Kerry Mocks Bush's 'Itsy Bitsy' Campaign Slogan

Reuters ^ | 7/31/04 | Patricia Wilson

[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.

[concerned about politics]

"I think the American people are a heck of a lot smarter than some of these politicians and political consultants think they are,"

Yes, they are. They'll see right through Kerry. He's no Republican, no matter how much he tries to fake it.
He's such a dork.

"They keep telling them, 'just talk in this tiny, little, itsy bitsy sound bite. Be negative, go out there and attack."

Paranoid, or what? He still thinks he's just back from Nam, and at war with America.

Correction - Kerry is such a bottom feeder.

[maxwellp]

I'm like the Marines in Wendy's - I do not like Kerry!

[concerned about politics]

Kerry told more than 8,000 people gathered in a light drizzle outside a railway station in Greensburg, a Republican stronghold in western Pennsylvania.

And half of them were homosexuals bused in from Canada. What a guy! He's got my vote - NOT!

[savedbygrace]

Kerry doesn't give you soundbites, he feeds you the whole boring meal.

[TomGuy]

Let's see,

Kerry stole his slogans from previous Bush/Cheney speeches, and Kerry ridicules GWB's latest slogan, but Kerry has 'a plan'--no details, just 'a plan'.

Hey, Jacquestrap, you are being petty.

[counterpunch]

You almost make it sound like there is substance to what he says.

[Vigilanteman]

"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.

Westmoreland county, of which Greensburg is the county seat is the cow-shapped county with the tail against the isolated red rectangle, 2nd one up from the north and third over from the west. Notice Mondale carried the county in the blow-out Reagan re-election in 1984.

Dukakis won it in 1988.

Clinton carried it in both 1992 and 1996.

Bush finally carried it in 2000, the first Republican to do so since Nixon in the 1972 landslide. This is NOT a Republican stronghold. It is a traditionally Democrat county which has been turned off by the radical left fringe which has taken over the party.

[savedbygrace]

I think he only challenged President Bush to run a positive campaign. Not himself.

[concerned about politics]

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.

The only way he can get away with saying that is because they're DEAD and can't defend themselves.

Kerry is such a dork.

[Liberty Valance]

Here I come to save the day...
you know that Mighty Mouse is on his way

:o)

and you know flipper...flipper...flipper
lives in a world full of wonder
lieing there under
under the sea

:^)

---

Bush/Cheney '04

---

[LibWhacker]

LOL, it's gonna be fun watching Kerry and the Rats come unravelled over the next three months! They've got nothing the voters can sink their teeth into.

[savedbygrace]

Only to the degree that there is substance to offal.

[longtermmemmory]

big words from the girly-man in the pink necktie.

[UpInArms]

OK girlie man!

Results matter!

itsy bitsy enough?
How about?

RESULTS MATTER!

[small voice in the wilderness]

Could he hire a speech writer older than 5? Next, he'll be challenging W. to rock, paper, scissors contest. BUT we'll see who has the last laugh. Wait 'til W. triple dog dares Kerry to stick his tongue on the frozen flag pole. He's going to feel really stoopid.

[AmericanMade1776]

[ambrose]

hey, don't let facts interfere with media spin!

[PogySailor]

See, Kerry will be permitted to slime Bush daily. If the President points out that Kerry hasn't DONE anything in 20 years in the Senate, that's a "negative attack".

[Dan from Michigan]

Let's not let facts get in the way of a good story......

[concerned about politics]

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.

Geeze! I thought it was bad enough Kerry still lived in the '70's, but it's worse than I thought. The dork has taken a quantum leap back into the '30's!
Call the nut house. He's gone to the big pretend la la land of liberal Utopia. I guess his military commander was right after all. He does need a straight jacket!