several Kerry aides consider quitting campaign because of Kerry's attitude

[pruner]

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa - Democrat John Kerry shook up his foundering presidential campaign Monday, firing his campaign manager as the Massachusetts senator, once the party's establishment candidate, struggled to make up ground on front-runner Howard Dean.

Trailing Dean in the current measures of the race - fund raising, opinion polls, crucial endorsements - Kerry replaced campaign manager Jim Jordan with Mary Beth Cahill, chief of staff to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.

<snip>

Jordan's firing raised the specter of other departures.

In a conference call Sunday night, Kerry enraged much of his staff by mispronouncing the name of a top staff member at least once, and could be heard eating as he broke the news of Jordan's firing, which he called a "one-day story." Stung by his attitude, several aides said they were considering quitting the campaign.

<snip>

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/7230370.htm

[Andy_Stephenson]

1. IMHO His Foundering Campaign is due to his IWR vote

as much as some would spin it another way.

[Egnever]

2. Agreed

Course his personality and treatment of his staff members isnt helping him much

[liberalhistorian]

8. Exactly!

Plus, he projects an image that just screams "beltway establishment!", which is NOT what we need right now.

[bluestateguy]

3. Message to Kerry supporters

Join us, and we will win the nomination and defeat *. John Kerry's national security credentials are impressive, but they cannot hold a candle to Wesley Clark. Follow the lead of former Kerry staffer Chris Lehane and join us as we work toward a New American Patriotism.

[IndianaGreen]

7. A "New American Patriotism"?

The last thing we need is another fascistic slogan. How about returning the country to Constitutional rule, and restoring the Bill of Rights?

[SahaleArm]

17. As opposed to voting for a glorified Tony Robbins?

*NM*

[eileen_d]

13. You bet I will

If Kerry does crash and burn, I'll be in the Clark camp right away.

[blm]

4. Gore shook up his campaign when he was behind Bradley.

The doomsayers are awfully premature.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

5. Kerry was eating during a conference call!

This man is not fit to be President!

[Field Of Dreams]

9. Maybe he was munching on one of those pheasants

he shot recently. :9

[Feanorcurufinwe]

11. Yum!

[IndianaGreen]

6. With Wesley Clark in the race, who needs Kerry?

Clark has more ribbons and medals than Kerry, and this appeals to those that find those things to have more value than what they really have.

The sad thing is that on paper, Kerry is the best liberal candidate to go against Bush. Kerry might have to do a Hubert Humphrey imitation if he wants to salvage any semblance of a challenger to the nomination. Late during the 1968 Presidential campaign, then Vice-President Hubert Humphrey gave a speech about his candidacy, and about Vietnam. Humphrey had been a cheerleader for the war, having coined the phrase "Vietnam is this country's greatest adventure." The Vice-Presidential seal was notably missing from the podium on this particular day. In his speech, Humphrey turned his back on his support for the war, and called for a peaceful settlement and for the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam. His speech stung President Johnson despite the fact that Humphrey had told him beforehand about what he was going to say. The result was that Humphrey, who had been trailing Nixon in the polls, nearly won the election.

Kerry will be well advised to stop trying to justify his vote for the Iraq War Resolution, admit that it was a terrible mistake, and take a big cue from Lieberman and start blasting Bush for losing the peace and winning the enmity of the Iraqi people.

[DrFunkenstein]

12. Wes Fought Conventional Wars, Kerry Fought Terrorism

Kerry was the Committee on Terrorism and International Relations, chairing it for 8 years. He took on BCCI which led to a much greater understanding of how money is funneled to terrorists. He has led the fight against nuclear proliferation and fought for drastic reductions in our own nuclear levels.

He even wrote a book on the subject:

<http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0684846144.01._PE_PIdp-schmooS,TopRight,7,-26_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg>

[Julien Sorel]

31. Vietnam was a conventional war?

Maybe I need to do some more reading.

[DrFunkenstein]

10. If Those Aides Are More Loyal To Jordan, Let Them Leave

I'd say that's some pretty f'd up priorities, but that's what you get from professional political staffers. Their loyalty is to the job, not the candidate.

I'm glad that Kerry went with the Boston faction. They know him better and believe in him. I think they will push him to become even more passionate and hard working. They've been around him for most of his political life, and Kerry trusts them. You can't beat that.

[Renew Deal]

14. Bring them to the Clark campaign.

I would welcome them with open arms.

[Lady President]

15. Expected

It's completely to be expected that a few aides would leave with the campaign manager. Some people don't like change in the status quo. I think this is a good thing because it weeds out who is loyal to Kerry and who was loyal to his campaign manager. The best aides will stay because they know their skills will impress Cahill.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

16. I'm sure we could find Dean staff who quit his campaign too

but what's the point?

[HFishbine]

23. Exactly

What is the point, indeed?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

18. If only Cahill could bring Kennedy's IWR vote over with her.

*sigh*

[DrFunkenstein]

19. If Only Dean Had A Platform

Instead of a vote he didn't cast, he might impress me.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

20. Only members of Congress can run for POTUS?

That shitcans Clinton, Carter and Roosevelt. I guess he didn't make the point that Chimp hadn't made the case for war clear enough for you. Just because you and John love the Iraq war doesn't mean everyone has to. To each his own.

[IndianaGreen]

22. That also shitcans Adlai Stevenson

Stevenson was a real Democrat, and he was also a real intellectual who didn't need a ghostwriter like that Kennedy guy.

Adlai Stevenson was the most decent man to run for President in the last half century, but the country preferred a General!

[JohnKleeb]

24. IMO it doesnt matter what you are before the presidency

be a senator or governor. Yes too bad about Adlai, he was too "smart".

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

25. Then we have a real connundrum.

Because Ike didn't vote for shit either before he became Prez.

[DrFunkenstein]

27. Do I Have The Wrong Definition of Platform?

Platform - A formal declaration of the principles on which a group, such as a political party, makes its appeal to the public.

What does that have to do with being a Senator? My point is that he has been fixated on the IWR, even when he had the chance to set out his vision. The thing is...he doesn't have one (outside of anti-Bush).

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

32. He has no platform?

His speeches and campaign site are completely void of anything? His Governorship didn't exist? Disingenuous at best. A flat out lie at worst. Try again.


Instead of a vote he didn't cast, he might impress me.-Dr. F #19

This little ditty suggests that having not had to vote on the IWR, Dean's position is rendered meaningless. Ergo, the reference to "only members of Congress can run for POTUS?" Try to follow along.

[DrFunkenstein]

26. I Love LaRouche, Remember?

We went through a week or two of you accusing me of that...

I didn't say that Dean couldn't run because he didn't have an actual vote. My point was that he has never progressed beyond that. Even though he is a front-runner, he still doesn't know how move on to develop a platform and act Presidential. Not even after governing 600,000 people.

I've noticed you've gotten much slimier as the race progresses. Why would you say that "you and John love the Iraq war?"

When I say something, there is sincerity behind it. You just go straight for the throat.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

36. Lol.

I've gotten much slimier!?! Point me to an anti-Kerry thread that I've posted. Can't do it, can you. Not one. However, I could easily compile a list of your anti-Dean threads. Spare me the faux indignancy. The truth hurts, don't it? Well, here's some hard truth:


"I Love LaRouche, Remember?"

That sprang out an anti-Dean comment you made sourcing LaRouche's website. Remember? I think it was fair to question your motives. You googled for trash on Dean and forgot to note the website you were linking to. It was telling. Not in your support for LaRouche, but in your trash-hunting on Dean. I just mentioned it a couple of times hoping you would get the message. I failed.

My point was that he has never progressed beyond that.

The Confederate flag issue proves you wrong. It has nothing to do with the war, so obviously things are being discussed beyond that issue. From a thread you started, mentioning the "new" Kerry:

"But the most noteworthy change is the all-out attack on Dean, from his positions on taxes, healthcare and guns to, yes, his "values.""http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/11/11/kerry/index2.html http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=688316&mesg_id=688316

Hmmm. Let's see. Taxes. Healthcare. Guns. Values. I guess it really is just the IWR that Dean is all about. Hasn't progressed at all.:eyes:


Why would you say that "you and John love the Iraq war?"

An admitted cheap shot. I know you proclaim to have not supported the war. In which case you should stop defending it. You have zero credibility defending something that you disagree with.

When I say something, there is sincerity behind it. You just go straight for the throat.

Au contraire, mon frere. Your continued defense of Kerry's IWR vote belies your sincerity. If I disagree with Dean on something, I'll say it. Or, I'll keep my mouth shut. I only go for the throat when I have to sit here and watch a parade of passive-aggressive Kerry folk continually blast a candidate, in thread after thread, who is just as qualified to represent me as their candidate. Sorry if you don't like it.



Found my anti-Kerry threads yet?

[realFedUp]

21. I guess you could look at the 12 year record as governor

or look at the website which spells out his
opinions on a wide range of issues.

[whirlygigspin]

29. service men Rx

When you boys (Clark & Kerry) are finished comparing the size
of your "weapons" and you might want to take a look at
something else, like say the economy, witch is the lifeblood of
our body politic and what keeps your "weapons" pumped up, in good working order and ready for instant deployment.

--It's all nice and well that you know how to polish your gun boys,
but you gotta stop waving them around at every attractive nation that's well endowed with huge oil reserves. Keep that up and sooner or later you'll end up with a bad case of the Bin Ladens. And it's much more important to take care of the heart of your economy first.

check with your physician,
he'll give you a good prescription for change
keeping you both up and active for years to come.

[eileen_d]

30. The economy will go nowhere until we fix our foreign policy

Kerry and Clark are well-equipped to do that. Dean? I hope he has a long career ahead of him... in MEDICINE.

[nomaco-10]

28. John Kerry thought he was ...

the annointed front runner for the 2004 nomination, I sense there is alot of finger pointing and recriminations in his campaign, they didn't factor in Dean and newcomers like Clark. The dissarray in his campaign is a telling drawback in his bid for president. He didn't make the necessary adjustments soon enough and it has hurt. I don't want to pile on a fellow democrat, but his wife Thereasa will be the next hurdle that I don't think they can overcome either, she is a lovlely repub turned dem philanthropist that is somewhat flaky, as much as I like her, she is a liability to his campaign, Kerry just can't seem to get a break, and maybe with good reason.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

33. I wonder if Kerry has a dog, maybe that will be another impossible hurdle

:eyes:

"These Republican leaders have not been content with attacks on me, or my wife, or on my sons. No, not content with that, they now include my little dog, Fala. Well, of course, I don't resent attacks, and my family doesn't resent attacks, but Fala does resent them. You know, Fala is Scotch, and being a Scottie, as soon as he learned that the Republican fiction writers in Congress and out had concocted a story that I had left him behind on the Aleutian Islands and had sent a destroyer back to find him--at a cost to the taxpayers of two or three, or eight or twenty million dollars--his Scotch soul was furious. He has not been the same dog since. I am accustomed to hearing malicious falsehoods about myself--such as that old, worm-eaten chestnut that I have represented myself as indispensable. But I think I have a right to resent, to object to libelous statements about my dog."--FDR, Sept. 23, 1944, address to the Teamsters Union

[nomaco-10]

35. I don't know about John's dog, but

that sure is a cute little canine that Joe Trippi keeps around the Dean headquarters, now come on, even you gotta admit that! LOL

[Renew Deal]

34. Even though Kerry would have been my guy early...

I did not and do not see a way he could beat Bush. He is a packaged NE liberal. He is a good senator, but I have trouble seeing him as the president.