Kerry's appeal to southern voters.

[littlejoe]

John Kerry's performance in last night's presidential debate last night was nothing short of brilliant.

From his successful explanation of his "questionable" votes, to his plans on jobs, trade and health care, Senator Kerry proved last night that he is more than up to the task of defeating the G.O.D. in the fall general election.

But, strategically speaking, one of the things that stood out most for me last night was Kerry's reaching out to southern voters.

The senator from Massachussetts was correct in saying that the time to treat southerners as as a typecast people should be over.

Kerry addressed southerners concerns about the economy, then briefly explained why they should vote for him. He did the same with their concerns about jobs, health care and gun control.

On every issue he was able to successfully identify with southerners. Simply brilliant.

Since the Reagan years, the south has belonged, for the most part, to the Republicans. But last night, John Kerry served notice that he's not going to give up on a single southern vote.

[buckeye1]

1. Kerry is the MAN!

He can do it. He can win.

[RetroLounge]

33. Rah Rah, Go Team. Touchdown!

Woo hoo!

Oh, wait, this isn't a game?

RL

[QuidditchFan]

2. Overall, his debate performance was amazing...

This is why in a previous post, while acknowledging that Edwards had nothing to lose ane everything to gain from a mono-a-mono debate with Kerry, I posited that it might be a little early in Edwards' career to go toe-to-toe with a political veteran like Kerry. I think that Edwards will get there with some more experience, but last night Kerry was masterful.

[tryanhas]

3. What appeal?

Southern Democrats voted for the DEMOCRATIC FRONTRUNNER in DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES, even in Virginia and Tennessee, the voters were over 75% Democrats, and it's not like it's "STRANGE" for a southern Democrat to vote for a northeastern Democrat.

Don't let DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY VOTERS IN THE SOUTH confuse you with "southern voters."

Southern Democrats are just one of many different groups of southerners, and most southerners will never vote for Kerry.

http://surveyusa.com/2004_Elections/NC040226presmatchup.pdf

Just let some more polls come out from Red States in the south, and you will see Edwards doing better in all of those states than Kerry, and Kerry still has more name recognition in those states than Edwards does. That means, that if Edwards is doing better with less name recognition than Kerry, Kerry is not appealing to "southern voters" at all.

And WOOOOOOOOOOOOOW look, even Edwards did better among "BLACKS" than Kerry did, just like I told you yesterday.

Blacks are voting for Kerry for the same reason that Democrats are voting for Kerry, "CAN BEAT BUSH". They don't like Kerry more than Edwards, they are just going with the same "INEVITABILITY" decision that other Democratic voters are.

Blacks, IN A GUT FEELING, connect well with Edwards, not Kerry, and I know from first hand/face to face experience.

Wow!!!

Look at the hispanic break down:

Bush 48
Kerry 48

Bush 34
Edwards 66

I guess, hispanics certainly love Kerry a lot more than Edwards, like you all said.

NNNNK! Same thing applies for hispanics that I said for blacks. Kerry is getting their votes in these primaries, but they don't "LOVE" him.

And sure, this may be Edwards' home state, but if blacks and hispanics had the "AFFINITY" for John Kerry that you all say that he does, he should at least be doing better among hispanics than Bush is.

One more WOW, for Edwards:

Not vote in 2000 (New voters)
Bush 37%
Edwards 57%

Vote Bush in 2000
Bush 79%
Edwards 20% of Bush's votes!

Other 2000 (voted for someone other than Bush or Gore)
Bush 20%
Edwards 69% (take that Ralph Nader or anyone else!!!)

WOW!!!

I love it when I am proven correct. I have said many times that if Edwards is the nominee, he will win North Carolina easily, because you will have the largest voter turnout in the history of North Carolina and that bodes well for Democrats.

Just look at the NEW VOTERS. Look at the Bush voters who will vote for Edwards.

And this is just a poll with Edwards having a hard time of being the nominee.

If he gets the nomination, his numbers would go up to 10%+ over Bush, forcing Bush to spend time and money in NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA, where Edwards was born, because Edwards would win both North and South Carolina.

EDWARDS ALSO DID BETTER AMONG MILITARY FAMILIES THAN BUSH DID, WHICH KERRY DID NOT and in the Wisconsin primary, Edwards got a larger percentage of the NATIONAL SECURITY VOTE than Kerry did.

[Frances]

4. Objectively speaking

how do you think a Kerry-Edwards ticket would do?

Last night Edwards said he'd go for a Edwards-Kerry ticket

[tryanhas]

5. I hate it.

If Kerry is at the top of the ticket, I'm not voting in a fluke election between two BONESMEN, unless they level with the American people.

If they continuously refuse to discuss it when they are question, saying, "I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT, IT'S A SECRET," I will boycott the 2004 election, and I will start a campaign to try and let as many american people know about Skull and Bones as I can and force Kerry and Bush to discuss it.

If they don't, then Draft Edwards, who will be the natural star to replace to flukes like Kerry and Bush, lol (well, I can hope).

[zulchzulu]

19. Do you read Doonesbury?

Mr. Garry Trudeau is a Yale Bonesman.

Please make a note of it. Thank you.

[GodHelpUsAll2]

26. Reading a cartoon

And running the country are quite different.

[littlejoe]

14. I'm beginning to warm up to the idea. Edwards would not

have been my first choice, but I think I would be fine with it.

[littlejoe]

6. Don't get your dander up. Of course I was speaking about

his appeal to ALL southern voters. THAT was his strategy last night. It was clear to me that he was looking beyond democratic primary voters, to reach out to ALL voters in the south.

[tryanhas]

8. And he failed...

...because he can't do it, no matter how he tries...

[littlejoe]

10. And where is your basis in fact?

[littlejoe]

7. And while we are talking about Edwards, how many southern

states has he won, compared to Kerry in the primaries so far? I thought so!

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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

[littlejoe]

11. Your post has a flaw in it. Where would voters EVER get the

chance to vote for Edwards in a general election?

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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

[MasonJar]

13. What state are you from? It seems to me that the nominee is still

not certain; Kerry wants to win the South if he can and that is an unknown at this point in the campaign. Democrats in the South are looking for a way to get their people back; they need to feel wanted and they need to be respected. Kerry as a war hero has a better chance in the South than many give him credit for. There are many bases in the Southern states; Bush has treated the veterans, the soldiers and their families like a piece of Crawford brush. They will remember. Unless this world is truly the Twilight Zone, the military will not vote for Stump (aka Whistle Ass) this year...unless Catherine, the cheater, Harris is in control.

[littlejoe]

15. I'm from Missouri. And it's going to be a real battle, but I'm up

for it. Bush took my state last time around, but I think with some hard work, we can take it back this year.

My state has a Democratic governor and two republican senators, so the fur is going to fly!

[democratreformed]

17. Arkansas here - almost completely Democratic - only one Repub

in our slate of federal elected officials. We have a lot of potential here for a win, IMO.

Oh, and by the way, most of the typical "southern voters" I know liked Kerry more than my own man, Clark. I even got grouchy with one co-worker who liked Kerry b/c "he drives a motorcycle". I feel bad about that now. We were right in the middle of the last agonizing death throes of our campaign and I didn't wanna hear about it at the time.

[littlejoe]

22. Understandable. I, unfortunately have backed several losing

candidates. Like you, I dusted myself off and supported the winning dem.

[democratreformed]

16. Damn, I wish I had seen it.

I was sure hoping "we" wouldn't be forgotten and left for the wolves to devour even more.

[JHBowden]

18. What is the G.O.D.?

I know of the GOP! What am I missing? :shrug:

[democratreformed]

20. I've been wondering about that too. n/t

[littlejoe]

23. I'm sorry. It is a phrase I coined. Instead of the GOP, meaning

of course the "Grand Old Party", I have taken to calling it the G.O.D., which stands for the "Grand Old Dominionist" party. I hope I don't offend anyone. Lord knows, they are offensive enough!

[tryanhas]

21. You are lucky that I'm on a slow connection...

...and I don't feel like responding to all of your foolishness, lol.!!!

[littlejoe]

24. Foolishness? please explain.

[arewethereyet]

25. clearly you are not southern

he has no appeal to southern voters.

If that was his best shot, its a good thing he wrote off the south a long time ago.

[littlejoe]

27. That wasn't his best shot. Just his opening one!

[arewethereyet]

29. he needs to shoot elsewhere

we may all appear to be simple rednecks but we can see through him like a cotton sundress framed against the setting sun.

[littlejoe]

31. So how did Bush win the south? Look, all Kerry has to do is

keep hitting Bush with the truth hard and often. Southerners will have a clear choice. Continue to be taken for a ride into the abyss by Bushco, or real hope for a better America. Not much of a choice, if you ask me.

[democratreformed]

28. Hey littlejoe,

Kudos to you. You are REALLY GOOD. :toast:

[littlejoe]

30. It is John Kerry who is good. No, he's great! I just like to point

things out. Thanks.

[frustrated_lefty]

32. I'm glad you like Kerry

and I'm NOT going to bash him. I do, however, resent the hell out of how you portray this. I have 4 generations of family members living in Louisiana and not a one of us likes Kerry in the least.

Speaking as a southerner, Kerry doesn't do squat to address my concerns or those of my family.

I'll probably vote for the pissant flip-flopping weasel, but don't dare have the nerve to claim he addresses MY concerns. He's just the lesser of two evils.

You may now go back to singing your Hosanas to your heart's content.

[littlejoe]

34. Boy, I'd hate to see what happens if you DID decide to bash him!