I would post this on the Kerry site if anyone gave a damn.

[saracat]

But they always react badly to advice.There was a wonderful focus group of the Ohio undecideds on C-SPAN and the overwhelming consensus was that they want to hear an exit plan for Iraq from Kerry. They also want him to prove leadership and to make them feel safe.They find (gag) Bush the better speaker but that Kerry has more substance.They are turned off by the Bush attack ads.All of them love Edwards.Some expressed insecurity regarding his experience but the majority felt he could be President.I almost felt that Edwards at the top of the ticket would win in a landslide.The most chilling conclusion reached was that if we are attacked they would all vote for Bush!I hope campaign Kerry took heed.The anti-war sentiment was clearly the strongest ,followed by jobs.

[UnityDem]

1. Post it anyway

some will see it. good advice.

[Carolinian]

2. Please post it on the Edwards blog.

[flpoljunkie]

3. This was pollster Peter Hart's focus group. Am sure they are aware of it.

Hart is well known and appreciated for his tremendous focus group work.

[Myrina]

4. They think Bush is a better speaker ?

Yeah, Kerry's incredibly dry and hard to listen to sometimes, but ... OMG !

[SheilaT]

5. If we are attacked

they would vote for Bush???? What are they thinking? Not to mention, it tells the Bush people precisely what to do to ensure they stay in power.

[salonghorn70]

6. Its Simply Rally Round the Flag

Its just what Americans do. In times of peril they rally round the flag. They stand up for their country. The President is the symbol of this.

[Tom Rinaldo]

7. This is why some of us sound like a broken record

about the biggest threat to a Kerry victory being "unexpected" events involving National Security and International Relations. As much as it might have seemed otherwise at the time, some of us who argued that Kerry should pick Clark or Graham etc. for VP were NOT anti Edwards. Our opinion factored in voter sentiments of the type you are reacting to. It may well be true that Edwards overall is the VP choice who best increases Kerry's chance for victory in November. I agree that that is indeed very possible, but more to the point, I do NOT want to reopen a debate on an issue that has been settled.

Having said that, however, Kerry now needs to keep his eye on the Terror ball and use whatever means he can employ to convince the American Public that Kerry/Edwards will keep America safer than Bush/Cheney under any and all circumstances. As hard as it is for activists like us to grasp, for many Americans that question is still very much in doubt. There was a prior thread about how on earth a domestic terror attack could possibly help Bush win the election, and I and others made the case for how it could. Again, it is counter intuitive for people seeing the world the way we do to think that possible. But a whole lot of Americans do not see the world the way we do. That's why the 2000 vote was close enough for Bush to steal it, and why the Republicans gained seats in 2002 and currently control Congress. Kerry has to think outside of the Democratic Box, and so do we. Our truths are not universally self evident

[sandnsea]

8. It's on the blog

We've been talking about it since yesterday afternoon.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

9. I don't think you will see Kerry taking positions based on focus groups

or polls.

I don't really think it makes sense to lay out a plan on what to do now, because Kerry won't be President until January 20th. You don't want to get locked into a position that may not be appropriate based on ongoing events.

[saracat]

11. Umm, I believe that Homeland Security

and our intel groups have all confirmed this week that they have "credible" intel that we WILL be attacked this fall. And the chatter is more intense than before 9-11. The time to react is NOW BEFORE it happens!

[Feanorcurufinwe]

15. I find your blind faith in what Tom Ridge has to say to be

puzzling.

[saracat]

17. I don't have any faith in Tom Ridge.

I just think there is no depth to which this admin. won't stoop in order to ensure this election.I fear if people say they will rally behind Bush in the advent of an attack, then we have a greater possibility of being attacked. I think Tom Ridge is floating atral baloon for a reason!

[Feanorcurufinwe]

19. Then why use his spin as the basis of your argument?

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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

[Kanary]

10. As I've mentioned many times before here on DU

Several weeks ago, there was a front page article on the Sunday Denver Post in which many independents were interviews. They mostly said they were sick of Bush, but were hearing nothing from Kerry about getting out of the war. While Kerry's stand is repeatedly defended here on DU as being cleverly designed to appeal to independents and middle-of-the-roaders, it isn't being borne out.

It remains to be seen if Kerry et al can hear this and change their course.

As I've also said, I hope that Nader will drop out so that whatever results come from this, it can't be blamed on him.

Kanary

[Still_Loves_John]

13. I'm sure they know about it

I don't think national campaigns need to rely on people emailing them focus group information.

[saracat]

18. I take it you must not have had any dealings

with the Kerry campaign, or you wouldn't be so confident. Many national campaigns are staffed by interns who make many of the ground decisions. Gov.Rendell has stated publicly that in election 200, he couldn't even get Clinton out to the swing states to campaign because the"twenty somethings', his words not mine ,felt they had to do an impact study first, and they never reached a decision. And he was Chairman of the DNC.

[no name no slogan]

14. I'm really hoping that at the convention....

Kerry comes out with a strong statement and plan for the withdrawal. Right now, 56% of Democrats want the troops out as soon as possible, regardless of whether there's "stability" in Iraq. Additionally, only 51% of Americans think Bush is doing a good job on Iraq.

Even strong Kerry supporters during the primaries have been outspoken against the continuing occupation. Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN), and early Kerry supporter, outlined a six-month plan to end the Iraq occupation at the MN state convention, which was met with wild applause from the delegates-- 1/2 of whom were pledged to Kerry, 1/4 to Edwards, and 1/4 to Kucinich.

Most Americans know that the Iraq occupation is bankrupting this country, and we can ill afford to stay there. They are looking for leadership on this issue from ANYBODY.

I have a feeling Kerry/Edwards is aware of this, and are preparing something big for either the convention or this fall-- some sort of plan that will get us out sooner, rather than later.

Terrorist attack (or Bush-generated fear of a terrorist attack) or not, the war can be a winning issue for the Dems. At some point, we'll need to use it against BushCo.

[Sugarbleus]

16. I'm voting for Kerry but

He really seems as dry as dust. Edwards has all the spirit. It's painful to watch Kerry try to spit out what he means to say on a subject. This worries me.

The articles I read on his site seem to be pretty foreward looking on several issues, but he just doesn't come across when he speaks. I fear that will be a turn off for citizens looking on.

I have my fingers crossed that he will pull a rabbit out of the hat; like maybe he is more of a doer than a speaker...perhaps he has plans that he will set into motion that will please us all, plans he just isn't able to articulate in a hollywood style, passionate way....


God, I hope so.

[Kukesa]

20. Post it on our Ohio Forum,

and I'll see that it gets forwarded to some of our Ohio honchos.

At present, we're staffing phone banks in the Dayton area; maybe we should change some of the questions we're asking.

Thanks for the info; we'll fight for every vote here in the Buckeye state!