Kerry lackluster campaign? Don't believe it.

He is getting his footing, fine-tuning his message, raising cash, getting the kinks out.

To those who say that Kerry is running a poor campaign, a few points:

1. It's only May. The Dem Convention is in late July.
2. He's already ahead of Bush in most polls.
3. He's raised a record amount of cash.
4. He's still comparatively unknown.
5. Bush has spent $75 million on negative ads and he's still behind.
Not good for an incumbent at this date, especially for a miserable failure like Bush.
6. Bush's ratings are in free fall; he's at an all-time low 47%.
7. Kerry has not yet chosen a VP. Assuming it's Clark or Edwards, this will surely jump start his numbers.
8. The latest Bush scandal, TortureGate, has more legs than a centipede. And this buck cannot be passed off to lower-level aides.
9. The temperature of developing Bush scandals is rising to the Michael Moore boiling point: 911 Fahrenheit.
10. Many Repub voters have had it with Bush; its called Fear Fatigue.

I am concerned about a few things, however. Kerry really doesn't come off as very charasmatic or likeable. He also doesn't seem very sincere about anything. For all of the media's harping on Gore's apparent lack of charisma, he wowed the nation with his acceptance speech at the convention. This is what allowed him to close 15% - 20% in the polls and win the popular vote. I don't think Kerry can do the same. I certainly hope I'm wrong.

has it occured to anyone that charisma may be an outdated attribute?

then Dean would be the nominee.

Kerry's ok.

All he needs to do is bring it on to Bush. Bush is already sliding downhill.

And this Bush is a known miserable failure. He's not the compassionate conservative he presented himself to be in 2000.

How the hell can you think that Kerry won't easily beat Gore's numbers. He will win by at least 7 million votes. We have energized Dems, pissed off Repubs and rational independents and will win this in a landslide.

I'll settle for competent, intelligent, rock-solid, steady, informed, capable, honest, and someone who will be a real President.....something we haven't had since Bill Clinton was in office.

check out this article . . .you will feel encouraged.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/articles/2004/05/09/a_kerry_message_starts_to_break_through?pg=full

have you met him and how much have you heard him speak? I have met him as I am a volunteer in Michigan and have watched him plenty on tv when ever I have been able to find him. as I also met Gore and thought he was charismatic educated and concerned for the common man as well as the good of this country and world as is Kerry. I don't want a good ole boy leading this nation to a dead end road at the end of a corn field, or to the bottom of a beer bottle. I want an educated well rounded man with character valor and honor and openness that we have lacked for the past 3 1/2 years. so listen to the man speak and go meet him before you tell us how unlikable he is or flip floppy he is from watching Bush's attack ads.

You're leaving out a couple things.

#1- Rising casualty rates throughout the summer.

#2- The Democratic Party is actually spending more money than they ever have for this years convention. From what I understand, they're really making it into a huge event. They're even going to sponsor a concert at the same time. It will feature big name acts, like Pearl Jam. So basically chalk up a few weeks of REALLY good news. Guess what, it didn't matter who the candidate was because we're becoming a small donor powerhouse. It was the Republicans that traditionally depended on small donors, and the Dems on the fatcats. This is no longer true.

#3- The Republican guy I know, he's a communications guy for the Rebublican Senatorial Campaign Committee, tells me that they are really anxious about their Convention in NYC. Quote, "Worst case scenario, the streets get really ugly and we'll take a decade to recover from it."

#4- The possibility of a Cheney related indictment for the Plame leak affair.

if it is all true, how come so many people are still saying they are disappointed in Kerry's campaign?

Should Kerry really, unlike Bush, actually PAY ATTENTION to the littel people here?

If we think he does and will not, then we will conclude he is no better than Bush--and a few of us, will not go to the polls, perceiving little difference bewtween the both and desperately wishing and hoping for a candidate that has some goddam energy and that will stand up for the little people of America

So far, we somehow perceive he is playing the politics too , way too, middle of the road or ever no road at all. He is supporting Bush even as if her were the clone of a lieberman

We do NOT need this type of a candidate --not now. We need someone who will stand up for us--not someone who supports and stands up for
bush and his policies.

If he is for all those things as posted on his web site, why is it that many people are not that aware of it all? Howcome these policies are not known by the average person who is not a 'republican but really cannot figure out the difference at all.

the ones that actually MEAN something.

, CNN, NBC, ABC, FAUX, etc., that have attempted to portray him as however the GOP tells them too.

If Kerry entered into the fray on Iraq right now, it would just take the spotlight off of where it belongs.

I keep waiting for the scandals to die down, and for John Kerry to enter the fray in a bigger way...but the scandals just become more horrific, and continue to come, one right after the other.

Right now, Rove is probably wishing ANYTHING else would get some media attention-drive the Iraqi torture photos off the front page. Why would Kerry help them do that?

No, instead, raise and save money, help other candidates if possible, and get ready for a huge push in the late summer and fall. Go for a big media blitz and landslide and take Congress back!

Bush is leading the GOP straight into disaster, and even the most deluded freeper has got to be feeling an icy chill run down their backs as they wonder what will come out next on their guy.

And it's been one outrage after another. I remember hearing Republicans a few weeks ago saying that ANY talk of national security was good for *. Right now they are likely praying for a rash of tornadoes in the Midwest. Anything to change the subject.

Stay beneath the radar, Senator Kerry. Don't run interference for the incompetents running our government.

This is the right time to be running a positive campaign. I guess he learned something from Edwards. He does need someone else to respond to bush's lies and gutter fighting. When he gets his VP that will help, but in the meantime, he needs some high level people to fight in the mud.

I would vote for a dead dog if it was running against Bush. But the truth is that liberal, smart, educated New Englanders have not faired well in national elections for some time now. Most of my conservative blinders on relatives have all said how much they hate Bush, but none of them have been inspired by Kerry and their solution so far is "well, I just won't vote for anybody". This is what scares me.

Kerry appeals to the choir - I really don't think he is winning over the "Entertainment Tonight is where I get my news" undecideds out there.

is doing fine. The revelations coming out about torture and our not adhering to the Geneva Conventions, etc. will drag down bush support at some point. Comments at this point should relate to accountability, but not seem too shrill.

on his latest cd, sacred love. it's fabulous. check out the lyrics.

"This War" by Sting 2003

You've got the mouth of a she-wolf
Inside the mask of an innocent lamb
You say your heart is all compassion
But there's just a flat line on your cardiogram

Yet you always made a profit baby
If it was a famine or a feast

Yes, I'm the sould of indiscretion
I was cursed with x-ray vision
I could see right through all the lies you told,
When you smiled for the television.

And you can see the coming battle
You pray the drums will never cease
And you may win this war that's coming
But would you tolerate peace?

INvesting in munitions
And those little cotton flags
INvest in wooden caskets
In guns and body bags, guns and body bags.

YOur daddy was a businessman
And it always made good sense
You know the war can make you rich my friend
IN dollars, pounds, and cents.

IN the temple that was Mammon's
You were ordained the parish priest
Yes you may win this coming battle
But could you tolerate the peace?

Invest in deadly weapons
And those little cotton flags
Invest in wooden caskets
In guns and body bags
You're invested in oppression
Inversting in corruption
Invest in every tyranny
And the whole world's destruction

I imagine there's a future
When all the earthly wars are over
You may find yourself just standing there
On the white cliffs of dover.

YOu may ask, what does it profit a man
To gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul?
Is that your body you see on the rocdks below
As the tide beings to roll?

And you invested in this prison
From which you never got released
YOu may have won this war we're fighting
But would you tolerate the peace?

There's a war on our democracy
A war on our dissent
Ther's a war inside religion
And what Jesus might have meant

There's a war on mother nature
A war upon the seas
There's a war upon the forests
On the birds and the bees

There's a war on education
A war on information
A war between the sexes
And every nation

A war on our compassion
A war on understanding
A war on love and life itself
It's war that they're demanding

Make it easy on yourself
And don't do nothing.

...DEBATE. If that doesn't move some of the undecideds to Kerry, nothing will.

I can't wait to the perp walk on that one.

At any rate, it would be nice if Kerry weren't so reliant on Chimp's screw ups and could give voters a reason to vote for him, rather than against Bush.

He said the Kerry campaign is in good shape. He said in May of 1992, the Clinton campaign didn't know whether to wind their butts or scratch their watches (think that was the quote - it cracked me up). Right now, Kerry needs to just hang back and let the repukes hang themselves.

Yeah Carville was great.

He stands by all his statements and never waivers. He has said the terrorists will lose no matter who wins the election. That is some real good resolve. He supports our honorable mission in Iraq and that is such a bonus for his election. You really have to admire the man since he is very electable and a heroic war veteran. We just need to ignore his admission that he committed war crimes when he and his team killed innocent people in Viet Nam. Really...we need to ignore his admissions...

the way things are going i cant help but imagine that Kerry is going to sweep the electoral college. I know, its unrealistic, but I can still dream.

Add 10 points and Kerry is up to 55%.

1. It's only May. The Dem Convention is in late July.
Add 2 points from the Convention bounce

2. He's already ahead of Bush in most polls.

3. He's raised a record amount of cash.
Add 2 points due to effectiveness of the ads

4. He's still comparatively unknown.
Add 2 point due to the recognition factor

5. Bush has spent $75 million on negative ads and he's still behind.
Not good for an incumbent at this date, especially for a miserable failure like Bush.
6. Bush's ratings are in free fall; he's at an all-time low 47%.

7. Kerry has not yet chosen a VP. Assuming it's Clark or Edwards, this will surely jump start his numbers.
Add 1 point due to VP choice

8. The latest Bush scandal, TortureGate, has more legs than a centipede. And this buck cannot be passed off to lower-level aides.
Add 2 points due to fallout from TortureGate

9. The temperature of developing Bush scandals is rising to the Michael Moore boiling point: 911 Fahrenheit.
Add 1 point due to the flick educating people about the Bush/Big Oil/Saudi Link.

10. Many Repub voters have had it with Bush; its called Fear Fatigue.

At this time in the election, a presidential challenger can not hope to do any better then be even with the incumbent. That's what Kerry is and has been for the last several months, sometime a little ahead and sometimes a little behind, but more or less statistically even. Bush has played a dangerous game by attacking so vehemently so soon. He's used up all his presidential aura. The worst thing that Democrats have to fear right now is fear itself. The ONLY way Kerry can lose is if we lose confidence in him.