I don't think Kerry should have used the word "nuisance" for terrorism

[skjpm]

He was doing so well, when he gives another nuanced answer which can be so easily taken out of context. Is this going to hurt him, now that he's just getting momentum?

[Brotherjohn]

1. Agree. He also shouldn't have used it in the same sentence with...

...prostitution or illegal gambling. Perhaps he should have stopped at "organized crime".

I see his point, and agree with it. But this makes it all too easy for Republican's to do, as Kerry says accurately says, "what they do": to take a few words, spin them out of context, and run with them.

I hereby predict Bush will utter the word "nuisance" on the stump 1,468 more times before election day.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. Bush Is A Nuisance...

It was an inartful term but he doesn't want us to live in fear of the terrorists...

[KittyWampus]

25. Even EASIER To Spin- Bush Calls Terrorists "Folks" & Said We Can't Win WOT

he also recently said Usama is not a focus of war on terror when just a year or so we were going to smoke him out.

[htuttle]

2. I take it this way

If one *really* thinks that negotiating with terrorists is wrong, and that the best way to 'beat' the terrorists is to not allow them to dictate one's own actions, then maybe it's far more effective to consider any attacks that DO succeed as nuisances, rather than earth-shaking horrors that 'change everything'. It speaks to one's resolve, I think.

[bowens43]

3. Anything can and will be taken out of context.

Kerry was right. We need to get back to a time when terrorism was not the primary focus of our lives. The bushies want terrorism to be the first thing we think of when we wake up in the morning and the last thing we think about before we go to sleep. They want us to be frightened. They want us to feel that we need them to protect us. No matter what the bushies say, not everything changed on 911. Terrorism was always a threat and always will be. the question is, will we allow the fear of terrorism to run our lives? We we allow the color coded terrorist warnings to determine our actions? Will we allow it to be an excuse to hand over our civil liberties?


Will this hurt Kerry? I doubt it very much. The American people are sick and tired of furious George and his chicken little administration.

[Brotherjohn]

10. "No matter what the bushies say, not everything changed on 911." YES...

Just since the beginning of Bush's term, numerous events have affected my life more than terrorism likely ever will:

- Hurricane Ivan
- Auto accident 1
- Auto accident 2
- Family medical problems

That's for starters...

Terrorism is not, and never will be, the primary focus of my life. Nor should it be. If it becomes so, the terrorists have won.

[life_long_dem]

11. what else can * do besides spin?

Can * make an ad that says:

I have created millions of jobs.
I have increased the budget surplus.
I have had a watch on terror since I took office.
I have avoided taking us to war as a last resort.
I have united this country.
I have kept all of my campaign promises.
I have not tried to change the constitution.
I have told the truth.
I have been a perfect leader.
The list goes on....

What a joke, what else can he do besides smear his opponent? Nothing.... GO KERRY/EDWARDS!!!

[aden_nak]

5. I agree.

Still, at least he isn't calling them "a group of folks".

[swag]

6. The quote was reasonable, even optimistic. OPTIMISTIC.

Rove is grasping at decontextualized straws. This bullshit has zero valence except with the tiny-minded Bush base. Glad to see camp Kerry is responding rapidly.

[skjpm]

8. I agree with Kerry's point

but then, I can understand two separate sentences. I'm not sure the country can. He has to say "terrorism/evil" until the election or the vast majority won't get it.

[agingdem]

7. I think Kerry is right...

since 9/11 Bush has played the fear card and played it well...fear of flying, fear of big cities, fear of shopping malls, fear fear fear...enough!

[59millionmorons]

9. Bush agrees with Kerry

LAUER: Do you really think we can win this war on terror in the next four years?

BUSH: I have never said we can win it in four years.

LAUER: So I’m just saying can we win it? Do you see that?

BUSH: I don’t think you can win it.

But I think you can create conditions so that those who use terror as a tool are less acceptable in parts of the world — let's put it that way.

[undercover_brother]

12. Republicans have allowed Terrorists to win by promoting their fear

The Republicans have allowed the terrorists to win by promoting fear. The object of a terrorist is to promote terror. Terrorists can't win tactically, but they can win strategically if we allow them to promote their terror agenda. So far this administration has been very willing accomplices to promoting fear and terror. Their entire Republican Convention was dedicated to fear and terror.

John Kerry knows how to defeat terrorists. You don't defeat them by constantly spreading fear and terror. A terrorists greatest weapon is fear. That is how they choke a society. John Kerry realizes that you must be strong in attacking terrorists, but you don't promote their message through a color coded chart which does nothing more than to remind Americans of the terrorist's message.

By moving the terrorists message to the back burner and labeling them a nuisance instead, we take a HUGE step towards cutting off the head of their propaganda purpose. This is the same as refusing to air their beheadings videos or refusing to air Bin Laden video taped messages. We must deny them their manipulation power.

Terrorists must be hunted and killed, but their attempts at dictating how our society will be run should be no more than a nuisance. Terrorists SHOULD NOT be supported through promoting their message of constant fear.

[jimshoes]

13. Has bush ever used a phrase

that could be turned against him? ...........
............
............ Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahah I crack myself up.

[riverwalker]

14. Good call by Kerry

the public is sick of the overwhelming governmental obsession with terra to the detriment of everything else. He was saying we need to put it into perspective. I know repugs are desperately trying to spin it into something negative, but I really believe it will strike a cord with the public.

[Thrill]

15. Its petty

grasping at Straws Bush and Co.

[markus]

16. Look up the quote. It was not a nuanced answer

He was talking about his prosecutorial experience, and how criminal enterprises including terrorism can never be completely eliminated. They can, however, be reduced to the "nuisance" level.

Anytime you hear a Bush add or talking head quoting Kerry, make sure you get the original quote in hand, so you can debunk it rather than fret about it.

Look here for the Kerry rapid response:

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=37850

[Southern Patriot]

26. Why have to waste time "debunking?"

Moving prostitutes out of your neighborhood is a "nuisance."

Worrying about your children getting blown to bits--- even from a "reduced" terrorist threat--- isn't a nuisance.

Sometimes Kerry is just tone deaf. The Bushies have tried their damnedest to instill paranoia and fear in Americans for almost three years. Kerry must recognize how effective they've been and use it against them.

[iwantmycountryback]

17. Actually his quote made perfect sense

Reducing terrorism so it becomes only a nuisance in the back of American minds. I certainly would like that. But Bush is willing to take anything out of context.

[flpoljunkie]

18. Bush campaign total distortion of what JK said. Media, do your job!

Speak truth to power! Refuse to enable the Bush campaign!

[LynnTheDem]

19. He didn't.

And we wonder at how the rightwing sucks up everything bush says...and we wonder how Kerry (or anyone else) could have believed/trusted bush...when so many on the left do the same thing!

Kerry DID NOT say terrorism was a nuisance.

[troublemaker]

20. Are they really on the left?

[LiberalAndProud]

24. Got a link?

I didn'y think he even mentioned prostitution, etc at all. Disenguous of the Republicans to show those words in a conversation balloon out of Kerry's mouth (October surprise).

[Teaser]

21. No...Christopher Reeve helped kill this story dead.

It's a sad thing, but media coverage of Reeve will overwhelm this nonstory.

[LiberalAndProud]

22. Tell it to Harvard

"The partial deterrence effect has been shattered by the September 11 attacks. Previously seen as a nuisance, terrorism has now suddenly become a major threat to national security and international order. Deterrence policy must be changed to meet the new threat."

http://hir.harvard.edu/articles/?id=950&page=14

[canuckybee]

23. I am so sick of having Kerry's words jumped all over

by the republicans and the press. The nose picking president uses phrases like freeance peeance for Christ's sake....why the hell does he get away with such shit while the slightest thing Kerry says gets blown all out of proportion. Know what the problem is? we are just too GD nice....we will never learn to attack the way they do.

[IndianaGreen]

I think Kerry's statement was refreshing and accurate

I agree with Kerry on his views on terrorism. I'll go a step further; the war on terror is fraud, as much as the war on drugs.

I will also say something that Kerry won't say: it is America's pro-Israel policies vis-a-vis the Occupation of Palestine that recruits terrorists.

[Joe Turner]

27. OK take the Gloves off Kerry

And how about running an Ad which shows Bush saying that he is not concerned about capturing Osama Bin Laden.

Bush said this a number of times in differnet variations when Bin Laden escaped Tora Bora and the media was questioning his competence (LOL) in running the military action in Afganistan.

I think Shrub's statements here might really damage him given the revelations on Iraq.

[Honor Where Are You]

28. It is a nusance. Pain in the ass when we could be

doing domestic things.