Should Dean go Negative on Kerry?

[Quixote1818]

So many of the candidates kept attacking Dean relentlessly accept Edwards and Clark. Clark even came to Dean’s defense a couple of times. All those attacks seemed to have had an effect. I kind of feel sorry for Dean now. I think Dean has a right to be mad at those who kept attacking him. Should he now start attacking Kerry for all those attacks?

[wtmusic]

1. Of course not

He should point out, in no uncertain terms, why he is a better candidate. If you want to call that attacking then yes, attack.

Dean is the most inexperienced on the national stage. He's still cutting his teeth, and will only get better. But I think he's learned the hard way about negative campaigning, and hopefully this defeat will get him back to his core campaign (which is what got him here in the first place).

[LuminousX]

2. Negative doesn't work in this campaign season

Well, not when the candidate goes negative. Voters are eager for a strong party to kneecap the GOP, they aren't eager to see internecine warfare.

[ryharrin]

5. I agree that I don't want Dean to start going negative on Dean, but

I'd say that you have to admit that attacking Dean relentlessly in Iowa worked pretty well.

[markus]

3. No. Dean has to get on message, and it must be largely positive

Attacking Kerry and Edwards would be counter productive.

Now Clark, that's probably another matter. I mean, the was stumping for Bush et al not very long ago. He's the real DLC golem, recruited for his stars and nothing else.

Hell, at least Edwards (in his milquetoasty DLC sort of way) is saying the right things. At least he talks about the poor, which I think is a start in teh south toward breaking the racial division by focusing on economics.

For Dean to succeed, he needs to have a positive vision of what people will *do* when they take back their government. He needs to take the economic theme of Edwards and make it one of open class warefare (which is what I think we really need to shake up this country).

I think he should praise Kerry every step of the way, and see he'd be honored if he'd serve as Secretary of State or Defense.

[NashVegas]

15. Agreed

Besides, if Dean stays positive in NH, that will force Edwards and Wes to get the knives out :)

[dreissig]

4. Kerry is Unacceptable

Other Democrats are largely unaware how unacceptable Kerry is. Iowa got it wrong tonight, they've lost credibility. No to war mongering John Kerry.

[KaraokeKarlton]

6. Nope, he needs to start talking about his Vermont record

and focus on all the things he's going to do to put this country back on solid financial and ethical footing.

[funky_bug]

7. I vote, "no"

Kerry credits his rise to the recent attacks on him. And every time Dean attacks, the media puts a spot light on him and calls him "angry", further discrediting him among many undecideds. I think Dean needs to regroup, push forward, and be very strong about what he is FOR, not who he is against.

And that goes for ALL of them.

[mikehiggins]

8. Hey, yeah. Go negative. It sure worked wonders for Gephardt. n/t

[sandnsea]

9. What else could he possibly say???

lol. This is hysterical. There's nothing left to go negative on Kerry with. That's all that's been done for almost a year. The wells dry. Or is Dean going to call him French looking?

[KittyWampus]

11. Kerry Missed The Medicare Vote, Suggested James Baker Be An Envoy

to the Middle East.

Oh, and there's stuff like this that can't be explained in a soundbite:

Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., whose largest campaign contributor lobbies on behalf of telecommunication interests,
pushed the legislative priorities of its clients in the wireless industry on several occasions, a Center for Public Integrity
analysis of campaign, lobbying and congressional records has found. That analysis is part of the Center's research for
The Buying of the President 2004 (to be published by HarperCollins), which tracks the financial backers and interests of
the major candidates for the White House.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=138010

[sandnsea]

14. Oops, I forgot those 3

Bla bla bla. Wes Clark and the MIC, and Wes Clark loves Republicans. Are we going to have a tit for tat replay here?

[KittyWampus]

18. Just Answered Your Question Which Was: What Else Could He Possibly Say?

was yours a rhetorical question?

:shrug:

[poskonig]

10. There is insufficient ammo.

The IWR attack doesn't do any damage, and negative attacks don't work in our primary. Look at Edwards.

[mitchum]

12. Why should he, when so many of you have been doing it all along?

Actually, Dean went negative on Kerry a long time ago. But whatever makes you feel better...

[Feanorcurufinwe]

13. Do you mean, should he stop?

Should he stop defining his campaign by what he is against? Maybe be for something, instead? I mean, he is against the war, ok, war is bad, we are all against war. He is against the Washington cockroaches, I mean insiders. He is against Bush (again, something anyone can agree with). He is against his opponents who 'voted for the war'.

Thing is most people want to vote FOR a candidate who is FOR them. They want a leader who inspires people.

[arewethereyet]

16. what choice does he have at this point ?

its his MO. THere is no out-nicing the others. He just needs to be effective and stop the verbal gaffes. Could be a tall order.

[jeter]

17. NO

I am a Dean supporter. This negative attack strategy has to stop.

If Dean goes negative. I'm out of here. I won't support him anymore.

[Guaranteed]

19. Yes...Dean needs to attack, but in only one way:

He has to ask Kerry how he's going to distinguish himself from Bush when he's voted for so many of Bush's policies. THAT is the key- that is why Kerry would lose to Bush.

Every time Kerry attacked him...especially the last time, when Kerry mentioned the Osama and Hussein comments that Dean had made, Dean should have responded in exactly that way. Dean should have asked, "How do you expect to beat Bush when you only support his policies??" (or paraphrased in some such way- diction could be better there) How can Kerry expect to be able to distinguish himself from Bush when he has been co-opted so many times?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

21. You just are misinformed if you think Kerry's policies are even remotely

like those of Bush. I think you've got some reading to do: http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/

[sandnsea]

31. IWR, Patriot Act, NCLB,

It didn't work. People are smarter than that. Give it up. Kerry is as unlike Bush as Carole Mosley Braun is.

[Bucky]

20. I'm gonna be a jerk and say "yes"

Don't shoot, I'm unarmed!

But I really think that's where he needs to go. If it works, then he's the man and he'll win by "letting Dean be Dean". If it doesn't work, then the eventual nominee won't be hurt by sniping from the left. It's a win-win. As a rule, I don't like negative politics. But we have to test our candidates by fire. We didn't test Dukakis by fire and when we got to the general election, we got toasted.

So yes, Dean, hit Kerry and Clark and Edwards with everything you got. Give 'em both barrels. It won't make us get along much better, but it'll make us tougher fighters in the Fall. Eyes ALWAYS on the prize. Always.

[lurk_no_more]

22. If after tonight dean doesn't see the handwriting on the wall

then yes by all means, go down in flames.

I personally don't think dean can stop, he's at a loss of how to win right now and until he sees it is more important to actually beat an opponent on merit and substance instead of negativity and anger, I think what we witnessed tonight will be repeated again.

Sad to say but Rush was right...."Until the Democrats learn to focus on the positive instead of the negative....they will lose" People want to know just how we're going to fix this and make it better by what we propose, not just how candidate X is bad because he did this or that and is not who you think he is.


And then there were none!
” JAFO”

[flaminbats]

23. If Dean doesn't go after Edwards and Kerry on the war issue...Clark will!

With Kerry now being the frontrunner, only Dean or Clark have the ability to beat him. The question is which one will take the initiative?

[frank frankly]

24. negative may simply not work this year

I'd avoid it.

Bash Bush and express his policy/vision...

[goodhue]

25. Absolutely Not

But I'm afraid he will. Maybe its time for a staffing change.

[DjTj]

26. No. I think Trippi's biggest mistake...

...was coming out on the Monday after the debate last week and saying that they were going to fight back. Launching an all out attack on the other 3 candidates backfired bigtime IMHO.

If Dean had gone positive then, I think there could have been a very different outcome in Iowa.

[loyalsister]

27. Nope

I happen to agree with someone who said that Kerry and Edwards were able to compete because Dean and Gep destroyed each other. The negativity has got to stop in this race!

[stickdog]

28. No. (nt)

[candy331]

29. No Dean does not need to attack Kerry but

it needs to be done w/o Dean hands on it. I am sure now that he has come out of Iowa in 1st place it will get done or if they see him as the weakest candidate they may just trounce him In November at the polls if he should win the nomination. Now that Dean has blazed the trail he can now get on task and promote his accomplishments and his vision for the future. Kerry and Edwards went down an already cleared path but if Dean gets on task they will have to clear their own in the next round.

[CRYINGWOLFOWITZ]

30. no, he will get his ass kicked again

we are too close to the election. it isn't only diehards paying attention anymore

[DisgustedDemocrat]

32. Not if he wants to do better.

Going negative is hurting him, and not going negative helped Kerry and Edwards in Iowa.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

33. I Hope He Does

Because it will be the final nail in his electoral coffin, IMO.

DTH