Reply #25: Kerry's strategy and tactics were scrutinized (and criticized) plenty

[depakid]

Less so during the primaries (oddly enough as I recall) than AFTER the announcement that there would be no so called "Bush bashing" allowed at the convention.

From there on out the campaigns misteps generated heated discussion, particularly the August "blackout," the refusal to respond forcefully to the swiftboat allegations and Kerry's "nuanced" statements about the war. His non-answer to Bush's "if you know now what you knew then" challenge on IWR made this board light up like it never has before.

On the other hand, Kerry didn't have the same problems with the Democratic "leadership" on FISA (the NY Times sat on the story until after the election) and his campaign didn't go out of their way early on to repeatedly "reach out" to far right groups and antagonize the progressive base. Of course, Kerry sewed up the nomination on March 3, so may not have believed they needed to move so fast in that direction.