I am worried that Kerry has lost some of the passion he had during

the primaries. He doesn't use lines like "I know something about aircraft carriers for real" that really struck a tone that helped him. I know it was red meat for Dem voters, but I think it helped overall. Even republicans understood that line.

Thanks for giving me something more worthwhile (but equally irrelevant) to worry about

how about the one in san diego last week ? he is doing very good and reaching out to many. there are many who find passion in kerry understanding their problems with work and health care rather than some line about an aircraft carrier.

Kerry doesn't do well when he's in the lead. He does better when he's behind. That's how he won the nomination. It was his bio + borrowing Dean's populism/anger to rally Dean supporters to support him. Now that Dean's out of the picture and Kerry is looking pretty good in most polls, he's back to sounding tired and somewhat aloof. But, I think he'll still win because Bush is just so bad. He'll win by default.

Complacency is one of the worst evils. Kerry annoys me when he drops down to these lulls, and makes me nervous as well.

If we are to take back this democracy, then we need to be good and pissed off at the monkeys in power. AND we need to stay pissed off so we don't allow those bastards back in DC!

Complacency tells us to not learn from history, that everything is fine, and it's OK to coast along. Well I say to hell with that! I'm not dropping my anger, I'm not calming down, and I'm gonna keep screaming and bitching at the 'pugs until they get out of DC!

he gave a speech in ohio today. it was a great speech. did you watch his speech in san diego last week ? that was another great one. he is working on policy and going around campaigning and fundraising so he can have enough money to pay for ads.

Who said ...he's back to sounding tired and somewhat aloof. But, I think he'll still win because Bush is just so bad. He'll win by default.

I don't think Kerry will win by default, and I think if anybody here or in the Kerry campaign falls into a pattern of coasting, then * will win by default.

someone to meet and debate face to face or someone who is directly responding to the issues that are being addressed. I think Kerry is a good campaigner but no one can keep the level up that is there during the primaries.

from the April edition of The Washington Monthly
"Tilting At Windmills" column

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0404.tilting.html

scroll down to next-to-last item "A Question For Marjorie"

(snip)
"...the ... characteristics appear in a considerably more favorable light in an article headed "Kerry Dots Deliberation with Decision" that appeared on the front page of the same edition of the Post that carried Marjorie's column.(March 7, 2004) Its author, Laura Blumenfeld, finds that Kerry "researches and analyzes carefully before choosing. He always deliberates, even if only for a second. What differs is how close he is to the ground."

She tells a story of how a plane was plunging towards the Nevada desert. "10,000 feet, 6,000 feet, 2,000 feet and falling. Young Kerry, sitting next to the pilot, reached for the controls. 'Give it to me,' Kerry said, over the screams of the engine," and landed the plane safely. His brother Cameron explained to Blumenfeld: "It's the deadline thing. He is not going to act when he doesn't need to. He's incredibly decisive when he needs to be."

Kerry is a relentless questioner, often playing devil's advocate with his staff--a quality especially esteemed by presidential historians, and the very opposite of George W. Bush, described in The Price of Loyalty, who dislikes arguing with himself, who is profoundly incurious, and who does not encourage his staff to provide him with carefully researched alternatives, disliking the kind of debate that would explore options.

Another op-ed appearing the same day as Marjorie's, Bruce Reed's in The New York Times, described how Kerry's apparent waffling can simply mean that he sees the merit in both sides and wants his decision to reflect those merits. In the case of welfare reform, for example, this meant voting in favor of reform while making sure the bill included more child-care money and other improvements that would make it more humane..."
(snip)


:kick:

and tell them that they should keep using it. Was a pretty effective closer.

Kerry was against the wall during the primaries. It's clear that his campaign is waiting until the end to pull out the big guns. One fall gets here Kerry will be on fire. I just hope it works so well like it did in Iowa.

right now he is campaigning in front of people that include even more non partisan democrats than during the primary. he gave a great speech in ohio today which i hope cspan runs, he called out the republican disrupters on how rude they were being in the audience. he gave a great speech on the environment last week. he even called the out the hypocricy on those who attack him for supporting abortion rights, gay rights etc while being a catholic by talking about how many of those people support the death penalty. most who complain about kerry don't even really pay attention to what he does. they think he doesn't care or isnt' doing anything if he isn't screaming things out loud every single day.

This is going to be a tough race and we can all help out.

it's not good feedback if they aren't paying attention.