Posted on 07/31/2004 2:09:23 PM PDT by LibWhacker
GREENSBURG, Pa. (Reuters) - Democratic White House challenger John Kerry mocked President Bush's new "turning the corner" campaign slogan on Saturday and said he offered voters more than "little itsy bitsy" sound bites.
On the second day of a 22-state, 43-city tour that will take him and running mate John Edwards from coast to coast by bus, train and boat over the next two weeks, Kerry disputed Bush's contention that "we are turning the corner and we're not turning back" on the U.S. economy.
"I think the American people are a heck of a lot smarter than some of these politicians and political consultants think they are," Kerry told more than 8,000 people gathered in a light drizzle outside a railway station in Greensburg, a Republican stronghold in western Pennsylvania.
"They keep telling them, 'just talk in this tiny, little, itsy bitsy sound bite. Be negative, go out there and attack."
Kerry said Americans wanted real leadership and vowed -- if he defeated Bush in the Nov. 2 election -- to be a president in the mold of Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower.
"They stood up and told the truth to the American people and they had a plan and they took this country to the future," he said.
Bush and Kerry joined battle on Friday, with the Democrat trying to carry some of the momentum out of his party's convention in Boston and Bush looking to grab back some of the political spotlight with a retooled stump speech after a week at his Texas ranch.
LARGE CROWDS FOR KERRY
Both candidates campaigned in key battleground states, sometimes less than a hundred miles from each other. In Pennsylvania, Kerry drew large crowds, including what he said were up to 20,000 people in Harrisburg.
"Yesterday, the president said to Americans that we were turning the corner, referring to the economy," Kerry said in Greensburg. "Well, let me ask you, if you're one of those 44 million Americans that don't have health insurance are you turning the corner? If you're one of those people who has a job ... that's been forced overseas, are we turning the corner for those folks?"
Despite slower-than-expected economic growth and a record budget deficit, Bush insisted that the nation's economic prospects were improving as he campaigned in neighboring Ohio, another battleground state hit hard by job losses.
But Kerry drew a parallel between Bush and Herbert Hoover, who as president during the Great Depression presided over an economy that experienced the biggest job losses in U.S. history.
"The last time we had a president who ran on a slogan of turning the corner was Herbert Hoover, and he ran on the prospect that prosperity was just around the corner," Kerry said. "I don't want to run talking about turning the corner. I'm running to climb the mountain and get to the top."
Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt accused Kerry of pessimism and talking down the U.S. economy which he said had created 1.5 million new jobs since August.
"He's trying to tell America that things aren't improving," Schmidt said. "But his disingenuous campaign cannot hide the fact that America is stronger and safer because of the president's leadership."
A Newsweek poll released on Saturday showed Kerry gained a four-point bounce from last week's Boston convention where he was formally nominated.
In the survey conducted on Thursday and Friday, Kerry received 49 percent to Bush's 42 percent and 3 percent for independent candidate Ralph Nader. In early July, Kerry led Bush 47 percent to 44 percent, with Nader at 3 percent.
Without Nader in the race, Kerry led Bush by 51 percent to 45 percent. The poll of about 1,000 registered voters had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.
I . . . will . . . not . . . have . . . slogans . . . that . . . can . . . be . . . said . . . in . . . less . . . than . . . an . . . hour . . .
That's right. John Kerry offers long winded, monotonous soundbites that never seem to go anywhere and just leave you more confused about his positions than before he started talking.
"I think the American people are a heck of a lot smarter than some of these politicians and political consultants think they are," Kerry told more than 8,000 people
Then why was your entire convention acceptance speehch a random collection of focus-group/political consultant tested slogans??
LOL, we'll soon see that so-called 'BOUNCE' go very flat, to very much behind Bush. Kerry will be trailing behind Bush by at least 15-25% in October-November 2004
How pathetic and immature Kerry is. He can't attack the President's record, so he's got to be petty and attack the campaign slogan. Pretty desperate if you ask me...and shallow at that...as shallow as the man himself.
I wish I could be in a locked room with Kerry for 15 minutes.
What was that Kerry said in his speech? Something along the lines of he wants he and President Bush to run a positive race?
Let me see.........."Reporting for duty" BWWAARRGAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
ROFL!!
Senator, you already have a lock on the "metrosexual girlie man" vote. You really should move to expand your base.
Yup, the leftists' party is going down big time in November. We'll definitely see a landslide victory for Dubya.
If it's a smoking room, I'd like ten minutes. If it's a non-smoking room, I'll need only three.
LARGE CROWDS FOR KERRY
Both candidates campaigned in key battleground states, sometimes less than a hundred miles from each other. In Pennsylvania, Kerry drew large crowds, including what he said were up to 20,000 people in Harrisburg.
Okay. And Bush's crowd size was...? What, you don't say? Oh, this isn't an article about Bush?
Truly, they have no shame.
If that were true, Kerry's unfavorables would be at least 80%.
The guy is the emptiest of empty suits -- a vacuity wrapped in a vapidity wrapped in a platitude.
Even during the primary Kerry was attacking others for non-existent attacks on his own virtue and patriotism. It's a kindergarten tactic.
He hasn't offered voters anything but free handouts and home movies of him in Nam 35 years ago.
Kerry is such a dork.
Most all the Dems seem that way these days, petty and childish and always very personal in their attacks. They do no have a grasp of big issues or a real agenda or a "vision" so they act like 8th graders. Who does that approach connect with?
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