Kerry Should Combine Environment, National Security AND Job Creation?

[KittyWampus]

He was part of Congress when Clinton's Economic boom happened so he has the creds from that for job creation.
He could contrast this with Edwards' attempt to parrot Dean's Protectionist rhetoric.

And Kerry has a good Environmental Record.

He also has high credibility in National Security.

Why not combine these three and talk about investing in Green Technology to produce Alternative Energy... thus creating JOBS, Clean Environment and Independance on Foreign Oil?

In the process he could paint the GOP as Obstructionists.

Why the hell no Democrat has done this is beyond me.

[cally]

1. I think that's a winning issue

and great for the economy, also. Gore tried this last campaign but he did not push the environmental issue. I've never understood why. Beyond the politics of this campaign, alternative energy and green technologies could be the next growth industry.

[ShimokitaJer]

2. He could add the defense budget into that mix

One of Dean's issues was calling energy independence a security issue and including it within the defense budget. In other words, he wanted to use Defense funds for researching alternative energy, in order to make us safer by reducing our dependence on foreign oil. This would also let us take away part of the GOP's supposed strength in the war on terror in a proactive way.

Of course, Kerry supporters attacked Dean for saying he wouldn't reduce the defense budget when he proposed this, so I'm not sure they will be just as opposed to it if Kerry proposes it (yeah, right).

[liberalitch]

3. The new deal...

did it... why can't we have a similar program now. Kerry talks about a 100 days in his web site.
THAT was real trickle down economics.
Paycheck from Army corp of eng. = disposable income = $ for businesses that deal with regular people.
News stand
grocery
dept. stores (all kinds)
Food establishments (doumar's in Norfolk, Va. survives today because the new deal brought jobs to norfolk southern railway when it was needed)
theaters

[Monte Carlo]

4. Kerry has talked about a 'Manhattan Project' for a new energy source...

... and if he managed to package it correctly, he might just pull it off and combine environment, energy independence, and jobs all in one. A public project of that size would certainly do it's part in stimulating demand.

[ShimokitaJer]

6. Check out the Apollo Alliance

at http://www.apolloalliance.org/

Most of what Kerry outlines is already present there in the form of a New Apollo Project. All of the Democratic candidates have given their support to this.

I have to give Kerry credit for making this a major point of some of his speeches, but I don't like the fact that he felt the need to change the name, or that he picked the creation of the atom bomb as a better analogy than the mission to the moon.

[Monte Carlo]

7. Well, I think it is a bit of marketing...

... on Kerry's party. It sounds much better to say that "I have an initiative" than to say "I support someone else's inititive". That, and everyone knows about the Manhattan Project, so it might bring back some old memories.

[TheDonkey]

5. He's been doing that for months.

One of the major reasons I began to praise him.

[blm]

8. It's been a main talking point of Kerry's for two years, now.

All of his policies are centered in energy independence being an integral part of our national security and future economy.

It was also in his economic speech in Dec. 2002, and his foreign policy speech in Jan. 2003.

You can find them at his site.
www.johnkerry.com

[KittyWampus]

9. Oh, I Might Be Persuade To Canvas For Him Then

despite my personal distaste for him. :)