RNC Guns Open up on Kerry. Dems Must Rally Coast-to-Coast or Loose to Bush

[WiseMen]

Kerry won 1 caucus and the Republicans are again turning the big guns on him.

In Remarks to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie noted:

“Whether it's economic policy, national security policy or social issues, John Kerry is out of sync with most voters. Americans for Democratic Action—the premier liberal rating organization—puts his lifetime rating at 93 percent. Sen. Kennedy has a lifetime rating of 88 percent—five points less.
Who would have guessed it? Ted Kennedy is the conservative Senator from Massachusetts! “

What’s going on here. I thought Kerry was “Bush-lite.”

Is Gillespie trying for an honorary DU membership?

Is this some machiavellian scheme to improve Dean’s chances in New Hampshire?.

To be serious, I think we Dems need to sober-up and realize that no matter who is the Democratic nominee, a major challenge faces the party.

The republicans are going to be using every lever of incumbency to manipulate public opinion.

Every insidious insinuation regarding our nominee will be circulated.
Every piece of slime that has the remotest chance of sticking is going to be lobbed.

And even if these personal attack can be overcome, there is the challenge of re-taking the House and the Senate.

So what does this mean for us Dems? It means that whether Dean or Kerry or Clark or Edwards becomes the flag-bearer, there is going to be a huge fight on our hands. We will need to rally a massive coast-to-coast grass-roots revival of ideals, a re-learning of the state of the nation, and a realignment of the electorate for change.

We all need to rally round the flag, or fail.

[Jerseycoa]

1. When Kerry calls off his negative campaign against Clark

We'll rally.

[WiseMen]

5. Kerry and Clark have worked well together in the past. He admires Clark

[Jerseycoa]

9. Then he can

take back the crummy flyers he has circulating throughout New Hampshire and he can stop calling Clark a Republican. He can stand up like a man against the Repub agenda & the media instead of playing into their hands like he did today on Crossfire. Okay?

[Printer70]

33. Clark has a Republican past

...that's a fact you have to contend with. And Clark's not angel. He tried to trivialize Kerry's military sacrifice and it blew up in his face. Pulling rank on a war hero wasn't a good idea.

[JPJones]

62. I will remind you

that Clark is also a war hero (Silver Star and Purple Heart), and he was responding to Dole saying that Clark was the Colonel now and Kerry was the General.

He wasn't pulling rank to remind Dole that he was a General and Kerry was a second Lieutenant.

IMO, this was an RNC strategy to trick Clark into appearing to pull rank on Kerry. Shame on Dole. Shame on the intellectually dishonest Democrats who take their marching orders from Bob Dole.

[bearfartinthewoods]

44. clark dropped the ball first so now you are mad that kerry won't

pick it up??? pfffffft

[funky_bug]

54. What Jcoa said, plus...

When he explains why he thinks he needs to remove teachers unions and tenure... I'm still waiting on a reply from his campaign. My support is pending...

[WiseMen]

57. Like Dean's comment on Iowa Caucus. Kerry's many views are too complex

for most. Not here at DU though.

[WatchWhatISay]

2. Well at least Kerry

is only being attacked by the Republicans.

[BuelahWitch]

39. Amen to that! n/t

[democratreformed]

51. And a second AMEN n/t

[Loren645]

3. You've got to be kidding. Kerry's slurs against Clark were far worse.

If Kerry want's allies and loyalty, he can give as he wants to get.

[Printer70]

34. Clark is an angel?

Clark tried, mistakenly, to trivialize Kerry's military sacrifice and it blew up in his face. Pulling rank on a war hero wasn't a good idea.

[kiahzero]

60. You keep saying that like it's true

"Junior Officer" is an accepted military term.

Clark stated that both he and Kerry had experience in the lower ranks of the military, but that he had the executive experience as well.

Perhaps you should educate yourself before trying to slam other candidates.

[WiseMen]

77. I have never heard Kerry make a slur against Clark, sorry. Link?

[LBJBestEver]

4. Why don't we have DNC hit pieces on Bush's AWOL status?

Why do we just sit here and take it?

[Guaranteed]

26. Vote for Dean. nt

[WiseMen]

43. DNC is not a serious organization. Party is just whatever goes on in Prima

primaries

[jmaier]

6. I'll rally to Kerry

when he is the nominee. Until then I'm Clark with Edwards second.

[DBoon]

7. Stop It! Stop It!

You sound like the stupid sectarian leftists I knew in college. The ones who would argue about what Trotsky really meant to say 40 years prior, and spent all their energy attacking other irrelevant sectarian groups.

We need to remove a president that believes in unilateral pre-emptive invasion. We need to remove a president who believes governance should be conducted in secret. We need to remove an attorney general who believes the constitution is an irrelevant hinderance. We need to stop them from turning the American working class into feudal serfs.

The only thing that matters right now is beating Bush. We are acting like the German Communists and Social Democrats, who wasted their energy attackign each other while Hitler came to power and eliminated them both.

[Old and In the Way]

21. I remember those late night discussions!

And yes, we need to keep the eye on the prize. They all are great candidates, but there's only going to be one nomination. We should all be prepared that our candidate may loose.

We have to reserve some venom for the true cause of our problems in this country today...let's not burn every bridge-we are going to need them to regroup for the bigger fight ahead.

[IndianaGreen]

28. I think the Spartacus Bund was right!

Democrats like Kerry cowered after 9/11 like the Social Democrats did after the Reichstag fire.

[Sensitivity]

8. Saw Kerry on C-Span Today. Pretty good.

[Kipepeo]

64. Kerry NOT pretty

I'm sorry, but Kerry sound like a rehearsed and dishonest version of Dean or Clark.

Can't come to his defense when he is flyering New Hampshire with attacks on Clark and Dean.

Don't worry, this is but a tiny story in the Conservative Political Action Whatever. Don't worry: the conservative mainstream media is going to back Kerry all the way like BushCo. wants them to! (Until he wins the primary of course). :cry:

[Feanorcurufinwe]

10. LOL

"What’s going on here. I thought Kerry was “Bush-lite.”

Is Gillespie trying for an honorary DU membership?

Is this some machiavellian scheme to improve Dean’s chances in New Hampshire?."


too true. What blows me away are all the people on DU who are ready to roll over and play dead, or worse, to actually play Bush-lite.

[JohnKleeb]

11. Bushlites dont vote with Ted Kennedy 90% of the time

:)
I dont have the link to that because I found that out a long time ago. Anyways heres to holding out in NH :toast:

[Feanorcurufinwe]

22. I just really like this thread because yes,

after all of these ridiculous charges of Kerry being Bush-lite for all this time, now that he is doing well, the Republicans say "he's too liberal" -- and there are a hundred threads on DU agreeing with them!!

Who are we?

Do we want a candidate who is a contrast with Bush or not?

WE ARE THE MAJORITY PARTY. If we can just energize the base, pick up some independents, and get out the vote -- WE WIN!

[Guaranteed]

29. I don't think Kerry's Bush-lite.

I just don't think that Kerry has given any significant opposition to Bush's policies until quite recently. It was just for a year and a half or two. Bush-enabler, not Bush-lite. I'm well aware of Kerry's quite consistent liberal record.

[Sensitivity]

30. I would think a Liberal Record means opposing Repub. What else?

[sandnsea]

35. Oh really?

He's been a Bush enable for a year and a half or two? Like when he voted for the Patriot Act after 9/11 along with 99 other senators? An Act that nobody but Kucinich is going to repeal? Or when he voted for Ted Kennedy's Leave No Child Behind? Is that what you're referring to?

Or how about what Rob Reiner said tonight about Dean making the right decision on the war. That we needed to get inspectors in the country and Howard made the right decision about that. Oh really? That was what the IWR vote was all about, forcing the inspections process. If that was right, Kerry was right because he actually did something to make it happen. What was Howard's plan to get inspectors into Iraq?

People are letting their anger run wild and cloud their thinking. These anti-Kerry positions just do not make any sense.

[KaraokeKarlton]

12. Sorry, Kerry and his supporters are on their own...

I'll tell you the same thing Kerry supporters have been telling Dean supporters...get thicker skin. I have no sympathy for Kerry at all. It's about time he faced the same kind os scrutiny Dean has faced. Get used to it and don't look for any sympathy from Dean supporters. Karma is a bitch sometimes.

[mitchum]

14. Deleted by mitchum

What's the point

[WiseMen]

45. This is not an emotional issue. It is a practical issue of winning in Nov.

[Sensitivity]

13. Kerry Get Nom, will he do deal to get Dean to bring his supporters behind

Kerry?

[matte751]

15. Clark a Republican?

You know, the RNC's attacks on Clark for his Nixon and Reagan votes seem like the most backwards strategy imaginable. The scrutiny of his cold-war era voting record is casting him as a Republican at heart while he's busy getting endorsements from Michael Moore and appearing on the cover of The Advocate in support of civil unions. If the RNC doesn't succeed in crushing his primary fight, they've got no more dirt to throw during the General's election.

[Jerseycoa]

17. I expect it from the RNC

I don't expect from Senator John Kerry.

[Kipepeo]

65. but see

I expect it from John Kerry like I expect it from the RNC...;(

[WiseMen]

46. Hope Dean people will joint the fight for Nov. before the Dem Convention.

[Egnever]

16. Not to worry Kerry is all things to all people

Just depends on who he is talking to.

In that post hes to liberal. Last night in the debates he pointed to his endorsement from fritz hollings who is a big confederate flag supporter. earlier in the day he was quoting Zell Miller as saying how great he thought kerry's speeches are.

I am starting to like nopt being in the front runner camp for a bit. Bout time the pounding was on someone else for a bit.

[Sensitivity]

18. Sounds wrong to me. How can Kerry get 93% score and be all things to all

[Feanorcurufinwe]

24. Good point.

[drfemoe]

74. "Lifetime"

Average scores. He's had a long shelf-life.

[George_Bonanza]

20. Kerry was trying to play his ability to appeal to a broad audience

If a guy like Zell Miller thinks a "Northeastern liberal" can do well in the South, what does the RNC have on him?

[AntiCoup2K4]

31. If Zell Miller is saying that about your candidate, you should worry....

....here you have this hateful sellout bastard who hasn't cast a Democratic vote since Bush stole the White House and has slandered the entire Democratic party while endorsing the Idiot Son of an Asshole for 2004. Why would Kerry care what that traitorous asshole thinks?

[Kipepeo]

67. Exactly: Republicans want Kerry to win

Of course they (crazy ass Repubs) are coming out in droves to support Kerry now. They are not afraid of him. They know that he won't draw people who have never voted and people who have stopped voting and people who usually vote third party like some of the other nominees can.

I am very frightened that their media whores are going to swing the nomination to him and we won't have a real chance for change.

[HuckleB]

19. I've yet to see any big RNC guns on Kerry yet.

But then I've yet to see Kerry stand up against the RNC, either.

When will he begin to fight?

[Loren645]

23. Since Kerry declared my candidate a Repug, I assume he doesn't

expect the support of Clark's loyal "Repug" backers.

Ya done burned some bridges Kerry.

[Guaranteed]

25. Link? nt

[IndianaGreen]

27. Screw Kerry!

Kerry will lead us to defeat in November.

Why should we defend the dirty trickster Bonesman?

[Kipepeo]

68. I'm with IndianaGreen

A skull and bonesman does not a populist make.

A Kerry or Lieberman nomination will force me to vote third party. Sorry, but can't come to his defense when he didn't come to the defense of the hundreds of thousands of us who protested against this war in the streets.

[drfemoe]

75. You'll have company

"Siding with Bush on the theft of the election, supporting an illegal war, gutting the Bill of Rights, voting to confirm extremist judges, and misusing education money to buy favorable news coverage for Bush comprise a track record that is unlikely to inoculate nominee Kerry from a crippling third party challenge. "
http://makethemaccountable.com/podvin/more/040124_StopCrying.htm

[Sly Kal]

32. John Kerry will be an electoral college disaster

Why should he be protected from the media and RNC?

[Raya]

36. Now it is so Terri ble that Kerry is the Most Liberal. Before he was Mod

It is so funny. For a year Kerry has been attacked for being too
middle of the road. Now he is too extreme left to win GE. This from
all the Dems who said he had no chance in Iowa.

But, it I can read, the point of the post is not Kerry only, but that any nominee will need us to rally a huge movement in the electorate for good success.

[Sly Kal]

40. I would like to know why Kerry must be protected

I think he is a disaster. I hope they drive him from the race. The democratic parties hopes do not rest on John Kerry.

[Name removed]

37. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Raya]

38. Whao. Take it easy brother. Post is talking about the Big Pic Bush Battle

[Sly Kal]

41. So were the Dean supporters

They were talking the Big battle with Bush too. Why didn't you want to protect Dean when he was ahead? Why should you expect people to rally to Kerry now?

[WiseMen]

42. For myself, the issues is GE. Did not grudge Dean help from Gore Harkin .

[funky_bug]

56. Get ready for this one...

I'm with slinkerwink. You're on your own. Your guy is in this race, same as ours. If you think you can jump on the Clark attacks, then ask us to do a rally cry for yours, you are sadly, sadly misguided.

By the way, welcome to the front lines. Tag, you're it.

[in_cog_ni_to]

47. We'll talk after he stops bashing

Clark and Dean. Tell him to stop his dirty campaigning, then I'll "think" about rallying behind the flag. Personally, Clark's flag is the flag I prefer to rally around.

[Walt Starr]

48. I simply cannot bring myself to rally around Kerry

and would do so with the enthusiasm of a Pat Buchanan Republican rallying to Bob Dole, possibly not at all.

[ramapo]

52. Does that mean you'll vote for Bush?

If Kerry is the nominee? Or not vote, which is a vote for Bush.

That's cutting off your nose to spite your face.

[Kipepeo]

71. I wouldn't vote for Bush

But I would vote third party if Kerry were the nominee.

Maybe it's cutting off my nose, but I think this time I'd rather cut it off than hold it while casting a vote "against" instead of "for."

[drfemoe]

76. I gave the Ds a stop *B* vote in 1992

I'm still waiting for a return on my investment.

[bicentennial_baby]

49. I'm all set on Kerry

Thanks, but no thanks.

[goobergunch]

50. 2162 delegates are needed to nominate

Repost this in a couple months when somebody has 2162 delegates.

[hellhathnofury]

53. And someone in another thread said Dean supporters needed pampers.

Kerry ain't seen nothin' yet.

[Forkboy]

55. Like you rallied around Dean?

Some people's kids :eyes:

[WiseMen]

58. I said I like Dean and would support him if he won. Good Man. Not for 2004

[CalProf]

59. The issue here is family

In my family, my older brother would whack me in the head whenever he felt like it, but if the other kids in the neighborhood threatened me, he'd whack them.

Clark can bash Kerry, Kerry can bash Dean, Dean can bash Lieberman. But if a repug does it, they should get an earful from us.

Some of us have been writing LTE's to the local rags whenever ANY Dem gets bashed.

The issue is November. And beating Bush.

[bain_sidhe]

61. Nice try!

Why is it these calls for "unity" always come from the person whose candidate is ahead at the moment?

:shrug: It's a mystery!

[WiseMen]

63. Just a warning that After the Prim. Big fight ahead. We need one another.

[Loren645]

69. Impart that msg to Senator Kerry.

Maybe you can write in on one of the nasty flyers he's distributing
about other candidates.

[IndianaGreen]

70. Exactly, Kerry is using Rovian tactics against his Dem opponents

I don't think Kerry will be able to pull the party together after being such a lying prick during the primaries. Kerry is unelectable!

[maxr4clark]

66. Screw the GOP

We are selecting a candidate to represent us. They can do what they want, this is our Party.

When we have picked a nominee at the convention, then it will be time to rally around our candidate. Until then, each candidate should pursue the nomination with dignity. Smearing other Dems gives the GOP tips on how to attack our eventual nominee, whoever it is; and might make us choose a candidate for the wrong reasons.

What is best for the Party and for the country is what the candidates should be focused on; regardless of personal ambition, smearing another candidate is morally wrong, bad for the Party, and ultimately bad for the country. If a candidate wants my vote, he should run a positive campaign because it is the right thing to do.

[CWebster]

72. Dream on

"We will need to rally a massive coast-to-coast grass-roots revival of ideals..."

Snarky co-opt. That doggie don't hunt.

[JCMach1]

73. Kerry has a very liberal voting record, but was also a DLC

member... :wtf:

Make no mistake part of the untold story of this primary battle is the entrenched powers (read DLC) that be in the Democratic Party getting one of their own elected.

I am not buying or rolling over for it. I may be ABB in the General Elections, but I will will keep my pledge not to vote for a candidate who voted for the Patriot Act, or the IWR.

The RNC knows that Kerry's record will kill him in certain parts of the country.

Of course they are going to get this information out there.