Kerry Follows Dean's Lead

[Teacher4dean04]

The best proof of how Howard Dean has spooked the other 2004 Democratic presidential candidates could be found yesterday in the shrill tone of Sen. John Kerry's slashing attack on President Bush, all but painting him as liar-in-chief.

<snip>

Speaking in The Bronx, Kerry sounded as if he was trying to sound just like Dean. In fact, it sounded as if Kerry was kicking himself - hard - for having ever voted for the Iraq war last fall and wishing he'd been a naysayer from the start, like Dean.

<snip>

It also shows that Kerry, an early Democratic front-runner, is now acting as if Dean has taken the lead. And that may well be right. A rival campaign (not Kerry's) says its polling now puts Dean first in Iowa, the first Democratic presidential test.

http://nypost.com/commentary/820.htm

[meegbear]

1. If it's from the NYPost ...

it MUST be true.

[DrFunkenstein]

2. Right Up There With "KERRY USES LENNON TO LURE PEACENIKS"

But this doesn't make Republicans unhappy. White House press secretary Scott McClellan was happy to blast back at Kerry, painting him as a hypocrite who called for action against Saddam going back to 1998 and is now trying to "rewrite history."

<snip>

But 9/11 changed that. The number of conservatives and liberals is rising. Unfortunately for liberals, there are nearly twice as many conservatives in an era when national security is a top worry.

"We're back in an era of polarization, back to ideological politics like the time of Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon," says a Republican strategist. "If a Dean or a Kerry goes after you, it's good to pop back and make sure everyone knows they're liberals."

Of course, this also helps Dean and Kerry. There's nothing activists like more than seeing their man go mano-a-mano with the White House. But that's fine with Republicans because they want to boost a liberal to the nomination.

[chimpymustgo]

3. Are the Dean folks working with the Rethugs??

I don't believe this! I know attacking Kerry has put Dean in the spotlight, but dammit they need to stop now.

[dajabr]

4. Chimpy...

I'm sorry, is the author of this piece a certified Dean supporter? What are you talking about?

[chimpymustgo]

6. Trippi giving nasty quotes about Kerry to Deborah Orin!

Why say something like this to the foxnews NY Post? Why do they keep attacking Kerry?


"You get the feeling they're hiring Jayson Blair to write their speeches," said Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi, referring to the New York Times reporter who had to quit because of plagiarism.

[RogueTrooper]

7. Good one from Mr. Trippi

I guess that was a quote made for the NY Post :evilgrin:

[mdmc]

23. The worst thing Dean can do

is use the terms Bush Lite or Dean Lite. They offend supporters of groups that Dean needs. Let Kerry attack Bush. Let Kerry call Bush a liar. Dean has been termed unelectable by the dlc (in NYS, AG Spitzer singled him out as unelectable) due to these "attacks on Bush (in opposistion to the war)". Anti war dems are coming on board! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Bush lite. I never want to hear it again, unless its from Nader or Sharpton. Everyone elese is Bush Lite!

[DrGonzoLives]

27. Don't you people get tired of this line?

You know, attacking Dean supporters as being Republicans, which, by the way, is against the rules of this board?

I know attacking Dean's supporters makes you feel like big, important people, but dammit you need to stop now

[Duder]

5. Been noted before...

'Kerry has also tightened up his stump speech at his house parties. Not only is Kerry more "angry" he has also picked strong applause lines from his rivals for the Democratic nomination.

At the house party in Concord in front of 70 activists, Kerry recalled Bill Clinton's words that voters in 2004 "would rather vote for someone who is strong and wrong versus weak and right", a line that Dean has used regularly since February.

He also took Edwards' best line that the first thing he will do in office is fire John Ashcroft as Attorney General, accusing him of trampling on civil liberties. Also, Edwards says that he and Bush "come from very different places" for which Kerry said, "the President and I have to very different viewpoints."

From Gephardt, Kerry says health insurance is a right for all Americans.

It's important to note that none of these lines are inconsistent with what he has said in the past and other candidates have borrowed liberally from Kerry in their speeches.'

http://www.politicsnh.com/archives/pindell/2003/July/7_10.shtml

[DrFunkenstein]

8. This Is What Many Of Us Hoped For Months Ago

That the candidates, especially Dean and Kerry, would push each other to become better, not tear each other down. I am glad that Dean pushed Kerry to get a little more fire, just as I'm glad Kerry pushed Dean to get a little more substance.

Second, I can't believe you are bitching that Kerry is stealing the same line as Dean from Clinton. Actually, Kerry has incorporated it into his rhetoric and changed it to "strong and right." Again, borrowing from Clinton is not necessarily a bad thing.

Finally, there is a real difference between "come from very different places" and "the President and I have to very different viewpoints." Edwards is running on the strength of his personal narrative. Kerry is running on the strength of his ideas.

[Duder]

11. Actually it wasn't me bitching...

If it was me, I'd like to see Kerry open up and be original but my impression is that he takes the politically "safe" route in what he says and in how he votes which makes one question where he's really coming from. Perhaps using the Gore campaign staff makes him overly cautious, but that's just my opinion.

[blm]

12. Baloney...Kerry made that statement LONG ago...

in fact, he said it over a YEAR ago in a foreign policy speech that Conason wrote about.

William Saletan pointed out a few weeks ago that Dean regularly grabbed lines from the other candidates.

[chimpymustgo]

13. Thanks for that reminder, blm.

Do you have a link? It would be great to see that in print.

[blm]

14. Keyboard problems...

I can't copy links or text. Will have new keyboard tonight. Conason's article should be easy to find. I believe the speech was late spring of last year, and the article was written in the summer.

[Stoic]

9. They try to marginalize Kerry with their weasle words: "Shrill"

Just because I support Dean, doesn't mean I dislike Kerry. The NY Post isn't fit for toilet paper.

[chimpymustgo]

10. No, and Trippi shouldn't be helping to sell it.

nt

[Dear Prudence]

15. Dean - Borrowing from Jerry Brown '92

Before Ross Perot even, my candidate - Jerry Brown for President '92 -used the slogan "TAKE BACK AMERICA"

(I'm still the proud owner of at least 3 t-shirts):D

[Octafish]

16. "I'm from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party."

Sen. Paul Wellstone used to say that a lot. Ex-governor ex-doctor ex-stockbroker Howard Dean says it a lot now, usually without attributing where he got the idea.

EDIT: Forgot most important part:

A hearty welcome to DU, Dear Prudence!

Fixing a hole in the ocean
trying to make a dove-tail joint, yeah
looking through a glass onion.

[DrFunkenstein]

18. F for General Likeability

Candidate: Howard Dean
Category: General Likeability
Grade: F

Once upon a time Howard Dean's needling of fellow candidates was both endearing and, arguably, productive--since it may have spurred them to sharpen their attacks on the administration. But now that his rivals have learned to throw hard punches against Republicans, Dean's attacks are just plain boorish. Consider what happened in Lake Placid, New York, over the weekend.

At an event dedicated to rural issues, Dean appeared shortly after archrival John Kerry. It seems Kerry had given an unusually stirring speech in which he used the line, "The one thing this country doesn't need is a second Republican Party." This prompted Dean to snipe, "I heard he did a great job giving my speech." And when it was Dean's turn to address the gathering, he threw this barb: "I appreciate Senator Kerry saying we don't want Bush lite, and we don't. But Senator Kerry, we don't want Dean lite, either."

Dean, who has appropriated his own favorite line (about representing the "Democratic wing of the Democratic Party") from the late Paul Wellstone, is in no position to criticize other candidates for borrowing bits of rhetoric. Besides, this sniping is now hurting the party more than it is helping it, by diverting attention away from the issues and towards the personal fight between Dean and Kerry. Dean must know better; apparently, even Bill Clinton has asked him to lay off the attacks.

But Dean just can't seem to help himself, which doesn't speak well of his leadership skills. (Minor exculpatory note: Dean does have the decency to make these attacks openly; Kerry, by contrast, talks publicly about the need for comity while his supporters disparage Dean privately.)

http://www.tnr.com/primary/index.mhtml?pid=443

[ProfessorPlum]

19. Dean can't go away now, though

Doc - the other candidates would slump back into their old torpid ways. At least they are keeping each other sharp. Each attack on the administration spurs the other to sharpen their attack. They only loser is *.

[ModerateMiddle]

29. what he'd be really good at

is introducing the nominee at rallys - getting the audience all worked up. Joe America doesn't want someone like that actually running the country, but man, he DOES fire people up!

[chimpymustgo]

20. Thanks, Dr. for sharing that enlightening incident.

Dean really needs to stop. He is not only hurting the other candidates, and the party - he is hurting himself. Only the latter is fine with me.

What a jerk.

[DrFunkenstein]

21. All The Candidates Screwed Up One Way Or Another

My point is not to paint Dean as the jerk, just to clear up some confusion about "borrowing" from other candidates. I hope Dean is the best candidate he can be, and makes no mistakes. I hope that for all the candidates.

Although a crowded field may seem a terrible thing as far as campaign funds go, it really forces them to go at Bush a little bit stronger than the next guy. You can't beat that! And if one candidate sharpens their act off of another, I think it is fine as long as it is a turn for the better.

Jazz musicians play their best to make the others play better, which pushes competition in a positive way. My hope is for the candidates to go at each other like Miles Davis and John Coltrane.

[chimpymustgo]

22. Point taken, Dr.

I hope the candidates do that too. Sorry, but I think this tactic of Dean's is self-serving and really alienating the other candidates and their supporters.

I too, hope all these guys will be the best they can be.

[mdmc]

24. Worse, at Lk. Placid

was that the campaign was PROUD of this Dean Lite line. Well, no one in the rural conference was moved by it. As a Dean supporter who was at the event, I felt that the rich kids were fighting over homecoming king.
Kerry did great. DK did great. W. Clark and George McGovern did great. Dean disappointed the shit out of me (oh yeah, I was wearing Birkenstocks at the time also).

[chimpymustgo]

25. LOL on the Birkenstocks.

eom

[Teacher4dean04]

26. I can't remember...

...seeing a speech that he didn't credit Wellstone with that quote. I just watched the most recent clip on Dean TV, and sure enough he gives credit where credit is due.

[Nicholas_J]

17. Gotta stop posting

from this conservative rag...

Everyone who lives in New York know the post is the paper version of Fox News on cable.

Even if you look at the date on todays edition of the Post, it is best to go and find a calendar.

The post is the paper mostt fruently read by those who also collect Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity memorabilia.

What is more interesting is that for the most part, Dea supporters find a lot of their pro-Dea, anti everyone else in the most CONSERVATIVE souorces in the U.S.

I have seen many pro Dean anti anyone else stuff posted here from American Spectator and other extremely conservative sources, too numerous to mention...

To be fair, I have found a number of extrememly negative things about Dean is such papers as the Washington Times, but since this paper was started but Newt Gingrich's former aide. Tony Blakely, I dont sonsider much of it valid democratic analysis.

Among those on the posts editorial staff are:

Scott McConnell is the executive editor of The American Conservative.A Ph.D.in history from Columbia University, he was formerly the editorial page editor of the New York Post and has been a columnist for Antiwar.com and New York Press.His work has been published in Commentary, Fortune, National Review, The New Republic, and many other publications.

http://www.amconmag.com/aboutus.html

As publisher, Martin Singerman periodically arranged lunches with the Post editors and various black and Latino leaders, designed in part to diffuse the charge that the Post's generally conservative stands are anti-minority. These lunches are sometimes fun, often informative, but occasionally simply business. But the one on August 15 was something else altogether. Singerman apparently gave Fernando Ferrer, Bronx Borough president and a failed mayoral aspirant, a free hand to put together the guest list. Ferrer then set about organizing a lunch that was not a discussion of city affairs or of general "Hispanic" issues, but a kind of trial of the Post's Puerto Rico editorial.

http://www.vdare.com/mcconnell/firing.htm

I wonder what this says about Dean.

I mean if you really support Dean ( I do not, as is well known) At least dont stick your foot in your mouth by posting from some of the most conservative sources in the nation) Just friendly advice this time...

[VBNI]

28. Dean spooked by other candidates

I think Dean is just as spooked by the other candidates. They have records from Congress and Dean has a record as governor.