Testing, Testing. Shrewd Politics or Kerry Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome?

New York Times ^ | March 13, 2004 | Adam Nagourney

[Quilla]

When Senator John Kerry was overheard describing his Republican opponents as "crooked" and "lying" to a voter the other day, his campaign quickly offered two explanations for the unusually harsh words. One was that Mr. Kerry did not realize he was wearing a live microphone. The other was that he said what he meant and he meant what he said.

Whatever the case, there was little question that explaining an offhanded remark picked up by a microphone was hardly a new challenge for Mr. Kerry, the all-but-certain Democratic challenger to Mr. Bush. Throughout the race, Mr. Kerry has been in predicaments where his frank or politically intemperate remarks, purportedly intended for private consumption, have made their way to the public record, by way of the presumably unnoticed microphone

[Quilla]

Snip: But Democrats, including some supporters of Mr. Kerry, were hardly convinced of that. Indeed, considering what even Mr. Kerry's advisers acknowledged was becoming a pattern, this seemed to be less by design and more the careless utterances of a fatigued or undisciplined candidate. That this happened yet again suggests a vulnerability for Mr. Kerry, particularly now that he has the Democratic stage — and the attention of the White House — to himself.

[txzman]

Let him keep it up. He's already a whiner; now America will get sick of him as foul-mouthed and immature.

Americans do not want this kind of name calling in their President. It has been proven over and over and over.

[BikePacker]

What the republicans need to do is go BOTH BARRELS nonstop.

There is over 20 years of flip-flopping to expose, and maybe every week should focus on Kerry's indecisiveness regarding a specific issue.

Also, the fact that his hesitancy to STAND FOR ANYTHING, would be extremely dangerous in the post 9-11 world.

[TomGuy]

Isn't one politician calling another politician a liar and crook just a rendition of the pot calling the kettle black?

[optimistically_conservative]

Kerry's a girl. He wants to run a whiney "You can't hit me!" kicking and scratching campaign based on anger and hate. It feeds the wrath of scorned Democrats.

[TomGuy]

Let him keep it up. He's already a whiner; now America will get sick of him as foul-mouthed and immature.

Exactly. And GW and team should develop a short humorous line to counter all the attacks (like Reagan's 'there you go again') and respond only to the most outrageous Kerry attacks.

It is a long ways to Nov and people will get mighty sick of daily barrages of attack ads from either/both.

Save the responses/ads until you see the whites of their convention eyes. Kerry might not be the candidate who emerges.

[BikePacker]

What Bush needs to do is ask the American people if these are the qualities they want in a leader:

indecisive
hesitant
vague
unsure
ambiguous
inconclusive
fluctuating
wavering
irresolute
vacillating

If so, then Kerry is their man.

[Piquaboy]

Wait until everyone hears that Kerry got those purple hearts for getting shrapnel in his butt when he was running away from a battle waving a white flag. Typical f-ing action for a Frenchman.

[Quilla]

Our most formidable enemy is the media. They publish or repeat ad nauseum the democrat's talking points on President Bush. They are pounding into the sheeple that he lied about the war in Iraq, that the war is profiting his oil buddies, that the 9-11 families are offended by his ads, that the economy is horrible, that we haven't captured bin Laden and if we do it will be a political ploy. This goes on and on and on. I'm sure most of the weekend will be devoted to the piece of 9-11 scrap on Rumsfeld's desk.

Conversely, they make Kerry look like some kind of second coming (there's a Clinton pun in there somewhere).

I can't help but liken the majority of the American media to a terrorist cell - they lurk behind a veil of print and attack our country mercilessly.

[PolishProud]

Whether Kerry's quip was intentional or unintentional, it allowed him to spin his comment. He was able to claim he was a victim of "right wing attacks" and was only firing back as he should.

So far the bad guys are up two over GW; the flap over his 911 ad and this victimization of poor Senator Kerry forcing him to be incontinent (I'm refering to his words not his prostate problems).

[keysguy]

We need a photo of f'ing holding a flower, wearing a burka with ketchup spilled all over the front.

[keysguy]

"Our most formidable enemy is the media," that is one of the most important statements you can make. It's something we often forget at our own peril. Any one remember any major stories about the female traitor--every demcrats aide-- who was arrested last week, I don't. Only one of a zillion examples. Iraq has a new constitution--see that news leading newscasts anywhere? It's an entire left wing slant with the MSM'ers. They get their DNC talking points and everything else is buried or only briefly mentioned.

[Quilla]

With the exception of FR and Fox, mainstream coverage was: Cousin of Andy Card, President Bush's chief of staff, arrested for treason.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

the careless utterances of a fatigued or undisciplined candidate

B.

The nyt bashing (read: telling the truth about) one of dem Rats?! Not to worry. They're just proving that they are fair. Get this out of the way now and it's "old news" by September when it's time to balance with bashing the other side 24/7 through election day.

Re: "President" Bartlet's slip and Kerry's. Good tactic but only when you have media butt boys to make the content of the slip the issue.

[mohresearcher]

Senator Kerry's refusal to EVER apologize for his denunciations of others started on April 22,1971 when he slandered all American Vietnam veterans as wanton murderers and druggies before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He articulated the image that the American media has portrayed relentlessly ever since that all Vietnam veterans were baby-killing war criminals and drug addeled losers.

Shame on Hanoi John and Jane Fonda for giving aid and comfort to our enemies during the Vietnam war, which resulted in keeping our POWs in torture and brutal captivity for another two years, until President Nixon's diplomatic and military offensive forced the communists' to release our POWs in 1973.

[Balding_Eagle]

What the republicans need to do is go BOTH BARRELS nonstop.

I not sure that's such a good plan. Kerry's such a weak cadidate that going after him will trigger what I call The Second Torrecelli Principle: If your candiate is losing, then, no matter the rules, no matter how close to the election, no matter what the law says, replace him with one one who can win.

[keysguy]

surprise, surprise,surprise

[Joe Bfstplk]

What Bush needs to do is ask the American people if these are the qualities they want in a leader:
indecisive
hesitant
vague
unsure
ambiguous
inconclusive
fluctuating
wavering
irresolute
vacillating
Friend of the I.R.S.
If so, then Kerry is their man.

[Cicero]

Kerry is the kind of guy who obviously goes around slandering, bad-mouthing, and cursing his political enemies behind their backs. He especially delights in doing this with the media. Kerry and the reporters he does this with share a common hatred of Bush, Christianity, traditional morality, patriotism, and family values. They belong to the same slimy club.

This behavior encourages the reporters to go back to their desks and right yet another slanderous, twisted attack on George Bush, accusing him of negative attacks all the while they themselves are part of what may be the biggest hate campaign in American politics in the past 50 years.

It's like John McCain and his Straight Talk bus, where candidate and reporters bond in their mutual hatred of traditional western values. But the microphone is supposed to be off when they do this.

[mj1234]

You are wrong.

Kerry " impersonating a real officer" bumped his head on
a overhead hatch- put in for a purple heart.Had a buddy
officer put him in for a silver star.Will not release his
records and anyone who did not agree with Kerry on his
vietnam views or actions will not get the time of day to
denounce or challenge him.