Kerry snaps up undecideds

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/primariescaucus/2004-01-19-kerry-momentum_x.htm

<snip>Until a few weeks ago, not many Iowans were convinced that the Massachusetts senator was "The Real Deal." Now, Kerry is in a tight battle with Howard Dean, Dick Gephardt and John Edwards in the Iowa caucuses for the Democratic presidential nomination. A poll published Sunday by The Des Moines Register showed Kerry leading the others, although the race is a statistical tie.

Kerry also picked up momentum in New Hampshire, site of the Jan. 27 primary. On Sunday, he won endorsements from The (Nashua) Telegraph and the Concord Monitor, which called him "the best prepared to be president."

"The worst days of his campaign are behind him," says Michael Meehan, a senior adviser to Kerry.

Few would have predicted Kerry's surge just weeks ago. The campaign had staff shake-ups, money problems and a confused message. Dean led in fundraising, polls and endorsements. snip

Kerry stresses his military record in speeches and claims the support of 10,000 Iowa veterans. At an event Saturday, he reunited with a man whose life he saved in Vietnam 35 years ago. Kerry won a Bronze Star for pulling Green Beret Jim Rassmann out of a river during a battle even though he himself was wounded.

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[aquart]

1. Feels like a lotta people are playing it safe.

But, to me, Kerry caved when it counted and he'll play nice like Gore did when these guys are playing for keeps.

[Lorien]

2. I agree

though I like Kerry's record on the environment (one of my top issues), when I saw him speaking today, it was like watching human sominex. He makes Gore look wildly charismatic by comparison. Without "mojo", it's hard to get anywhere with modern campaigns.

[GalleryGod]

5. I S'pose you like 'em HOT,ANGRY,Sputtering and Stupid?

:crazy: Go see the Dean for a class re-admit note!

[GalleryGod]

4. OBVIOUSLY You don't Know KERRY at All, nor Theresa!

Did you see that "laughable" diatribe of a TV ad that a right wing group launched on The Guv'nuh !? Jon Stewart featured it.Get USED to it! And most of the SOUTHern, Nascar Dads agree with the ad.
:argh:

[stickdog]

3. Kerry is an even more unappealing candidate than Dukakis was.

He just comes across as the politician's politician.

[Voltaire99]

9. Are you saying he has an, er, charm deficit?

But seriously, Kerry has no touch. He crafts each utterance as if for a Kennedy School seminar.

Face to face with Bush, he'll get clobbered. Average Americans won't warm to him, and too few Dems will be bothered to turn out.

For a recent reality check on the Kerry-Dukakis-Mondale electability quotient -- the bankability of dullness -- merely look at the 2002 Minnesota Senate race. Following Wellstone's untimely death, Mondale was dusted off and wheeled out only to be soundly beaten by the dwarfish man-boy Coleman, a Dubya protege.

Bush had ushered Coleman around the Twin Cities, where the tiny Republican hopeful was heard to observe, "'God Bless America' is a prayer. And I believe George Bush is the answer to that prayer."

That's all it takes to beat a stodgy opponent. In the state of Humphrey, no less. Imagine the inelastic Kerry taking his act south, west, or even north!

[ellie]

11. I agree

Kerry is very unappealing. He comes off to me as too much of an insider.

[goobergunch]

13. I concur.

I don't mind Kerry on most of the issues (IWR being an important exception), but I have serious doubts about his electability.

[sistersofmercy]

19. Dukakis lost the election to Papa Bush because he wouldn't fight

back against the mudslinging Bush Sr's campaign threw at him, mainly it was the Willie Horton ads that caused his downward spiral. I happened to like Dukakis a great deal and have a deep respect for the man, I was completely appalled by the WH ads. Kerry will fight back, big difference.

[aeon flux]

6. I am rooting for Dean or Edwards

Dean would be my first choice but given that we still have the South to contend with, I would gladly back Edwards because he can appeal to all voters, including Southerners. Edward's is like a Dean without the Northern liberal 'taint.' My dream ticket would be Dean/Edwards or Edwards/Dean.

I like what Kerry has to say, but he is not a great speaker, which is his major weakness. You need the ability to inspire people if you're going to defeat Bush, and Kerry simply lacks that crucial trait.

[MaineDem]

7. Excellent!

People are paying attention.

[Lostmessage]

8. Kerry / Edwards ticket would be nice

It's a safe ticket and anyone that goes up against Bush is going to get torn apart by the right wing press anyways.

[aeon flux]

10. Is it me or does Kerry sound like the guy from Nightline

In other words, snooze-inducing.

I can't imagine how Kerry was able to carry Iowa as CNN just reported. He's so boring. I was expecting Dean or Edwards to win it, but Kerry? Give me a break. I might be worng, but it seems to me that Kerry has as much chance against Bush as Ted Koppel does (if he were running).

[scheming daemons]

12. MSNBC Reporting that Gephardt will drop out tomorrow

Here's hoping he backs Edwards.

Kerry will be Gore II... running an ineffectual campain.


Edwards, Clark, Dean, then Kerry ... in that order... have the best chance to beat W.




Dean

[54anickel]

14. It will be interesting to see who Gephardt backs. He does have a lot

of the unions...

[maryallen]

15. I don't understand the Kerry rebound.

On this board -- if you believe the various polls -- Kerry consistently polled third or fourth. Now I know DU'ers are not your typical voters, but how does this grass root movement gather such strength without trends in that direction?

I'm not surprised that Edwards soared because he really did run a positive campaign and a lot of people -- particularly little old ladies -- don't like negative campaigning.

But Kerry campaigned negatively up to the end, including a sideswipe at Dean -- used by Tweety tonight -- by commenting that it's "important for a candidate to have his family behind him."

[T Bone]

16. Maybe Kerry has more of an ace in the hole with VETS than it appears

And maybe those vets are more influential with other voters than we give them credit for?

Vietnam Vets no doubt, but maybe the Korean vets, and the WWII vets are saying look at him, he volunteered & fought in an unpopular war, then he opposed it. A lot of those vets have sons and grandsons that they don't want drafted by a lying Bush administration, and word has got around on Bush's dodge of real military service--and just look at the two guys, Bush and Kerry---really, who is a REAL veteran going to vote for? And who is a REAL veteran going to tell his relatives and friends to vote for? Maybe that is what happened in Iowa.

[isbister]

18. Re: Maybe Kerry has more of an ace in the hole with VETS than it appears

A lot of those vets have sons and grandsons that they don't want drafted by a lying Bush administration, and word has got around on Bush's dodge of real military service--and just look at the two guys, Bush and Kerry---really, who is a REAL veteran going to vote for?

Kerry's being a vet is one thing, but I think his record on Veteran issues compared to bush's is also something to consider. bush's using the soldiers as campaign props and then turning around and cutting, or trying to cut, benefits is disgusting. It should be a high profile issue no matter who gets nominated for the Dems.

[piece sine]

17. "Kerry" is going to take some getting used to --

He hasn't reached many DUers -- especially me. But the handwriting is on the wall. This election change tonight when I saw Howard Dean go kinda beserk and hoarse and waaay-over-the-top in a W.W.F. way on TV when he came in third, and I see Wesley Clark in the rear view mirror and I'm startimg to think this race is still wide-open.

[kclown]

22. Don't forget Clark just about endorsed Kerry recently n/t

[Ganja Ninja]

20. I expect Kerry and Edwards picked up some votes that..

would have gone to Clark if he were running in Iowa. Should make New Hampshire interesting.

[Kbick]

21. Maybe Iowa was MLK jr's revenge.

I know Dean support "States Rights" and South Carolina's right to fly the confederate flag.

So maybe Iowa was MLK jr's revenge.

It would have been a sad day if the Democrat who won on MLK jr's holiday supported "States Rights".