apologist. I know that it is indeed easy to confuse centrists from tiny New England states, but...

[sandnsea]

86. I thought we had overcome that

It's sad. I guess it really is more important to beat down other Democratic candidates, and what their supporters think doesn't matter. Taking the country back to the voice of the people. Yeah, right. Only if the voice is their voice.

[hellhathnofury]

92. Pot kettle black.

[Exgeneral]

55. It seems we're convinced that whoever the dem nominee is

he's going to hand * his ass on a plate.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

64. I don't agree

for example, in this poll, as of the time of this writing, only 39% think Kerry would lose, and I think it is a pretty safe bet that some of those votes were cast just to make Kerry look bad.

61% thinking he can win, here where he's probably be the subject of more attacks than anywhere else this side of freerepublic, today when everyone is pumping for their own candidate, is pretty good IMHO.

[gauguin57]

105. we need to move on

I think we need to move on from the Iraq war vote. Unfortunately, we're already IN Iraq. Now we have to talk about how we're going to get out -- and fix the economy -- and make us safer -- and save the environment -- and shore up Social Security -- etc.

Dean can't win soley on his opposition to the war; Kerry shouldn't lose solely because he initially voted for it. I'm not thrilled with those who voted for the war resolution, but we were all being lied to by the administration. I have more than one die-hard Democratic friend who was initially taken in by the WMD/al-Qaeda link thing.

If Kerry is the nominee, I believe he has a chance to win. It'll be an uphill battle with any Dem, but I believe he has a chance.

[0rganism]

97. When's the last time a senator unseated an incumbent president?

Not that it hasn't been tried before...

I think, if Kerry is the nominee, historical induction is NOT on our side. Kerry's going to be seriously hurting for funds, hell, he already took out a second mortgage on his house. This, compared to over $250 million for bush?

I'm sorry to say it, but bush* will mop the floor with Kerry. And that will be a double shame, as not only will the pigfucker get a second term, he'll be doing it over the reputation of a decorated war hero and sincere liberal. bush's victory will be seen as a route for all we hold dear, and a mandate for further destruction.

Come to think of it, I wish Sen. Kerry were not running for the nomination at all. He puts too much on the line, without a strong chance of success.

[ACPS65]

116. JFK, another veteran from MA.

=)

[PAMod]

119. Senator Benjamin Harrison defeated President Grover Cleveland in 1888...

and he won in the electoral college but lost the popular vote. JFK beat Richard Nixon, who was the incumbent Vice President in 1960.

Incidentally, since Harrison's historic victory in 1888, only Sen. McKinley, Sen. Harding and Sen. Kennedy have been elected President.

That's not to say that Kerry couldn't do it. If he is up to digging himself out of the hole he was in, he's up to going all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

[saltpoint]

128. Ah heck, let's give the boy a chance.

I ran into Bill Weld the other day in the coffee shop and told him what you thought about Bush mopping the floor with John Kerry. Weld looked haggard. World-weary. I told him what you said, speaking slowly and softly so as not to disrupt his fragile equilibrium.

Weld went pale. He blanched like a frog's belly. Then he leaned over close and whispered conspiratorially, "Let me tell you something, buddy. John Kerry'll kick anybody's ass. Especially Bush's."

Then he fell into a stuporous calm and just stared into his coffee, the steam cobra-dancing into his face like a premonition.

===

Bush is losing ground this week, even though nasty ol' Saddam is captured and the attacks on Coalition forces have diminished somewhat. Voters know that they've been had on Iraq and will blame Bush for the 400 + deaths. Bush is no Truman. And he is very vulnerable to any Democrat on foreign policy. The economy is better than it was but by no means strong. There're no jobs in Michigan and NE Ohio. Kerry is likely to point these things out.

Kerry contests & wins Florida. Kerry contests and carries Ohio. No other Gore state turns red. The election is over. Democrats win.

[Melinda]

113. Senator Kerry will clean the pretenders clock.

My spirit can't (and my heart won't) consider any other possibility. End of story. :shrug:

[bearfartinthewoods]

144. my spirit might agree with you but then my mind remembers

this MAP. tell me how we win without the south?

THE LAST TIME WE WON WITHOUT A SOUTHERNER ON THE TICKET WAS ROOSEVELT

[jsw_81]

117. Hate to say it, but I think Bush would win

The old "Massachusetts liberal" line would really hurt, especially when you consider that Kerry served under Dukakis.

[JNelson6563]

120. As a Dean supporter I vote Kerry

I think any of our candidates can kick the crap out of Bush ('cept Lieberman who'd be too busy "pleasuring" him).

Julie

[TLM]

121. I think Kerry could beat Bush... but it would be CLOSE

too close, and maybe close enough for more shit like we saw in 2000.

[Renew Deal]

126. I'd bust my ass for Kerry

He's my #2.

[saltpoint]

129. Provocative post, Eric J -- and timely, too.

I voted 'Kerry' in your poll. I'm not afraid of the "liberal" label for our candidates, especially when it's Bush who has ballooned the deficit and is going wild with spending. The old Liberals Are Loose with Money line just isn't going to sell for the Republicans this year. And not 3 days ago he wants billions more for Mars.

I think Kerry is a more nimble and more likeable candidate than Gore. Plus, Bush is historically asterisked -- he lost the popular vote to Gore and he has never had a mandate. His numbers spiked after 9-11 but not for anything he did prior to 9-11. And since then, they've gone generally back to where they were on September 10th of that year. His re-elect numbers are iffy.

Kerry takes New Hampshire away from the GOP with Jeanne Shaheen's help. Plus, New Hampshire Republicans are an independent bunch and have gone for Buchanan over Dole and McCain over Dubya in recent years. Gore almost won NH last time.

Kerry takes New Hampshire. He reclaims West Virginia (especially if Jay Rockefeller is our VP nominee). And NE Ohio is hurting badly for lack of jobs -- I think Kerry dumps some cash into Ohio and steals it right back from Bush.

The electoral college trumps Rove's "liberal" smears.

Democrats win. Democrats win. Democrats win.

[NoPasaran]

142. I say Kerry

And I would say the same for any of our candidates except Sharpton.
Come on folks, Booosh is a vile scumbag. Everybody we have is better than he is in every way. How can we not believe that we will win if we all work for that victory?