Which issue will hurt J.Kerry the most?

[Gustaf]

If I was Kerry I would worry about it. Stamping your medals into the dirt and hanging with Hanoi Jane. Something to be real proud of. I'm not worried though Bush will be re-elected, Democrats senators are saying that too! LoL What hope for the Democrats this year. Sen. Zel Miller and Dick Morris both were saying Kerry is a weak candidate and is going to get hammered on the National Security front. John "Walter Mondale" Kerry will lose, Bush will win 58% etch it.

58% is pretty unlikely. I doubt Bush gets more than a 10% victory margin. Kerry could even win, if he's lucky...

[Wakie]

If I was Kerry I would worry about it. Stamping your medals into the dirt and hanging with Hanoi Jane. Something to be real proud of. I'm not worried though Bush will be re-elected, Democrats senators are saying that too! LoL What hope for the Democrats this year. Sen. Zel Miller and Dick Morris both were saying Kerry is a weak candidate and is going to get hammered on the National Security front. John "Walter Mondale" Kerry will lose, Bush will win 58% etch it.

Where is there something about him "stamping his medals into the dirt"??

And just happening to be in the same place as Jane Fonda certainly isn't political kryptonite.  It didn't hurt Ronald Reagan to have been at the Academy Awards with her back in the 1960's.

Zell Miller (who is campaigning for Bush) is the only Democratic Senator I've heard say Kerry is weak.  But, since he is campaigning for Bush, you would expect him to say that of anyone.

I think you are grossly underestimating Kerry.  Sure, you can attribute the Post-New Hampshire wins to momentum, but he came from far back to win Iowa.  But, for the purposes of this topic this is incidental.

All candidates have flaws ... but a random 30 yr old photo which shows you 4 rows behind someone is hardly troubling.  Heck, 30 yrs ago Bush was a practicing alcoholic.  There's a 15 yr old photo of Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam Hussein.  I have a hard time with people who are so desperate for a scandal that they scramble for something as flimsy as this photo.

[??????????]

I'm just slamming Democrats back for their slamming of Bushs' military service. They accuse him of going AWOL and etc. But no one says "Hey that was 30 years ago". IMHO military service does not amount to a good presidency. And I'll use the Democrats hero FDR as a shining example of a Non-Veteran who was a successful president.

[dunn]

I'm just slamming Democrats back for their slamming of Bushs' military service. They accuse him of going AWOL and etc. But no one says "Hey that was 30 years ago". IMHO military service does not amount to a good presidency. And I'll use the Democrats hero FDR as a shining example of a Non-Veteran who was a successful president.

the problem is not that. it's when the law demand you to go - and the ordinary folks do - and you use your family conections not to go to Vietnam but to be in Tn or wherever. And Clinton was worse then Bush in that sense

   

[Wakie]

I'm just slamming Democrats back for their slamming of Bushs' military service. They accuse him of going AWOL and etc. But no one says "Hey that was 30 years ago". IMHO military service does not amount to a good presidency. And I'll use the Democrats hero FDR as a shining example of a Non-Veteran who was a successful president.

I completely agree that military service does not equal a good Presidency.  But the reason the Democrats are slamming Bush on it is because in '88, '92, and '96 the Republicans slammed Dukakis and Clinton for not having a military record.  Now the Democrats have the high-ground on the issue and are using it just like the Republicans did.

It's all part of the game.

[??????????]

Ok, here's my question. If you were rich and had a lot of power and influence would you want your son sent to the front lines of a war? Did you know JFK was kept back from the front lines by his father begging FDR to keep him back. Yes, I do know about the PT-109 incident, but where it occured was considered a out of the way area of the South Pacific. I dont blame any person of power for keeping their child out of harms way. If I had money and influence I sure would.

[dunn]

Ok, here's my question. If you were rich and had a lot of power and influence would you want your son sent to the front lines of a war? Did you know JFK was kept back from the front lines by his father begging FDR to keep him back. Yes, I do know about the PT-109 incident, but where it occured was considered a out of the way area of the South Pacific. I dont blame any person of power for keeping their child out of harms way. If I had money and influence I sure would.

well I know it worked like this. but I expect a leader not to see himself above the people. I do not like Kerry but he went and serve and came back and said what he think about the war.

And my friend I served in an Army and in a war.  

[dunn]

Ok, here's my question. If you were rich and had a lot of power and influence would you want your son sent to the front lines of a war? Did you know JFK was kept back from the front lines by his father begging FDR to keep him back. Yes, I do know about the PT-109 incident, but where it occured was considered a out of the way area of the South Pacific. I dont blame any person of power for keeping their child out of harms way. If I had money and influence I sure would.

One more thing. JFK older brother died in the war  as you know, say what you want about Joseph Kennedy sr, he srnt his boys to serve.

and another fact you might do not know: TR's son, a general, died on D day.

a true leader educate his children in his ways. like TR

[Gustaf]

Ok, here's my question. If you were rich and had a lot of power and influence would you want your son sent to the front lines of a war? Did you know JFK was kept back from the front lines by his father begging FDR to keep him back. Yes, I do know about the PT-109 incident, but where it occured was considered a out of the way area of the South Pacific. I dont blame any person of power for keeping their child out of harms way. If I had money and influence I sure would.

well I know it worked like this. but I expect a leader not to see himself above the people. I do not like Kerry but he went and serve and came back and said what he think about the war.

And my friend I served in an Army and in a war.  

What war, since I don't know how old you are?

[dunn]

I was 39 last October

Lebanon

[Gustaf]

I was 39 last October

Lebanon

OK. The 1982 one?

[Huckleberry Finn]

Why there is no "questionable military voting record" on the list? I think that it is Kerry's weak point. He has voted against major military programs like F-16 and F-15 fighters, Bradley vehicle, Abrams tank etc. Sounds really stupid.

Did he vote against whole programs or only against some increase? And when those votings took place? During the Cold War?!

And what is this noise about Kerry and Jane Fonda?? Please can somebody explain?

[opebo]

Why there is no "questionable military voting record" on the list? I think that it is Kerry's weak point. He has voted against major military programs like F-16 and F-15 fighters, Bradley vehicle, Abrams tank etc. Sounds really stupid.

Did he vote against whole programs or only against some increase? And when those votings took place? During the Cold War?!

And what is this noise about Kerry and Jane Fonda?? Please can somebody explain?

Kerry and Fonda shared the same anti-american, anti-war, pro-communist, defeatist political movement.  Something to do with 'Veteran's Against the War'.  In Fonda's case it was less shameful because she was only betraying her country, not her fellow soldiers.  Kerry even went so far as to claim his 'brothers' where raping, abusing, and murdering Vietnamese.  

[Gustaf]

Why there is no "questionable military voting record" on the list? I think that it is Kerry's weak point. He has voted against major military programs like F-16 and F-15 fighters, Bradley vehicle, Abrams tank etc. Sounds really stupid.

Did he vote against whole programs or only against some increase? And when those votings took place? During the Cold War?!

And what is this noise about Kerry and Jane Fonda?? Please can somebody explain?

Kerry and Fonda shared the same anti-american, anti-war, pro-communist, defeatist political movement.  Something to do with 'Veteran's Against the War'.  In Fonda's case it was less shameful because she was only betraying her country, not her fellow soldiers.  Kerry even went so far as to claim his 'brothers' where raping, abusing, and murdering Vietnamese.  

And all of them weren't?

[Huckleberry Finn]

Gay Marriage will hurt him most..  but it wasn't on the list.

Are you really serious? Is this Republicans' big gun? I think gay marriage will hurt Bush more.

[Gustaf]

Gay Marriage will hurt him most..  but it wasn't on the list.

Are you really serious? Is this Republicans' big gun? I think gay marriage will hurt Bush more.

NOt as long as most Americans oppose gay marriage.

[opebo]

Gay Marriage will hurt him most..  but it wasn't on the list.

Are you really serious? Is this Republicans' big gun? I think gay marriage will hurt Bush more.

I'm serious - Gay marriage and all it says about the culture war is going to swing this close election to Bush.

[dunn]

I was 39 last October

Lebanon

OK. The 1982 one?

yeah. it was acctually 82-85

[Gustaf]

I was 39 last October

Lebanon

OK. The 1982 one?

yeah. it was acctually 82-85

OK.

[dazzleman]

Gustaf,

As someone who has lived in both places, I can tell you that the North is perhaps more anti-South than vice versa...they just do it in a more subtle, condescending fashion.

I agree completely.  Northeasterns love to pat themselves on the back for their presumed cultural and intellectual superiority over southerners, and southerners pick up on this condescension.  Howard Dean positively reeked of it, and John Kerry will probably have a hard time suppressing it.

[zachman]

You probably are right about the southern voter, but the gay marriage issue will get progressively worse for Bush in this election- especially in attrcting independents. Seeing smiling crying gays on TV, will reduce the opposition to gay marriage, and the issue will become near-even by the election.

[Huckleberry Finn]

You probably are right about the southern voter, but the gay marriage issue will get progressively worse for Bush in this election- especially in attrcting independents. Seeing smiling crying gays on TV, will reduce the opposition to gay marriage, and the issue will become near-even by the election.

Exactly. I think that most moderate swing voters don't see gay marriage as top issue. Those who do will vote for Bush (or independent right wing candidate!) anyway.

[??????????]

Kerry is going to get slammed on his constant flip flopping of opinions and  his voting record. I'm sorry Democrats, I dont think this year is your year.

[12th Doctor]

I voted Northeasterner, but I would have to say that the image of an insider and a constant flip-flopper on the issues will hurt him BIG esspecially amoung Independents.  He has been on all sides of every major issue.

Interestingly enough.  I have been home in Reynoldsville for the past week now.  I've been talking to a number of people that I haven't talked to since before Iowa and asking them about who they support in the election.  Many people who swore that they wouldn't vote for Bush back at Christmas time now say that they will NEVER vote for Kerry and will probably end up voting for Bush.  These people range accross the board from Republican's who felt un-easy about the president in December, to independents, to luke-warm Democrats and EVEN a guy who voted for Gore, Clinton twice and DUKAKAS!!!!!  I was privilaged to read in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review last Sunday that this is not an isolated phenomina and seems to be the case around Pittsburgh, in eastern and southern Ohio and in West Virginia as well.

I must say, though I can only report having observed this personally in my small town, this is a BIG deal.  The shift is dramatic.

[??????????]

The Kerry massacre is begining. I feel sorry for how humiliated the Democrats are going to be come January 20th.