Campaign Report Card

[The Vorlon]

This from CBS

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/17/politics/main644201.shtml

Independant experts have not been able to authenticate this story.

Questions remain.

[© tweed]

I'd Give Kerry's campaign a D.  Bush's gets a B.*

Assuming Bush had something to do with the CBS forgeries.  Otherwise, He gets a C.

[zachman]

I agree with this article, all the critic's views were a little too cohesive.

[MODU]

With Donna Brazile giving Bush an A, that says a lot.

[John]

I give Bush An A
Kerry: F

[The Vorlon]

With Donna Brazile giving Bush an A, that says a lot.

I really respect Donna Brazile.

In 2000 in terms of "get out the vote" she just flat out butt kicked Karl Rove's behind all over the map. - The Dems just killed the GOP in GOTV - it wasn't even close

Brazille almost cerrtainly "stole" Oregon, Wisconsin, New Mexico, and maybe even Minnesota "on the ground" from Bush.

If Gore had kept his money in Ohio the last 3 weeks instead of diverting it all to Florida, Gore would likely have won Ohio too.

[CARLHAYDEN]

With Donna Brazile giving Bush an A, that says a lot.

I really respect Donna Brazile.

In 2000 in terms of "get out the vote" she just flat out butt kicked Karl Rove's behind all over the map. - The Dems just killed the GOP in GOTV - it wasn't even close

Brazille almost cerrtainly "stole" Oregon, Wisconsin, New Mexico, and maybe even Minnesota "on the ground" from Bush.

If Gore had kept his money in Ohio the last 3 weeks instead of diverting it all to Florida, Gore would likely have won Ohio too.

I really agree with you that the Gore campaign did an incredible job of turnout, particularly in Pennsylvania.  Much better than the Bush campaign in 2000.

While Donna certainly deserves much of the credit, Ed Rendell also did a lot, particularly in Pennsylvania.

This year, Bush appears to have a better GOTV effort than Kerry.

BTW, if the reports by CBS are accurate, I think they're too generous.

The Bush campaign has done a good job, a sold B.

The Kerry campaign did a very good job in the first three months of the year, then it crumbled.  So, an A for the first quarter, a C for the second quarter, and a D (so far) for the third quarter.

[Shira]

Gore in 2004 would have done a better job than in 2000 and a better job than Kerry in 2004.

He was and he is explicitly and directly against the war and unlike Kerry he does not use an abigious language on this issue.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

LOL, even CBS is pro-Bush. Some liberal media.

[AuH2O]

I'm drunk, but:

Bush: B

Kerry: C-

I would rate Kerry lower... but how exactly are you supposed to retail a crappy product?

[Citizen James]

Hey, c'mon.  They gave the swift boats nonsense a free ride, then glossed over the questionable reliablity (Individuals who weren't there, the author having told Nixon that he was in Cambodia then accusing himself of lying because it now contradicted his current fabrication, and quite a few more major inconsistancies), and yet nobody is blaming this on the Bush campaign nor insinuating their campaign was about to crumble.

If news orginizations reported facts straight up rather than rumor and inuendo the race would be too dull to get good ratings.  We can't have that now can we?

[Shira]

Practically, we can start dicussing the 2008 elections.

[Lunar]

LOL, even CBS is pro-Bush. Some liberal media.

So you would prefer a "centrist" alternative like this?

1) CBS decides to ask a bunch of campaign strategists to rate the candidate's campaigns
2) Campaign strategists think Bush is doing a better job
3) This won't do, refuse to show the story that you paid money for.

Anyway, I liked the analysis.  Most of it was objective (which is why Brazille gave Bush a higher score) and good.

[Monty]

In 2000 in terms of "get out the vote" she just flat out butt kicked Karl Rove's behind all over the map. - The Dems just killed the GOP in GOTV - it wasn't even close

Brazille almost cerrtainly "stole" Oregon, Wisconsin, New Mexico, and maybe even Minnesota "on the ground" from Bush.

You make it sound as if people are completely oblivious to the fact that there was a presidential election going on, as if it the whole thing is just an elaborate sheep-herding contest we hold every four years.

Seriously, if four years of political news, advertisements, speeches, debates, etc. aren't enough to get me to vote, how the heck is a flyer on my car, a phone call from a stranger, or some junk mail going to get me out to the polls?  How many items have you bought because you got a flyer on your car or a telemarketer called you in the middle of your dinner?  What's my motivation for voting?  Do I have a sudden urge to burn some gas and stand in line for 10 mintues because you knocked on my door on November 2?    

[ATFFL]

In 2000 in terms of "get out the vote" she just flat out butt kicked Karl Rove's behind all over the map. - The Dems just killed the GOP in GOTV - it wasn't even close

Brazille almost cerrtainly "stole" Oregon, Wisconsin, New Mexico, and maybe even Minnesota "on the ground" from Bush.

You make it sound as if people are completely oblivious to the fact that there was a presidential election going on, as if it the whole thing is just an elaborate sheep-herding contest we hold every four years.

Seriously, if four years of political news, advertisements, speeches, debates, etc. aren't enough to get me to vote, how the heck is a flyer on my car, a phone call from a stranger, or some junk mail going to get me out to the polls?  How many items have you bought because you got a flyer on your car or a telemarketer called you in the middle of your dinner?  What's my motivation for voting?  Do I have a sudden urge to burn some gas and stand in line for 10 mintues because you knocked on my door on November 2?    

Flyer on your car?  Call during dinner?

A proper GOTV effort visits neighborhoods with vans and offers rides to and from the polling place.  A huge effort might even have busses running in some neighborhoods.  They offer brief day care for the kids while the parents go to vote.

[CARLHAYDEN]

Actually, one of the key methods of GOTV is early (what used to be called absentee) voting.

Have heard little discussion of this technique lately.

It can be critical.  

Just ask Gov. Bradley (California).  lol

[Jake]

Kerry C-
Terrible convention, didn't respond to swift boat stuff.
Lately he has picked it up and I think has done better.

Bush B+
Great convention, but since then hasn't done the smartest things.  He has campaigned way to much.  He should spend as much time being presidential as he does campaigning.

[Lunar]

Bush B+
Great convention, but since then hasn't done the smartest things.  He has campaigned way to much.  He should spend as much time being presidential as he does campaigning.

Indeed.  It's good publicity to make news by signing new treaties in other countries and whatnot.

[NHPolitico]

Donna should have been made DNC Chair.

[Akno21]

Bush: A-
Kerry: D+

The last four years have been so gosh darn miserable it can't be that hard for Kerry to win! Credit to Karl Rove and the GOP attack machine.

[ToomeyforPres]

Kerry F, Bush A.  How else could Bush be ahead by 11?

[zorkpolitics]

Bush B+:  If he put more emphasis on the Ownership Society and his domestic vision for the future he would get an A

Kerry C-: He wasted his convention on Vietnam, pushed his campaign into that quagmire, and has done nothing to connect with the swing voters on a personal level.  He has failed to give a reason to vote for him: the biggest reason people support him is only because he is not Bush.

[zachman]

Just compare what they did in MO- Bush hit a few places in MO drawing huge crowds and sounding like a fiery preacher.  Kerry had a meeting with seniors in the morning before leaving for another state IIRC, and Kerry had Jesse Jackson with him.  Kerry spent most of time slicing up Bush personally and not saying what he would do as President.

In most states, it has been just the opposite. It hasn't been until recently that Bush has chosen big audiences instead of predetermined businesses.

[struct310]

Bush B+
He got off to a rocky start and ignored ridiculous charges by Joe Wilson and the "16 words controversy" that dogged his campaign.  Bush should have denounced these charges as they appeared.  And democrats ate this up.
Then jobs started to appear again and Bush took the high road until democrats successfully suppressed the ability of Americans to see that massive job gains were being made.
Then Abu Gharib hit and democrats successfully attempted to shadow the issue on Bush, who as with the Joe Wilson scandal, ignored.
After Abu Gharib subsided Bush started his "turn the corner" speeches which was torn to shreds and kept eating at Bush for a while.  Then there was the DNC, a fake, yet stylized convention touting John Kerry as a war hero.  All of the democratic advantage was eaten by the swift boat vets and Bush began leading into the RNC.  
The RNC was a huge success and finally got Bush on a big agenda "the ownership society" which is the most philosophical agenda we have seen in a while.  And one I think he needs to milk as much as possible because it is the utmost contrast to a Kerry society.
Flip this diagnosis around and get John Kerrys grade of C-.