"The land mines awaiting John Kerry" - Joe Conason

[Myra]

Jan. 28, 2004

"...The perception of "electability" can quickly become a trap. It tends to encourage excessive caution, which in turn leads to voter disillusionment and apathy. Kerry already suffers from a reputation for caution and opportunism, when he is also quite capable of daring and toughness...

To talk about conceding the South is a stupid error. Although Kerry hasn't endorsed a north-of-Mason-Dixon strategy, he hinted that the Democrats don't need Southern states to win in November. That may be technically true, as a matter of electoral college math, but it should never be mentioned again by him or anyone in his campaign.
...
Brevity is both merciful and wise. That advice is particularly pertinent for a stiff speaker like Kerry. His speaking style, rather than his voting record or his personal history, is reminiscent of the lamentably lame Michael Dukakis. Kerry tends to disdain the repetitive, rousing style that motivates voters, and to favor lengthy, discursive explanations that only bore them. His handlers ought to challenge him by pointing out that Bush -- a man of very limited verbal facility -- has mastered stump speaking. Kerry still must learn to keep it crisp. If he doesn't, he could still lose the nomination to the far more eloquent and animated John Edwards."

http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2004/01/28/wednesday/index.html

Joe left out that Kerry needs to properly explain his votes to attack
Iraq and pass the Patriot Act. If those things can ever be sufficiently explained.

[mouse7]

1. Kerry needs more Rolling Stone interviews.

You think I'm kidding?

Kerry need to shelve the "debating" style of speaking and cuss like an enlisted sailor more often. Save his old form of speaking till his first State Of The Union speech

The profanity worked for him.

[lancdem]

2. Conason is rght about not writing off the South

I don't want to see that happen. Kerry has potential, but he needs to sharpen his message and his style, as Conason says, and to not be overly cautious.