90-Day Media Strategy by Bush's Aides to Define Kerry

The New York Times ^ | 03/20/04 | JIM RUTENBERG

[dyed_in_the_wool]

I think Kerry has had 30 years to define himself, Bush et al. are merely highlighting his career.

And I wonder what the big deal is? Lee Atwater had a 150 day game plan for Dukakis. I'm kind of bummed that they only have a 3 monther ready.
BTW, Lee was really surprised that the Willie Horton ads took off. They were scheduled to run one day, on an afternoon, and got wicked traction.

[SCHROLL]

Three months? It should only take slightly less than two to have the Dems running into the hills away from this guy. He's everything he accuses Bush of being-a liar, arrogant, and a big f**k up.

[txhurl]

Now this irritates me because where the admin is going to spend untold $s doing this, we freepers could have done it for free.

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

[Hugin]

I think Dick Morris made an excellent point that the first thing they need to do is paint Kerry now as a lying weasel (OK, he said a flip-flopper). Then later on when they expose him as an extreme liberal, any attempt to counter it will just be seen as more lies, er, I mean flip-flops. Kerry saying things like "I voted for it before I voted against it" is incredibly helpful to the Bush strategery.

[Winfield]

Bumper sticker: "Hey buddy! You like waffles? Vote for
Kerry!

[dunblak]

I've handled political campaigns for years and cannot believe the stories coming out of this campaign. This is an extremely foolish action on the part of "senior Bush aides" to discuss strategy of any kind with the press. It drips insincerity and manipulation. Shut up and let the press be surprised!!!!! Can anyone get this message to someone who matters!

[longtermmemmory]

I wonder if this is disinformation. This administration has been pretty leakproof for the most part. Either that or this is intentional leaking. A "whites of the eyes" thing.

[vbmoneyspender]

I usually ignore Morris, but that was a good column. First, there are going to force Kerry to fix himself in place by arguing that Kerry is a flip-flopper, then once Kerry has fixed himself in place they are going to bomb the hell out of him.

[NYCVirago]

Mr. Kerry's campaign acknowledges that he is nowhere near as well-known as is Mr. Bush. But it contended that was more of a problem for Mr. Bush, who they said was trying to turn the election into a referendum on Mr. Kerry rather than one about the president.

Why can't it be both -- because Democrats decided otherwise?

[1066AD]

I mean flip-flops. Kerry saying things like "I voted for it before I voted against it" is incredibly helpful to the Bush strategery.
Yes, GOP ad on Fox tonight already using this clip as the "punchline" in a new ad. Very effective (well, I'm a bit biased).

[Servant of the 9]

And I wonder what the big deal is? Lee Atwater had a 150 day game plan for Dukakis. I'm kind of bummed that they only have a 3 monther ready.

They said this phase was 90 days long. They never said there weren't other phases waiting to follow. Why tip your whole hand?

So9

[Steven W.]

"I don't think the Bush campaign's caricatures are going to stand up to the reality. Voters are smarter than that."

We're lucky that they dug Shrum back up again for another go-round ... he doesn't realize that it's not the Bush campaign caricatures he has to worry about - it's KERRY's that begun perpetually imploding a little more every day now.

[Nick Danger]

...an extremely foolish action on the part of "senior Bush aides" to discuss strategy of any kind with the press. It drips insincerity and manipulation

I think it drips of goading the opponent into revealing his hand sooner than he would like to.

Allegedly, Kerry does not have the money to counter this. But if he doesn't counter it, he's hosed... all the bluffing in the article from the D's to the contrary. This is the monent when 40% of the voters say they don't know who this Kerry really is. Well, if Kerry won't tell them, Bush will.

So what's going to happen instead? Does Teresa open the checkbook? George Soros? How about pressure on Hillary to spend some of that HillPac money "for the children cause"?

If they allow the R's to do this, and Kerry dives in the polls, that will greatly impact their ability to raise money for the general election. It could all end right here if Kerry can't or won't act in time. Telegraphing the punch is actually a good way to test what the opponent really has in his arsenal, and to smoke out any "friends" he has hiding in the weeds.

[NYCVirago]

I notice the Times hasn't done a followup story on Kerry saying "I don't fall down" Thursday, and falling on the ski slopes at least six times Friday. Shocker!

[Steven W.]

a lot of this article reads like it comes from the lips of Terry McAuliffe as his rendition of how the republicans are doing things.

[Betaille]

This sounds like a great strategy, I see the Bush Campaign has started to pay attention to our FR posts, :)
P.S. Why are Bush staffers talking about their strategy to the NYtimes?

[GailA]

Two words define hanoi john...FLIP FLOPER

Kerry I'm for the death penalty for terrorist, but I'll declare a moratorium on the death penalty at the federal level.

hanoi john soft on crime, soft on terrorist.

[GailA]

His anti-death penalty stance should play into this quite well. 70% of Americans support the death penalty.