Boston Globe: Kerry's 'Anybody But Bush' trap

Boston Globe ^ | April 20, 2004 | Derrick Z. Jackson

[Cincinatus' Wife]

.......What was striking about the letter was that the entire first page was about how Bush misleads, but not a single sentence about how Kerry would lead. Even as Bush flounders in self-righteousness, you have to wonder if the ABB (Anybody But Bush) crowd is lulling themselves into a reverse trap. Letters like this make you wonder if ABB also means All But Blind.

The reality is there is a core on folks on the right who believe Bush is an appointed guardian of unilateral American might. There is a core of people on the left who believe Bush is still not their president. But if it was so obvious to Americans outside the elite east and the Bay Area that Bush was a scoundrel, then the polls should not be merely even - Kerry should be ahead by a landslide.

Further evidence of how the Kerry folks are relying heavily on the ABB game was the campaign's recent ''release'' of something called the ''Middle-Class Misery Index.'' By the time you get done reading it, you'd think we're in the second Great Depression.

The ''index'' smacked of the very elitism that sunk Al Gore against Bush in 2000. Even though it is a political statement, the Kerry people propped it up by using terms usually reserved for sober university studies such as ''Key Findings,'' and by calling itself a ''report'' and an ''analysis.''

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The Washington Post via FR: Poll Shows New Gains For Bush

[Caipirabob]

BUMP!

The thing that really staggers me is the outright hatred as portrayed in American media towards Bush. It's enough that you want to just slap the people presenting their views in such a way. The damage the left has wrought upon this nation is unbelievable, and the divide will not be healed any time soon.

Sadly, in election terms, it's also extremely effective. I mean, with a candidate like Kerry, you have maybe 20% who'd choose him, 20% who'd choose stale French Cheese and the other 60% would be waiting to hear what the cheese would do about education before they decide.

They hate President Bush that much. It's all about hate, and when this election is over, where will all that hate be directed towards next? Christians? Jews? The next election cycle? Scary thoughts...

[goldstategop]

Derrick Z. Jackson is admitting Kerry isn't cutting it. There's buyers' remorse on the Left and the Democrats are having second thoughts about the guy they've nominated. Its not even summer yet and here is liberal Jackson throwing cold water onto the ABB thesis!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The thing that really staggers me is the outright hatred as portrayed in American media towards Bush. It's enough that you want to just slap the people presenting their views in such a way. The damage the left has wrought upon this nation is unbelievable, and the divide will not be healed any time soon.

Schools of journalism, just as with schools of education, turn out anti-Bush, anti-American disciples.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Maybe they need to pick-up a VP with more cachet and gravitas than Kerry.

Hillary's licking her chops for 2008.

[goldstategop]

I wouldn't worry about it. Even Jackson, who is as far left a columnist you can get on the Boston Globe is at least rational enough to recognize the Democrats' nominee has no traction in flyover country. You gotta wonder how long it will be til the rest of the partisan media catches up to reality.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Kerry's 'Anybody But Bush' trap = Being the nominee for the Democrats

Sending Kerry from a fight with the asterisk at the bottom of the primary results all the way to the top as the only visible party candidate was the Democrats way of setting the trap for them to step into. Frontloading their own primary calendar was probably the best case scenario on how to prolong the agony as long as possible. John Kerry's stump speeches are nothing more than salt on the wounds they've self inflicted on themselves just to heighten the pain of one too many blunders. It's like scripted and choreographed suicide.

[goldstategop]

They voted for a candidate so positively dull and boring its amazing 45% of the public is still gonna vote for him!

[BigSkyFreeper]

They voted for a candidate so positively dull and boring its amazing 45% of the public is still gonna vote for him!

They're probably the same kind of voters like my grandmother who votes for any candidate with a (D) next to their name. All that matters to her is that (D), it don't matter if it's Satan, the three headed monster, Hildebeast, or Lurch, she'll vote for any one of them.

[goldstategop]

They could run Walter Daum and he'd get more money and votes than John F*ckin'. Now there's a scary thought.

[BigSkyFreeper]

She's not a hardcore Democrat, mind you, she's one of these FDR Democrats who've been inspired into the ideals of JFK, who's unaware at the far leftward swing the entire Democrat party has taken in the last 4 decades. I think I have a chance at swaying her though. There's time. She gets a good education during the debate season. Her biggest beef, which I thought was rather idiotic, with Bush in 2000 was his tendency to stumble through his answers during the debates against Gore. She has since noticed, strangely enough, that Bush has gotten alot better at his delivery. I've never noticed much change, it's the same Bush in 2000 as he is today, as far as speechmaking goes. Smooth, clear, honest and concise.

[BigSkyFreeper]

They could run Walter Daum and he'd get more money and votes than John F*ckin'. Now there's a scary thought.

Yeah. No kiddin'!

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Bring it [Kerry's landslide defeat in November] on!

[crz]

I hope Bush will stay just a bit quiet while The Kerrycrats self destruct. Around the DNC convention time, start a media blitz to make the demoncrats have to go on defense to explain it all.

[dawn53]

Listened to Glenn Beck last week and he asked only those to call in that really hated Bush because he wanted to know why.

It was very telling.

Each caller expressed hatred based on the fact that Bush was trying to impose "his morality" on them.

I was floored. They hate him because he's anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, and pro-war.

They explained they were okay if a candidate expressed their views pro-abortion, pro gay marriage and anti-war because that would leave room in their thinking for the people to choose if they wanted to live their life differently. I.E. if a candidate is pro-abortion, it doesn't affect the individual's right to NOT have an abortion, whereas, if the candidate is anti-abortion and pushes for legislation like the partial birth abortion ban, it does affect those that want the abortion. Therefore, he is "imposing" his morality on them. Same the gay marriage, yada, yada, yada.

So it really all boils down to hatred based on moral grounds, IMHO.

[Jhensy]

I've been listening to Err America for about two weeks now whenever I'm in my car (morbid curiosity, and loving how boring and unfunny it is).

It is striking how they say absolutely nothing positive or upbeat about Kerry; in fact, they don't even mention him at all.

[driftless]

I just about fell out of chair when the Great Derrick Z admitted that we are hardly in dire economic straits. If this moron gets it, many other lefties are getting it too. Kerry has no message other than he's not Bush. The Dems are philosophically,intellectually, and morally bankrupt. The real election should be Libertarians versus Republicans. The Dems should be some fringe party with their anti-American, lunatic-leftist platform.

[driftless]

That sounds like my parents. In fact as my older brother and I were arguing with them last year (when I was down to Texas for a visit), I accused them of still believing that FDR was prez. They are both socially conservative as you can get as well as being devout Catholics. Why they continue to vote for Dems who oppose everything they believe in amazes me.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Why they continue to vote for Dems who oppose everything they believe in amazes me.

The only thing I can figure out with my grandmother is that she's set in her old ways.

I just cannot imagine being the age of my grandmother, voting for a Democrat who would rob her of a chance to get prescription drugs at a price she can afford on her retirement income, all the while raising her property taxes, and putting myself in her age group, imagining the burden brought to bear on my future kids and grandkids as they foot the bill on the estate taxes once I passed on.

[Mogollon]

The Dems should be some fringe party with their anti-American, lunatic-leftist platform.

After this election that may be what they become.