Out Of Control??

[nbcrusader]

Top Dem Rips Kerry Campaign

Longtime Democratic insider Tony Coelho lashed out at the John Kerry presidential campaign, characterizing it as a campaign in chaos. With yet another appointment of a former Clinton administration staffer to Kerry’s team on Tuesday, Coelho argues the problem is worsening.

What is Kerry's message? Why is he not campaigning against Bush's record as President (instead of using a smear campaign based on falsified memos)?

FYM'ers - what issues do YOU want Kerry to talk about?

 

[A_Wanderer]

I want Kerry to talk about a Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and start channeling Howard Dean and do the scream. Other than that I think that he suffers from a case of "the enemy within", too many of his "allies" want to see a Hillary '08 and are undermining his campaign.

 

[DrTeeth]

John Kerry has disappointed me in so many ways.

 

[verte76]

Uniting Democrats is very tough to do. Will Rogers once said "I don't belong to an organized party, I'm a Democrat".

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I want Kerry to talk about a Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and start channeling Howard Dean and do the scream. Other than that I think that he suffers from a case of "the enemy within", too many of his "allies" want to see a Hillary '08 and are undermining his campaign.

... and Hill Hill currently trails Rudy G in a poll taken about a hypothetical 2008 presidential campaign in the great state of new york... a state that hasn't been in the Red when it comes to Presidential Elections since Reagan.

The Dems need some reorganizing...

 

[ThatGuy]

Now you guys trust CBS News?

Based on his comments, if Tony Coelho were Republican and speaking about the President he might be labelled "disgruntled" or "out of the loop." This is essentially an editorial by Coelho masquerading as a news story, and he's certainly entitled to his opinion. "Top Dems Rip Kerry Campaign?" The only person besides Coelho quoted in the article is McCurry, and he's not "ripping" the campaign.

In any event, I do think that Kerry needs to be better about getting his message out there. He is talking about Bush's failures as president, but it's not getting out there the way it needs to be.

 

[A_Wanderer]

There is going to be a shitload of apathy come 2008, thousands of once highly motivated individuals seeing the end of BushChimpHitler and loosing their reason to be activists - kinda depressing in a way.

 

[Jamila]

...and the Republicans need some compassion.

Compassion for someone more than those who are their political contributors.

Each political party and campaign has its pluses and minuses - neither side should appear too self-righteous.

 

[ThatGuy]

There is going to be a shitload of apathy come 2008, thousands of once highly motivated individuals seeing the end of BushChimpHitler and loosing their reason to be activists - kinda depressing in a way.

Assuming that there's going to be an election in 2008 and that the Republicans are going to field a candidate I don't see an end to activism from the left. I think the left has seen where apathy got them in 2000, and I'd be very surprised to see a repeat of that so soon.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Compassion for someone more than those who are their political contributors.

please... anyone who believes this practice is isolated to just one party is kidding themselves.

 

[A_Wanderer]

I will be very happy to see and end to the ultradirty poltics and a return of some civility to it. If Bush really was Hitler then people wouldn't be able to go around and say that he is Hitler.

 

[nbcrusader]

...and the Republicans need some compassion.

Compassion for someone more than those who are their political contributors.

Each political party and campaign has its pluses and minuses - neither side should appear too self-righteous.

Oh, you're right. We need compassion for union bosses and trial lawyers instead

 

[thebigidea]

Coelho really is calling the kettle black ... he didn't exactly do a stand-up job running Gore's campaign in 2000. Had they managed to keep Gore on message, and not merely distance himself from President Clinton's legacy but capitalize on its good points, then I think the election might have come out differently. Gore's handlers did the candidate a great disservice in 2000, much as Kerry's do now by infighting and a failure of leadership. Coelho is right on one point ... Who is running Kerry's campaign? Clinton's campaign was among the smoothest political field operations in Democratic politics, because they were directed and relentless in the same way as the Republicans. Kerry's campaign is too top-heavy with consultants. I want Senator Kerry to win this thing, and I believe he can, and I believe our times call for a man with his appreciation of the issues and perspective on the world, but he is going to have to get his campaign in order, take charge of it, lay out his vision, and present himself as a credible alternative to Bush is the debates. Thankfully, Kerry can shine in debates mush as he did in the Kerry-Weld Senate race in 1996. Go to the Web site Periodic Diversions for some interesting articles and links on the 2004 Presidential race.

 

[verte76]

If there's any fault with the campaign, we can trust that it be brought up. It's in the nature of any election year for at least one big shot to gripe about the campaign.

 

[Zoocoustic]

I will be very happy to see and end to the ultradirty poltics and a return of some civility to it. If Bush really was Hitler then people wouldn't be able to go around and say that he is Hitler.

Exactly.

People have so much freedom in this country; that's what makes it great to live here. You can bad-mouth Bush all you want - even to the ridiculous point of comparing him to Hitler - and you have the absolute freedom to do so.

 

[ThatGuy]

Exactly.

People have so much freedom in this country; that's what makes it great to live here. You can bad-mouth Bush all you want - even to the ridiculous point of comparing him to Hitler - and you have the absolute freedom to do so.

Just as long as you don't do it at one of his campaign stops.

 

[Diane L]

If there's any fault with the campaign, we can trust that it be brought up. It's in the nature of any election year for at least one big shot to gripe about the campaign.

This is very true!

I spend a lot of time at two left-wing blogs these days, dailykos and atrios, and some posters are very unhappy with the way the Kerry campaign is being handled. Others trust that the powers-that-are in the campaign know what they're doing. And many believe that it's up to us Kerry supporters to get the word out through volunteering and conversations with undecided voters, stressing Kerry's good points.

Personally, I hate mudslinging and dirty politics, and would like Kerry to stay above this type of tactic. But I also desperately want him to win in November.

 

[indra]

Personally, I hate mudslinging and dirty politics, and would like Kerry to stay above this type of tactic. But I also desperately want him to win in November.

And the reason there is so much mudslinging in politics is that it WORKS. If it didn't, it wouldn't be done. Issues aren't discussed because it is far more effective to smear the other goy than to actually discuss issues.

 

[popacrobat]

is it me or has the focus for over the past month not been on kerry's isues, but his vietnam service which HE brought up and continues to do so, or his campaign issues and how he'll actually help the country?

i heard him on imus this morning on the way to school, and he was complaining that the us military didn't have top notch stuff in iraq...

can someone please explain to me how you vote down military spending and then complain about this? please.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

is it me or has the focus for over the past month not been on kerry's isues, but his vietnam service which HE brought up and continues to do so, or his campaign issues and how he'll actually help the country?

i heard him on imus this morning on the way to school, and he was complaining that the us military didn't have top notch stuff in iraq...

can someone please explain to me how you vote down military spending and then complain about this? please.

 

[ThatGuy]

can someone please explain to me how you vote down military spending and then complain about this? please.

Are you referring to the $87 billion for the troops? If yes, do you mean the version of the bill that Bush threatened to veto, or the one that ended up passing?

 

[AvsGirl41]

I would just like Kerry to come out in favor of something.

I was blasted by my ultra-liberal boss for saying I didn't like him and wouldn't campaign for him.

At this time last year, I felt like I could safely vote for Gore. I could have campaigned for him. I'm sure that has something to do with having the guy as VP for 8 years.

Kerry is a non-entity. He's playing it so safe he's losing voters like me, who are tempted to cast it for a third party rather than vote for a soggy waffle.

I still believe this is the year a third party could have taken it, if they'd put someone moderate up.