Kerry changes strategy, plans rallies

By Frank James
Tribune national correspondent
Published August 31, 2004, 8:04 PM CDT

NANTUCKET, Mass. -- Sen. John Kerry on Tuesday discarded the long-standing political tradition for presidential candidates to lay low the week of the opposite party's convention by scheduling two rallies in addition to a previously planned appearance before the American Legion convention in Nashville.

A campaign spokesman sought to portray the move as a strategy to put Kerry on the offensive and denied speculation that the Massachusetts Democrat was concerned by the current state of the race and was trying to regain momentum.

The Democratic presidential nominee emerged from his party's nominating convention in July with a slight lead in the polls. Several recent polls, however, have shown President Bush with a slight lead, especially in some key battleground states like Ohio.

Democrats have feared the president's lead could grow if Republicans were to have a successful convention, with pointed criticisms of Kerry delivered from the convention podium and in television ads taking hold.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/elections/conventions/rnc/chi-040831kerry.story

always has been one.

If Kerry is out there "bringing it on" to the rest of America then it will make the next 2 days here in Gotham a little easier to bear.
This city has been fucked over like Rove probably wanted to fuck it over.
We have got to be losing money hand over fist in all the police overtime and lost business. The transportation changes are FUBAR, I had to walk 2 fucking 800' long avenue blocks out of my way tonight to get home.
Kerry.... please go get them!

but I suppose the pundits will only use the ones showing Shrub ahead.

"A campaign spokesman sought to portray (diasgreed with the reporters pre-concieved storyline) the move as a strategy to put Kerry on the offensive and denied speculation (by the reporter determined to stick to his storyline} that the Massachusetts Democrat was concerned by the current state of the race and was trying to regain momentum."

Kerry did exactly what they needed to do--for whatever reasons, dem surrogates are not appearing on TV, and the whores are embarking on a love-fest. Kerry is going to go around them. Behind the scenes, I bet, the campaign is doing what it takes to ensure visible coverage (exclusive "leak," preview, and interviews, just like chimp's team does).

The best part about this: it marks a departure from the status quo. Are we seeing Lockheart's fingerprints?

Kerry is quickly changing plans and yet they deny it's because he's concerned. Yet many other stories talk of concern. People here say "silly to be concerned"---so I wonder if John is concerned or not. By the change in plans, I assume he is. We don't have any idea what their inside polling is showing. I'm glad they decided to put it into gear and fast AND I assume this means he isn't just going to sprint out there to read another of his "plans" to the people. I sense now we are FINALLY going to tell the people just who Mr. Bush is. And with that, I'm going to bed.