Kerry Raises $1M On Day One Of Ohio Visit (Kerry Campaigns to the Tune of "FLIPPER")

NBC 4 Columbus Ohio ^ | June 16, 2004 | NBC4

[BuckeyeNan]

Kerry Raises $1M On Day One Of Ohio Visit Candidate To Spend 2nd Day In Columbus

POSTED: 12:05 AM EDT June 16, 2004 UPDATED: 12:18 AM EDT June 16, 2004

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- John Kerry brought his campaign to a blue collar neighborhood park Tuesday, telling about two thousand supporters gathered in a steady rain that his policies will put the economy on the road to recovery.

Kerry told the crowd of more than 1,000 people at Westgate Park that President George W. Bush's economic policies have failed, costing Ohioans jobs.

"They deserve a president of the United States who is creating jobs in Ohio, not outsourcing them from Ohio," Kerry said.

The state has lost more than 200,000 manufacturing jobs since Bush took office in 2000.

"They (the Bush administration) have got four-and-a-half more months, my friends, then they can't do that no more," Kerry said.

The visit was Kerry's seventh to Ohio this year. Bush has been in the state four times in the same period. Bush won Ohio by less than 4 percentage points four years ago.

During Kerry's speech, a house across the street blared the theme song from the television show "Flipper" for several minutes. It was an apparent reference to Republicans' portrayal of Kerry as a flip-flopper on issues.

Kerry did not acknowledge the music and continued speaking. The home's residents turned the music off after police warned that they were violating a noise ordinance.

George Anderson, a 66-year-old software salesman from Columbus, said he came out to see Kerry even though he rarely votes Democratic.

"I've been pretty much a mainline Republican all my life, but I don't like Bush," Anderson said.

Leslie Zack, 63, of Columbus, said she doesn't trust Bush.

"I believe if they either win or steal the election again, it will be the end of democracy."

She said she likes Kerry because of his environmental record and voting for him is the only way to get Bush out of the White House.

"He's likely to be the nominee, and it's the only way we can get the Bushies out."

Ohio has proved to be lucrative for presidential campaigns. Campaign officials said Kerry raised $1 million during a fund-raiser in Cincinnati earlier Tuesday. Another fund-raiser was scheduled for Wednesday.

Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman will host a fund-raising breakfast with Kerry Wednesday morning at the Marion Franklin Community Center after kicking off Tuesday evening's westside rally. Kerry is expected to spotlight his plan to strengthen American families.

Vice President Dick Cheney, who has raised about $1.5 million in three fund-raising visits to the state since last July, was scheduled to visit Ohio on Thursday.

Earlier Tuesday, Kerry told union delegates in New Jersey that Bush was talking about American values but giving tax breaks to the rich while saddling the poor and middle class with debt.

"Where does that value come from?" Kerry said.

While Kerry talked about the economy in Ohio, Bush's surrogates fanned out to drive home the campaign's current message: that Kerry is preaching pessimism.

"John Kerry's economic pessimism ignores the fact that employers are hiring more Americans and paying them higher wages," U.S. Rep. Rob Portman of Cincinnati said in a news release.

Copyright 2004 by nbc4columbus.com

[Puppage]

"I believe if they either win or steal the election again, it will be the end of democracy."

You, ma'am...are an idiot.

[BuckeyeNan]

Assuming that you're referring to Leslie Zack ~

Who else would go to a rally to support Scary Kerry?

[dawn53]

Doug from Upland wrote lyrics to the Flipper theme.

Here they are:

There is a man, a mystery man
He'd hurt our nation all that he can
Changing his mind like his underwear
John Kerry's full of hot air


They call him Flipper, Flipper
And what he stands for we do not know
It's anyone's guess


They call him Flipper, Flipper
And he'll proudly tell you
He voted "No" but first voted "Yes"


There is a man, a mystery man
Terrorists are so glad that he ran
Changing his mind like his underwear
John Kerry's full of hot air


They call him Flipper, Flipper
And what he stands for we do not know
It's anyone's guess


They call him Flipper, Flipper
And he'll proudly tell you
He voted "No" but first voted "Yes"


There is a man, a mystery man
For all of us he has a dark plan
Changing his mind like his underwear
John Kerry's full of hot air


They call him Flipper, Flipper
And what he stands for we do not know
It's anyone's guess


They call him Flipper, Flipper
And he'll proudly tell you
He voted "No" but first voted "Yes"

[Admin Moderator]

Please, use the published title to avoid duplicates. Thanks.

[AmericanChef]

-"they can't do that no more," Kerry said."-

Cash-and-Kerry, a man of the illiterate people.

[88keys]

Hmmm...wonder why the Plain Dealer said TWO thousand people were at Westgate Park, "braving an intermittent rain"??

They also reported Kerry "took in around $800,000" which isn't quite as exciting as a million, but that was at the Cinci fund-raiser and not at the Cols. "rally"...

But what really irks me is this ad that was right in the middle of the P.D. "on-line" story:

http://www.johnkerry.com/fundraising/

I know advertising is up for grabs, but Bush/Cheney should've grabbed that spot...looks like the PD is endorsing Kerry, but it's just a paid-for ad!!! Grrr.

I think it's time to start talking to our neighbors here...

[ricer1]

Republicans deem Kerry to be a dolphin COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 17 (UPI) -- A pair of Ohio Republicans tried to drown out a speech by U.S. presidential hopeful John Kerry, playing the "Flipper" from speakers set up on their lawn. The Washington Post said the Wednesday incident occurred as Kerry made an outdoor campaign speech pitching the Democratic stance on reduced taxes for the middle class in Columbus, Ohio. To organizers' dismay, the theme song from the television show continually increased in volume from two stadium-size speakers. Apparently referring to Kerry's record of taking more than one side of an issue, the lyrics drowned out Kerry's microphone. "They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning / No one, you see, is smarter than he," the music blasted. Campaign workers ordered the media bus to back up and block the sound, and Columbus police were dispatched. The music was turned down. Kerry acknowledged the prank. "If that's compassionate conservatism, ladies and gentlemen, then Dick Cheney is Mr. Rogers," he said.