Rate Kerry's Campaign

[J. J.]

I actually was kind of impressed by Mrs. Edwards.  She seem pretty solid (and might have made a better VP candidate that ] J. Danforth Edwards). 

The two people Thersa Hienz Kerry reminded me of were Betty Ford and Kitty Dukakis (both prior to treatment).  I think that there might be something there.

I didn't like Laura Bush, at first, but she grows on you.

[J. J.]

I will note that Elizabeth Edwards has just been diagonsed with breast cancer.  I will also point out that she delayed the tests until after the election.  I hope that the delay has not put her health in greater danger and that this is another example of her being solid.  That is admirable.

[RomneyGekko Situation Hairgel]

Kerry: C-
Bush/Rove: A

This should have been a slam dunk for Kerry or any Democrat for that matter.  He managed to sway my mother who said in April of 2004 "You can not vote for Bush" to actually voting for the snickering asshole.  Rove sold us garbage water and called it Crystalr meanwhile Kerry should have pounded Bush on the economy and couldn't.  Kerry playing on his war record bit him hard in the ass.  People that actually voted for Bush wanted him out.  How ironic.  The fact that we picked a Boston Brahmin with no charisma or Senate record was a recipe for disaster.  My picks for thsi should have been Wesley Clark or Howard Dean.   

[Grad Students are the Worst]

Who are the MSM?

MSM is short for "mainstream media."

[shankbear]

the rating game???  O for over.

[MAS117]

The fact is that Karl Rove is a genious, hes brilliant, hes an evil genious. The fact that Kerry had 45 million left raises questions.

[GoldenSt8r]

Kerry often said that he was running his campaign the same way he drove his swift boat, meaning he'd just go head on at full speed into the problem.  He thought he could hit Dubya's strengths.  Maybe that works in combat, but it doesn't work in speeches and sound bites.  Sometimes he would say the most blatantly untruthful things that would leave your mouth wide open going "Huh?".  For instance, I remember one time Kerry saying "Geooooooorge Bush was soft on terrorism.  When I'm President I'm going to use all the resources available to hunt down every terrorist.''  Even Democrats had to be muttering to themselves "George Bush was soft on terrorism? Really?"  It just didn't jive with reality.  Tearing down the best qualities of the President was strategically unwise. 

Then there's the "dork factor".  Kerry got himself into so many predicaments that caused people to laugh at him.  (the bunny suit, waving those corn cobs out the bus window in Iowa, his various sports costumes, hugging John Edwards to death)  Go to FootballFansForTruth.com and look at all the dorky poses that were splashed on the front pages.  Embarrassing!

Well, there's more, but I'm tired of thinking about Kerry at the moment.

[Reaganfan]

E
The voting for it before against it. The filp-flops. Running up on stage holding two fists in the air...not exactly "exciting".

But, forget all that. I think what hurt him was to things. The OSAMA TAPE, and THE WEAPONS STORY. Just like the DUI almost sunk Bush, these things sunk Kerry.

[danwxman]

E
The voting for it before against it. The filp-flops. Running up on stage holding two fists in the air...not exactly "exciting".

But, forget all that. I think what hurt him was to things. The OSAMA TAPE, and THE WEAPONS STORY. Just like the DUI almost sunk Bush, these things sunk Kerry.

The weapons story didn't have any effect...if any it might have hurt Bush some.

The Osama tape...hmm...so you think Osama really put out that tape to help Bush? I agree.

But anyway, Kerry's campaign gets an F for Failure, obviously.

[A18]

Yes, Osama threatened to attack states that vote for Bush in order to help him.

Some of these people need mental help.

[danwxman]

Yes, Osama threatened to attack states that vote for Bush in order to help him.

Some of these people need mental help.

Maybe...do you really think he thought people would listen to him, or do just the opposite?

[ATFFL]

Yes, Osama threatened to attack states that vote for Bush in order to help him.

Some of these people need mental help.

Maybe...do you really think he thought people would listen to him, or do just the opposite?

It didn't matter what he said, what mattered is that he sent a tape, not a Madrid style bombing. 

[Gustaf]

Somewhere between B and C. Voted B here to be nice.

I would distinguish Kerry the candidate from his campaign. Considering his weaknesses as a candidate and the way they lost the PV you have to give him some credit for coming as close as he did.

[dazzleman]

The problem was not so much his campaign, per se, but some of the actions he took and statements that he made that boxed in the ability of the campaign to send out a clear message, especially on national security.

His Iraq position was all over the boards, and there's not that much the campaign could have done about it.  He flip-flopped on his support of the war and on the $87 billion appropriation for the troops, and the campaign itself could not correct this.  Kerry was in a catch-22 of having to either (a) firmly repudidate past positions on issues (such as his vote for the war) in order to have a clear message, but appear even more of a flip-flopper; or (b) try to argue, falsely, as he did, that there was some type of consistency among his positions.

Adding to the problem was his past anti-defense voting record going all the way back to his first days as senator.

There wasn't much the campaign could do to get around these issues, which were created by the candidate himself.

[King]

Bush: B+
Kerry: D-

2004 along with 1988, 1972, and 1960 was a campaign where the winner could have easily been defeated, but the opposition instead spoonfed the election to him.

[Hitchabrut]

D

The only reason Kerry wasn't crushed was an overwhelming hatred for Bush. The ratings shouldn't be based on his % of the vote or his debate performance, but think. What if Bush had avoided Iraq, spent less for that reason, and Kerry ran. It would have been 1984 revisited.