How does Kerry beat Bush?!?!

[carpe diem]

I really, really want to know how he's going to do this? Please explain how he runs against Bush's policies when he voted for most of them. How can somebody whose speaking style makes Michael Dukakis sound like a Baptist preacher on Sunday morning, inspire new voters or expand the base of the party to bring in more people? We have to be able to reach beyond the traditional party base if we're going to win this election and if the Democratic party is going to survive. Zell Miller is definitely NOT somebody I'm inclined to agree with, but if Kerry is the nominee, some of his criticisms will be validated. A national party no more indeed!

So, if anybody would be so kind as to ease some of my concerns. Because too, too much is riding on us winning in November...like the future of democracy!! How is Kerry going to win the general election?!?! Thanks!

[creativelcro]

1. Simple: Kerry CANNOT beat Bush.

On almost any issue, Kerry has fatal holes...

[OutlawCorporatePolls]

27. uh, first he has to beat Dean?

lol. remember, dean is winning this race, even tho big media will refuse to show the actual delegate count, until after tuesday, assuming kerry wins.. kerry has around 100 of over 2000 needed. the media (and their advertisers) and trying to pick the winner early.


steer those sheep. he-yah.

[asthmaticeog]

2. I can't ease your concerns

because I share them, to the letter. I deeply fear he could sink us.

[ferg]

3. Bush is imploding

It may be that any Democratic candidate will beat Bush.

That won't stop the GOP media and Bush from trashing whoever becomes the Democratic nominee. But it's possible that the total horseshit from the media over the past four years will be enough to convince people to ignore them.

[last1standing]

34. We cannot place our fortunes on an imploding bush*.

Kerry takes us down a road we've traveled many times. Each time we've lost. Now is the time for a leader not a follower, and Kerry is a follower.

[FARAFIELD]

4. SADLY I AGREE

Its not that Kerrys Message is bad (its good infact) OR that Bush is a terrific campaigner (he isnt) But Kerry isnt really inspiring in the same way an EDwards or Clark would be. Maybe he can be, but ive been a DEM all my life and I just dont see Kerry energizing the swing voters. As far as how HE (or WE) win its easy. Just win 10 more electoral votes and hold the other 20 states and DC. Edwards/Grahm Ticket had a good shot at florida and states like WV, NH, NV and even OHIO where they are really looking for some inspiration. Oh well.

[KingofSwords]

5. he has NOT supported Bush's policies..

What in the heck do you mean by that?

[girl gone mad]

6. Patriot Act, Iraq War Resolution,

No Child Left Behind... keep up!

[asthmaticeog]

7. The short list:

IWR. Energy. Medicare. NCLB. That's just about ALL the bad stuff. It's a matter of public record.

[carpe diem]

8. for example..

...the war resolution, no child left behind, only showing up for approx. 30% of the votes he should have been in on in his senate career, and generally being one of the grab-your-ankles "thank you sir may i have another" Washington Democrats who forgot they were supposed to be the OPPOSITION party and basically rolled over for Bush & co. for the last 3 years...

[cammikins]

15. Ditto

And it really gripes me. The democrats act as if J Edgar is in charge; and it is their willingness to cede him all he wants that is going to make it difficult for whoever eventually ends up candidate. I just can't imagine any of them taking the 'bull by the horns' and forging ahead through the rough waters. Rather than answer questions it will be like the last - Gore and the press giving Dubya a pass on issues like military service, special favors, drug consumption, etc. because they might get muddied too.

I believe it is going to hinge on credibility and whoever can take the heat for their their pandering.

[newyawker99]

21. Hi cammikins!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[KingofSwords]

18. there were good parts and bad parts in all those bills..

He did criticize the bad parts. As President would someone like Dean veto an education or healthcare bill just because the GOP adds something to it he opposes? He'll have to veto every bill.

[last1standing]

37. Bill Clinton had the guts to close down the government to stop them.

It's called leadership. Instead of constantly weighing the popularity of a bill, you stand up and make your voice heard. Yes, I believe Dean would stand up and veto a faulty education or healthcare bill that would be more damaging to the average American than helpful.

There is more at stake than getting a Democrat into the white house. We need to get a leader in there.

[newyawker99]

20. Hi KingofSwords!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[bicentennial_baby]

9. Simple...He won't

There, now don't you feel better?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

10. I guess you missed that the polls do indeed show Kerry beating Bush.

[HawkerHurricane]

11. He'll have to do it the old fashioned way

by getting more electoral votes.

[creativelcro]

12. That poll is stupid, by Kerry's own admission

[Rainbowreflect]

13. Maybe he will win because HE did not lie.

The most important issue is bush lied.

[DrZhivago]

14. give him enough rope

to hang himself from, either that or pour some water in his ear to short out the earpiece he gets fed all the asnwers from

[Lobo_13]

16. He lies virtually every time he opens his mouth

No botox . . . lie

Standing up for xyz . . . lie, he's a "me too" dem that only latches onto bills once they look like they'll pass.

Stands up to special interests . . . lie, he's taken more money from special interests in 15 years than any other Dem senator, including the substantial majority of donations for his presidential run.

Is an effective legislator . . . lie, a) didn't bother to show up for more than half of the votes over his career. b) has only had eight bills passed with his name on them, 5 of which were ceremonial.

He's a ne'er-do-well elitist who has no other interest than to stroke his own ego.

[slinkerwink]

17. he just doesn't have that ability to win---might be a narrow win or a huge

loss in the general election. We can't afford narrow wins, honestly.

[JNelson6563]

19. By being more like him?

That seems to be the plan. :shrug:

[For PaisAn]

22. I don't believe Kerry can beat Bush

Any of the candidates will get the majority of Democratic voters to vote for them. They all have progressive enough stands to be more appealing than Bush to us Democrats. To beat Bush the candidate will have to do these things (in no particular order):

1) Must have foreign policy leadership experience.

2) Must be able to get moderate Republican and Independant votes. This would be accomplished by the candidate being viewed as nonpartisan and not being pegged as an extreme liberal.

3) Must stand firm on issues and fight back against attacks.

4) Must be able to criticize the administration therefore cannot be a candidate who voted in favor of the administation's policies.

The objective is to get Bush out in the GE, not who polls best with Democratic voters.

Clark is the one who can beat Bush. With Clark I can vote knowing that he is our best hope to get rid of Bush while still voting with my principles intact.

[MODemocrat]

29. PaisAn! that sounds like a Clark/Dean ticket

Foreign policy leadership = Clark
Must stand firm on isssues and fight back against attacks = Dean
the other two = Clark + Dean:bounce:

:thumbsup: :hi:

[For PaisAn]

43. Yes it does

I thought Clark/Dean ticket would be unstoppable. I'm just quite angry with Dean right now for calling Clark a Republican. Clark has NEVER been a republican and it was a low dirty blow. Other than that Dean is great. Just can't get past that snide attack on Clark.

[BeatleBoot]

23. Its called, Ohio

Ohio

[poskonig]

26. and Nevada! and New Hampshire!

yeeeeeeargh! :bounce:

[shivaji]

24. Very simple...hold Gore states & win Nevada & WV

That totals 270 EV's. Don't need a single southern state,
not even Florida or Arkansas or the Carolina's.

[mikehiggins]

47. And how does a rich white Yankee liberal do that? eom

[JohnOneillsMemory]

25. Betrayal of the military issues when troops come home in the spring.

I'm not committed to any dem candidate but I find the Kerry/Vietnam narrative compelling juxtaposed with the currently emerging public sense of betrayal regarding Iraq.

Imagine what's going to come out in interviews with those thousands of troops they're going to rotate home (or to Afghanistan?!) this Spring.

The public is showing more concerns about domestic issues in polls today but I predict that will change when the troops come back and more outrage spills out than can be covered up with parades and medals.

I predict the military grass roots support will swing hard to Kerry. They distrust politicians who haven't seen what they have.

[DrFunkenstein]

28. Kerry Pulled In The Most New Voters In Iowa And NH

Despite "conventional wisdom," he IS bringing people into the process.

Plus Kerry's HUGE standing next to Bush! It's all about being the alpha male.

Not to mention huge deficits, health care, veterans' rights, blah blah blah...

[mikehiggins]

44. Kerry got lots of anti-Bush votes, not so many pro-Kerry votes.

The major concern of the voters was/is electibility. The voters were generally opposed to the President and supported the man they think has the best chance of beating Bush in November.

They have a right to do that BUT everybody has to remember that we are talking about a minority of Kerry voters out of a minority of registered voters in two states with small populations and a very huge media spotlight.

While Kerry may win several states on Tuesday, the real question will be how strong is his support and how well will it immunize him from the fact that he is a hyper-liberal Senator from Massachusetts, etc., etc. and so forth.

For all of his new, Dean-esque rhetoric (which some people actually think is just rhetoric lifted whole from the Dean campaign) and his coterie of fatigue clad veterans, the fact remains that this is the same old John Kerry, rich white Yankee liberal, and his chances to win the general election are just as good as Dukakis' were.

But, after all, the voice of the people will be heard. And that's all she wrote.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

30. Excuse Me For Interrupting Your Kerry Bash Fest...

but Kerry has a higher lifetime ADA rating than Ted Kennedy


www.adaction.org


He was one of twelve senators who had the nads to oppose DOMA when DOMA was "cool"...

He voted for the Patriot Act....

Big deal....

So did ninety eight other senators...

He voted for "No Child Left Behind"

So did Ted Kennedy.....

Big deal....

He voted for the Iraq War Resolution...

So did Tom Harkin, Barbara Boxer, and Hillary Rodham Clinton...

Big deal....

I'm not a Kerry man... I like the General and Edwards better but I'll defend him from unwarranted attacks from disgruntled Dean supporters...

He beat your boy fair and square...

Man or woman up and deal with it....

Peace

Brian

[mikehiggins]

45. Kerry has a higher ADA rating than Ted Kennedy and a 100%

rating from the NAACP.

And this will help us in November because...?

[GOPBasher]

31. Look at the polls.

Kerry is in a statistical dead heat with Bush in every poll. Plus, you said that Kerry voted for most of Bush's policies. That's not true. He didn't vote for any of the tax cuts, any of the bad environmental bills that passed, or the $87 billion for Iraq. Those are the biggest issues to me, because a ruined environment and huge government debt are two major problems that, if not solved, we pass down to our children and their children.

[TexasPatriot]

32. if kerry is going to win it

then Bush has to lose it.
he's going to back in... Bush is a terrible president. I have a good friend who's mother is an 85 yr old in a nursing home in North Carolina, and she says that she'll roll her wheelchair to the polls herself and vote for Al Sharpton if she has to.

Kerry can win - hell he can win easily - but i fear he'd find himself in deep trouble in the house and senate.

[BruinAlum]

33. Because Kerry is already polling ahead of Bush

Bush has a high disapproval rating, and a low re-elect rating. Bush is ripe for replacement and Kerry seems to be the one responating with most of the American public. That's how.

[creativelcro]

35. Fantasy numbers, sorry...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

36. Hate Is Corrrosive... It Destroys The Container As Well As It's Target...

Don't hate the playa.... Hate the game....


Peace


Brian

[mlawson]

38. Three things would need to happen.

1) The apolitical swing voters must not vote. For if they do, they will go for bush, because they think he is is more like them, than Kerry is. bush passes the beer buddy test; Kerry does not.
2) bush has to be in near free-fall.
3) Kerry has to have an armor coating of teflon. Does he???

No, I can't ease your concerns one bit. I wish someone could ease mine, as well.

[mikehiggins]

46. I'd try, if I thought you were wrong. I just don't think you go far enough

Kerry's ascension is not a good thing for this party.

[Hippo_Tron]

39. Read his platform...

And then read Bush's platform. It's pretty self explanatory.

[creativelcro]

40. .

[NewYorkerfromMass]

41. Handily. Lying AWOL frat boys

have gone out of style.

[in_cog_ni_to]

42. If Kerry's the nominee....we are finished.

NOT just the Democratic Party.....the whole damn country is finished. PNAC will be in full throttle....their agenda will continue. We're finished.