Another silver lining, if Kerry is the nominee

[ProfessorPlum]

We already know how he will be attacked by the press. I predict a repeat of:

He's a delusional career politician who doesn't really know who he is, and constantly re-invents himself, all the while telling self-aggrandizing lies.

(The Gore script). The reason they'll go for that? They are lazy, and it sort of worked against Gore - all their op-ed pieces are already written, they just have to change the dates.

Except this time we are waiting for them. Bob Somerby at The Daily Howler has shown us the way. Our defenses for other attacks "Too crazy to be near The Button" (currently being used vs. Dean and Clark) don't seem too effective right now.

My only worry is that Kerry himself has not given enough thought on how to counter this - he doesn't seem half so concerned about our media as he needs to be.

[katieforeman]

1. Kerry and Gore

You are absoultely right that Republicans will do the same thing they did to Gore to Kerry. However, Kerry has given them more ammunition than they had with Gore. For example, Kerry's vote against the first Gulf War and for the second one, his votes to cut defense spending and raise taxes, his statement in the 1990's about spending too much on intelligence, and his voting record being rated more liberal than Ted Kennedy's, his position as Lt. governor while Dukakis was governor.

No military record no matter how heroic is an antidote to these attacks. I seriously dought Karl Rove is worried about an experienced, Mass. liberal, with a long voting record in the Senate and an aloof bearing.

The best defense to this line of attack is to nominate Edwards. Like Bill Clinton, he connects with people. He perseuaded all those juries to go his way. He can do the same in the general election. Unlike Kerry, he does not look like he's constantly trying to reinvent himself. His background also contrasts nicely with GW's and he doesn't have a long voting record for Republicans to hang him with>

[progressivebydesign]

2. Even as a Dean supporter, I bums me that Edwards is passed over.

I think Edwards is very interesting, and could be a good president, as well. I'm heartsick at the push to force us all to fall in line behind Kerry.. and the myth of electability. They're all electable. If we go for a safe bet.. we're toasted. There is no safe bet in politics. I hope Edwards can get his message and his personality out there more.. so we can fairly choose a nominee.

[ProfessorPlum]

3. I agree

of the four major candidates, I find Kerry the dullest on a subjective, personal level. That he is "safe" is not much of a consolation.

My only hope is that he can actually campaign well - he seems to be doing well with Democrats, anyway.

[CWebster]

4. Why should he?

"My only worry is that Kerry himself has not given enough thought on how to counter this - he doesn't seem half so concerned about our media as he needs to be."

He has them in his back pocket at the moment.

[ProfessorPlum]

7. At the moment

being the key phrase.

You know as well as I that the presstitutes will never turn on W.

But they are waiting to take down Kerry. He seems very vulnerable on this, not aware of what is going to happen to him. I hope it doesn't catch him completely by surprise.

[blm]

9. HAHAHA...Kerry has had the rightwing media hatchetjob for 30 years

and even survived being Scaifed before Bill Clinton was Scaifed.

GOP operatives tried to take him down since the Nixon White House. Anyone remember the Nixon tapes?

They ramped it up on Kerry during his investigations of BCCI and iranContra and they didn't let up for SEVEN years, including an FBI investigation of him.

If they could have taken him down then they would have done so...they couldn't.

That was Colson, Segretti, Atwater and Rove. Kerry endured.

[ProfessorPlum]

10. I think I would remember Kerry being

the victim of a right wing hatchet job on a national level for 30 years.

Somehow, it slips my mind.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

11. Somehow, I doubt you've really been following Kerry's career for very long

[Phelan]

5. if you want to call it a silver lining

We all already know how bad Bush is,
so I guess none of us are in for any suprises in the next four years.

[nancyharris]

6. On the downside

If Senator Kerry is elected President his senate seat will be replaced with a Republican.

[RetroLounge]

8. Silver Lining?

Kerry will get creamed by bush* and at least in '08 we'll have Hillary running.

[copithorne]

12. Unfortunately, they won't have to dig that deep.

They'll spend 100 million in the swing states saying:

John Kerry, Michael Dukakis' Lt. Governor, is more liberal than Ted Kennedy. More liberal than Ted Kennedy. More liberal than Ted Kennedy. More liberal than Ted Kennedy.

They'll pick apart his Senate record.

[ProfessorPlum]

13. But picking apart his record would take actual work on their part

Much easier to call him a "liar" and someone who is trying to "re-invent" himself.

Obviously, they'll go after anybody who dares challenge their power grab. But Kerry needs to be prepared for it.

[Bombtrack]

14. Except the Gigolo argument actually has some merrit

golddigger is just the deroggatory term for someone who does something he did, marry into a TON of money, TWICE.

I don't know how somebody doesn't think that that will be effective