Hardball: Kerry "cuddly factor".....

[onecitizen]

Chris just went after Kerry supporter re: Kerry does not have the "cuddly factor". I've kind of worried about that myself. Until I saw a clip of him at a Kindergarten class. He was talking to the kids. One little girl asked could she give Kerry a hug. He said sure. This little girl and alot of other little girls came on stage with him, all throwing their arms around his neck while he tries to keep from falling. You can hear him say: oh I'm sooo luckeeeeeee!!! It was adorable. It changed my mind about his lack of the "cuddly factor". This bit should be used in a commercial. It made him seem like a really,really great guy.

And while I'm at it: every time bush says flip-flop, Kerry should say bait n switch! This pres is absolutely the biggest bait n switch pres ever! IMO, bait n switch is criminal, while flip flop represents a change of mind after doing some more research on the subject.

[Lefty Pragmatist]

1. Bait N Switch

That really is about the size of it.

Education, Tax Cuts, the War... Bush sells it as one thing but has in mind something 180 degrees different.

[JI7]

2. kids are some o f kerry's biggest supporters

even though they can't vote. they love him and help him keep going no matter how bad things may look.

[lancdem]

3. I think Kerry is a lot more personable than he's given credit for

but I also don't believe "cuddliness" is all that important in this election, because there are so many serious issues voters want a serious president.

[Sparkly]

10. You said it for me!

I was about to say the same thing, basically. Kerry's no robot -- I loved his 'hair as a flotation device' remark today. But the main question is, When did people decide presidents needed to be cuddly?

[GalleryGod]

20. As Bill Mahrer,Said, "Nobody's asking you to SLEEP with him"

When? When Cable Punditocracy came along with their Big Bucks!

[belle]

43. Don't think "cuddly" is necessary. "Human" is what people really mean.

Which I think Kerry abundantly is.

and i mean: is *Bush* cuddly?? the pics of him holding babies have him looking like he thinks it's a football and the baby looking like "get this weird drunk away from me"

[mzmolly]

4. Bait N Switch, I like it!

[Catfight]

5. Bait and Switch is excellent...send it to the Kerry website...Bush

is a used car salesman...he promises America the prize car and then takes us to the back lot to switch us to crap no one wants.

[onecitizen]

8. Used car salesman hehe.........

I was thinking they are a "five and dime" administration. I went to Kerry's board and posted this Bait n Switch thing. We'll see.

Thanx for all the replies guys!

[liberalitch]

28. Not putting down used car sales men....

they actually MAY do some good.

[sandnsea]

6. Not bin laden, zarqawi

I'm listening to it right now on the news. Not bin laden anymore, zarqawi is who we're after and wouldn't you know, he's attacking in Iraq. They're just going on and on and on. I immediately thought of your bait and switch post. Goddamn stupid fucking bastards, they just keep repeating anything this administration puts out.

[onecitizen]

9. Oh it's not OBL now huh?

Bait n Switch!!! Bait n Switch! See what I mean?

[grannyfran]

7. Please -- Like * is really cuddly?

EEWWWW! I'd be afraid I'd get fleas.

[WI_DEM]

11. Tweety should talk!!

he is as cuddly as a boa constricter.

[onecitizen]

12. hehehe.......

I know what ya mean.

[John_H]

13. Kerry's people need to be much more agressive

Holt gave Devine about ten chances to hit back, and Devine just wouldn't or couldn't. Why on earth not? Who knows, but it's getting alarming.

[rhino47]

14. Kick

bait and switch lol good one.

[elperromagico]

15. Saw this wonderful clip today of Kerry with a baby.

The baby was apparently fascinated by some flashing lights from inside one of Kerry's campaign vans. So Kerry was holding the baby and showing him/her the origin of the flashing lights. His manner with the baby was very gentle, warm, and endearing. It was a sweet moment, and it put a big smile on my face.

[MajorFlaw]

27. Kerry always seems to do well with children and animals. Let's

not ignore the possibility that John Kerry is just a decent, warm, friendly guy who only looks a bit stiff when speaking. He's obviously a more substantive and serious man than shrub, I find it easy to believe that he's also a real guy. We expect all candidates to be preprocessed and don't know what to do when we get the real thing. Pity.

[Larkspur]

34. Real guys don't live in 5 mansions

Kerry is no regular guy. The girl on his knee probably fell asleep listening to Kerry's monotonous voice. Children fall asleep easily.

[MajorFlaw]

44. Kerry is much more "real" than shrub. He works well with others,

he has worked to level the playing field for all, rather than taking advantage of his wealth to increase his wealth. People of modest finances do not get nominated for or elected president. I still don't get the Repug attitude towards inherited wealth. If a Repug, let's call him shrub, is born with his/her financial future assured, that is normal. But if a Dem is born wealthy, something must be wrong with him/her. I don't care if Kerry owns 365 houses and sleeps in a different one each night, he's still more "real" and "regular" than the guy who uses a pig farm as a prop.

Oh, and "real" guys don't use family connections to evade the draft. The only unusual thing I find about Kerry is that he chose to risk getting his ass blown off when he could have avoided it like the rest of the chickenhawks.

[Larkspur]

45. I never said Bush was a real guy either

Neither Kerry nor Bush are real guys. They're both phonies.

[JI7]

46. the phony is the sucky candidate you support

who claimed to be the only candidate against war. the one who attacked kerry for being a washington insider and voting for iwr and no child left behind and right after that introducing tom harkin as being unlike john kerry even though tom harkin had been in the senate just as long as kerry had been and tom harkin had also voted for iwr and no child left behind.

[cally]

16. I love that clip of Kerry at the Kindergarten

He walks in and the kids say "You are so tall!" and "Can you touch the ceiling?" Kerry reaches up and all the kids giggle. Then the children hug him. Kerry seemed to just enjoy it and seems very comfortable. I think he is cuddly. Who would want to hug *?

[juajen]

17. I totally agree

He is wonderful with children. His shots with them show his compassion and charm wonderfully. They should show these shots more often. He's a natural; amazingly Clinton-like with the little ones. He has a genuine, sweet smile, it seems, whenever he encounters them. I would like to know how hands-on he was with his children. So far, I am more and more impressed with our candidate. GO KERRY!

[onecitizen]

25. Yeah right........

but it just isn't getting out there. Do I think this is the most important issue for a candidate? No. But it helps if the people see him as a good guy......like they see...ugh...bush for some reason. I never saw it but alot of others think he's a great guy. Go figure!

[DemocraticEnigma]

18. I concur

Cuddly factor aside, I think Kerry is a lot more personable than he's given credit for. I remember watching the Cspan town hall meetings and in particular at the end, Kerry would mingle with the crowd extremely well--shaking hands, patting backs, giving hugs, etc. Compared to other candidates, including even Edwards, he seemed at ease with the crowd and seemed genuinely able to connect. The problem is, he's been painted as "aloof" and "stiff" from the beginning, so no matter what the reality is, people are going to keep believing that.

[Philostopher]

41. You're right -- and mingling is something Shrubbie doesn't do well.

Because he's paranoid and they're afraid he'll be in danger from people who actually can't stand him. Even when W* does it, he seems stiff and uneasy -- even with a hand-picked crowd of Republican big-money contributors. I can't imagine him just wading into a crowd of 'the great unwashed' like Clinton used to.

One of the most effective photo-ops Clinton did when campaigning, lo these many years ago, was to do that -- wade out into a crowd of total strangers and start shaking hands and talking to people. I've seen a few photos of Kerry doing this, and he actually looks much more easy at it than he does at a podium. There's something almost subliminal about showing a campaigner making connections with people at ground-level. It worked well for Clinton and I think it could work well for Kerry.

Of course, this may not be the campaign's or candidate's fault -- he may be doing lots of 'kissing hands and shaking babies' events -- it just may be that the only things making it through the media filter are those 'necktie and football in the parking lot' shots. They're clever, but come on -- how many times do I have to see John Kerry catch a f*cking football, guys? I know, I know, I get the message -- he's vital! He's athletic! Sheesh...

[Andromeda]

19. That's really good -- "bail and switch"

nothing wrong with flip-flopping. Shows you're not rigid -- like Bush. Kerry is an intelligent man and knows that sometimes you have to change your position on certain issues. Every thinking person does it, except the Chimp, but then he's not a thinking person.

[cindyw]

21. Try these

[spooky3]

22. I love that one with the little girl leaning on his knee.

I agree, these should be part of the macho ads, to show all sides of the guy.

[JI7]

24. i love that also

[KittyWampus]

33. That Little Girl Did That Spontaneously, Kids Can Just Tell

when someone has an open heart... so can animals.

[onecitizen]

26. Oh I love these!!

Esp. the B&W one.

[Lavender Brown]

23. the intelligence factor means more to me

But yeah, I wish some people would see Kerry as more likeable than he is made out to be. He DOES have charisma, as opposed to Bush, who gives you a slimy feeling just looking at him.

[DinahMoeHum]

29. I don't give a f**k about "cuddly" in a POTUS.

In a real crisis, who would you rather look to for leadership? a real war veteran or someone who shirked responsibility all his life ??

Leave this "cuddly" shit to entertainers.

[Larkspur]

30. When I was 10 years old, I liked the Adams Family and their butler Lurch

but never wanted to hug Lurch. I did want to shake hands with Thing, though.

[West Coast Democrat]

31. Monica just wanted to "cuddle" with Bill all the time

what a cuddly president he was.

[cestmoi]

32. hahahahaha. Thanx for the laugh:)

[Comicstripper]

35. Kuddles For President

Lincoln was far from cuddly. Granted, that was before the days of television and PR (anyone familiar with Bob Newhart's "Abraham Lincoln PR" sketch?), but even so, people find him very presidential. And he is. I think that dignity he's got makes up for a lack of dimples.

[West Coast Democrat]

36. Maybe Kerry could start campaigning with a puppy dog at his side!

What do you think?

[Larkspur]

39. Good idea!

Maybe it will pee on his leg.

[Sparkly]

40. Larkspur, we all know you dislike Kerry

What good are the gratuitous insults?

[TexasSissy]

37. Kerry has two devoted daughters who seem like great people.

So he must have been, and is, a decent father. While on stage, their daughters put their arms around his waist....a very familiar action that I would not do w/my father. They all stood close together. Lots of eye contact.

It's clear that Kerry has a cuddly factor that isn't showing.

But does the Prez really need to be very cuddly? I mean, how safe and secure would that make the nation feel?

[fujiyama]

38. "Cute and Cuddly"

is the last thing this nation should be worrying about at this time.

We're in deep shit and we need a competant, coherent man that has served his nation respectably for many years...that actually values democratic values.

I think in that respect Kerry will serve just fine.

[ramapo]

42. How moronic

Matthews is seriously using "cuddly" as a factor in who is best qualified to be president?