when the f%#@ing hell is Kerry going to fight back?

[codegreen]

have you seen the recent Bush ads? they are absolutely horrible!
complete lies and distortions, they are brainwashing the masses!
and we all know how the media has been behaving.

Kerry promised repeatedly in the primarys
"I promise to take the fight to George W. Bush every day"
"I promise to take the fight to George W. Bush every day"
"I promise to take the fight to George W. Bush every day"

so, when will this actually start to really happen?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. He is but the lib'ral media ain't really covering it eom

[Democat]

2. The right wing controls the media, he is in a hard fight

Republicans get free advertising from the media 24/7, both defending Bush and attacking Kerry.

[mcar]

3. Umm, he is fighting back

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040426/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_medals

I don't think I posted this link right but it's also on LBN.

Why do we on this board keep criticizing Kerry without giving him a chance to respond first?

[trumad]

6. When the hell are so-called Liberals going to start reading

and listening to what's out there! He is fighting back and fighting back hard... Fucking read and listen..

[RoyGBiv]

10. Took the words right out of my mouth

I find it interesting, and a bit sad, that this poll is on the same page of latest topics with:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x511177

In which Kerry says, "This comes from a president who can't even show or prove that he showed up for duty in the National Guard..."

Also, if anyone was following some of the raw news wires yesterday, Kerry's campaign sent out press notices to all major news providers indicating there would be a response to Dick Cheney's comments today, who those comments would come from, where it would come from, etc. They've started referring to him as Attack-Dog-in-Chief.

Now, what's on the networks right now? Extended discussion of Kerry's medals with basically no mention of any of the multiple things Kerry has said.

[codegreen]

11. which means Kerry needs to adopt better tactics and really fight

are we all just going to sit around and comfortable complain about the media all year?
if Kerry is trying and it's not getting play, if it's getting ignored,
then he's not trying well enough.
what matters is results, not throwing around the media excuse all year

[RoyGBiv]

12. I'm Open

I'm open to suggestions...

[codegreen]

13. you want me to give recommendations to you?

what would that even matter?
there's a Presidential Campaign going on.
the Campaign needs to figure out what to do and DO IT.
surely you don't think that a Deomcratic Presidential Campaign
that pulled in 57 million dollars in the last months
simply can't do anything, has hands tied.

'it's the media's fault, we tried the best we could' CAN NOT be our mantra in 2005 if Bush gets re-elected. that is an intolerable outcome.

[RoyGBiv]

18. Blame

If we lose this election, I won't blame media bias.

I will blame those who began judging the campaign as doomed six months before the election when they should have been out doing something themselves, giving their time, their money, and most of all their absolute best encouragement. Negative energy has a voracious appetite.

Certainly I'm not thoroughly pleased with the current state of things, but I've been through this before, and I know far better than to think that Kerry initiating the hard-press now will have any lasting effects. And, you can be sure that John Kerry has been through this before. As someone posted yesterday, his toughest race to date was a Senate race in which just a few weeks before the election, he was trailing in the polls and suffering, supposedly, under the attack ads placed against him. Then he turned up the heat himself, used his dollars where they counted, and won the election going away.

Political campaigning is an art.

[codegreen]

22. fine. blame me then. it'll be my fault. wow am i sorry.

the campaign needs to assess the media climate.
it needs to find a way thru it or address it or something.

if the campaign plans to hold its cards till the 4th quarter,
then there's going to be many people like me screaming and shouting that that is a BAD IDEA in the meantime. because i believe it IS a bad idea.

[sangh0]

23. blah, blah, blah

Wake me up when you have something of substance instead of the generic "assess the media climate", "it needs to find a way thru it or address it or something"

[codegreen]

26. well, that settles it then. thanks for the contribution to the discussion.

[sangh0]

31. I'll make a contribution when you do

So far, all I see is sloganeering

[QC]

47. Excellent question!

Some people seem to think that if Kerry doesn't come knock on their front door, then he's not really campaigning.

[mzmolly]

4. This is why I supported Dean above all else. He is a fighter and refused

to let *them* define the agenda.

If Kerry doesn't win, I hope Dean runs in 2008. I will vote for John Kerry, and say every day I hope he proves me wrong and pulls this election out.

Perhaps this is part of his strategy? "Rope a dope" as it were....??
To those who say he's fighting back, he needs to do a better job. He needs to fight in a way that will garner some media attention.

I always say the only thing the media loves more than Bush is ratings and dollars. Kerry needs to give them something to air.

[jpgray]

28. But he was defined, and because of that he lost

I don't see how Dean is a good example of media control--he took the fight to Kerry and Bush, but in such a way that the media eviscerated him.

No foul on Dean, whose criticisms were mostly wonderful in their directness and on the money, just saying that fighting alone can't win you an election. You need to be able to play the system, and that means avoiding a message that allows them to define you and bludgeon you to death with that definition. Kerry is already battling against the "waffler" theme. :(

[mzmolly]

45. No he lost because the media was threatened by his comments...

regarding *breaking up the media monopolies* they went after him heavilly because of that.

[dedhed]

5. He's just getting warmed up...

He's had some good zingers over the past few days. My hope is that he's saving the fire-and-brimstone until the month or two before Election Day. He can't turn up the heat too early, or the voters (especially the swing voters) will get tired of hearing it.

[mzmolly]

7. I hope so too.

:shrug:

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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

[librechik]

9. when unlimited airtime is free, like it is for the Chimp

It's only because they put the predator in chief on TV SO MUCH that the absence of Kerry seems so conspicuous.

This morning, rather than a Kerry spokesman to repond to the pile of lies spewed out by CheneyCorp, they had a reporter, Brownstein. He helpfully took the side of both parties to respond to the new ads. The we had a Bush spokesperson on to explain why the ads were so goo d for America. Isn't that fair and balanced enough for you?

Too bad. They know they're biased and they could care less. They're just in it for the money, and they've already been paid by the Bushies.

[Toucano]

14. He was fighting pretty good on GMA today!

Check LBN for the link. (me too lazy! :()

[Guaranteed]

21. Yeah, I saw that....that was excellent...

Very good to see that.

He needs to stick to the issues, though. He needs to talk about how invading Iraq screwed up our fight against the terrorists.

[Caution]

15. When is the media going to cover it is a better question.

[gtar100]

16. You've got to turn your attention to where his voice is broadcast

Remember that mainstream, high-profile media is not giving us the whole story. So much of what Kerry is saying is being muted. These groups are not going to make it easy for you and are going to pretend that the alternatives are not there. They are. Look and listen for alternatives. Here's a couple of good ones: Democracy Now! Air America! They at least back up their assertions with research and facts. You can't even get that with Fox News that is backed by millions of dollars!

Garbage In, Garbage Out - people and computers are the same at least in this respect. If you're being fed crap, don't swallow it!

[codegreen]

17. that is no way to win an election and you should know it.

all of you should know better than to simply accept the media bias.

the bias needs to be circumvented and attacked by the campaign,
Bush needs to be attacked by the campaign,
and all the people need to hear it.

not just people tuned into AAR and Democracy Now!

this is a Presidential Campaign, and it can and should do better than that. we must expect more from them, not blame the media all year.

[Old and In the Way]

20. Lack of media oxygen for Democrats is a fact of life and

it wouldn't matter if it was Dean, Kucinich, or whoever your favorite candidate would be. That said, I think the majority of the electorate understands this and have made up their minds that they will vote Kerry, regardless of what the Republican biased media wants them to do.

But don't hold your breath for equal time on FOX or CNN.

[codegreen]

24. complacency will not an election win. we must fight hard & never give up

[sangh0]

25. yawn

Do you have any ideas, or do you only specialize in bumper sticker slogans?

[Guaranteed]

30. How about we go around saying that Bush will

win the war on terror?

Yeah, that's the ticket!

[jpgray]

29. OK, how does Kerry utterly remove the media disadvantage?

I'm all ears. If the media won't report what you say, you have a plan to make them do so? This ought to be good.

[sangh0]

32. According to codegreen, we have to "assess the media climate"

(whatever that means) and then Kerry must "find a way thru it or address it or something"

I think that means "codegreen hasn't got a clue, but that won't stop him from pretending otherwise"

[codegreen]

33. if i had the programming, money or expertise, i would make some real ads

that address what needs to be addressed quickly and thoroughly.
the campaign does have those resources however.

the media likes to talk about ads, so that is where to act.

[jpgray]

34. You're not paying attention--Bush's ads get coverage, Kerry's do not

In CNN's cycle, Bush's ads get a full play and commentary about how they hurt Kerry. Kerry's ads get a brief incoherent snip and commentary about how they try and fix Kerry's problems. New ads do not fix these problems. In other words: wrong answer.

[codegreen]

40. that's why they need to use innovation.

fast paced, multiple shots ads.
littered with facts, quotes, allegations.
something newsworthy.
use the 'L' word.
point out that the emperor has no clothes.

there is so much informing of the public that needs to happen.
the ads need to make up for the media's failure over the last 3 years.
educate the people.
say things that have gone unreported.

thoroughly demolish the Bush ad allegations.

[jpgray]

42. The most innovative ad in the world may still be unfairly covered

Ads alone cannot change the media landscape. They can affect public opinion, but if the media blitz an ad, there is no way a thirty second spot can compete with twenty-four hour definition of what it means on the cable networks.

[sangh0]

37. more slogans

How about a real answer instead of the "glittering generalities" you've been providing so far.

You want commercials?

Why don't you start by telling us what you think that commercial should say? Then tell us how much money it will cost to make, and how much to run? Tell us what effect that commercial will have and be specific and provide some evidence for you assertions.

Your "I don't know what he could do but he better do it quick" isn't impressing anyone

[Guaranteed]

35. Tell the truth, and they'll cover it.

They sure covered Dean, didn't they?

[jpgray]

36. They distorted and destroyed Dean, and he lost

Not the best example.

[sangh0]

38. They just make stuff up

Even they know that telling the truth won't get you on the news.

[Guaranteed]

39. Not because he was against the war, though.

They just called him "unelectable" over and over the week before the Iowa caucuses, and, whaddaya know, Kerry won.

Dean's STRENGTH was being against the war.

[jpgray]

41. You sure his stances didn't affect how they handled him?

I'm not so sure. I think you have to be very careful in this country about how you lay out your cards, because depending on how you do so, the media and the system can turn on you in a moment. I think there's a tightrope to walk on pandering to the establishment and telling the truth. You do too much pandering, you lose your base, and if you tell too much truth, the system will drop you in a hole. I think these past primaries bear that out, but I'm not sure if it's entirely the case. Where does Kerry stand on that? I certainly wish he'd go more to the truth-telling side, but I can understand some of the pandering.

[Guaranteed]

43. The thing that worked most strongly against Dean was the taxes

issue. Of course, they didn't even really say that when they called him "unelectable." They didn't need to. You repeat that word enough and it just becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Fucking Bill Schneider. That was the guy, I'm telling you. He destroyed Dean.

Anyway, if Kerry came out against how Bush screwed up the war on terror by invading Iraq, he'd be nothing but right, and everyone would know it. This door being open with him not walking through it just makes him look really bad. If he did, he truly would be defining himself.

[newyawker99]

48. Hi gtar100!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Rageneau]

19. Kerry says the right things, but...

he doesn't say them loudly or angrilly or humorously enough.

To cut through the corporate media's GOP-run echo chamber, Kerry has to say things provocative enough to send Smirk and Snarl in to apoplectic seizures. Things the media could not HELP but repeat. Such as (in regard to today's GOP-written headlines about Kerry's medals):

"I deeply resent a coward like Dick Cheney questioning my commitment to the defense of my nation. He ought to be ashamed of himself, and every American veteran should be ashamed of him. It is an absolute disgrace for a draft-dodging vice -president -- for crass political purposes -- to denigrate the service of any honorably discharged American veteran."

Or:

"It hardly matters whether I threw ribbons or medals during my attempts to end the war in Viet Nam. What should matter is that I had medals to throw. Bush and Cheney have no medals because they both shamefully avoided service during that difficult time. During Viet Nam, I did my duty as both a soldier and a concerned citizen. Neither of them did their duty as either."

[Classical_Liberal]

27. You should have included a "maybe never" option

. He has pnac foreign policy advisors.

[rasputin1952]

44. My opinion is to relax, the bush cabal is destroying itself...

Kerry will hit them when it is appropriate. It is not up to us to decide when this will be, we're not running for office, he is.

The bottom line is, Kerry spent 16 years in the Senate, you can't do this if you don't know how to campaign. Let the bushista's crap all over themselves...let them expend all they can, Kerry is above it at this point. For Pete's sake, the convention hasn't even come down the pike yet.

I think Kerry knows what he is doing. Why beat your opponent to death, when they are doing such a good job on themselves. The Nam service is a dead issue; the medals are the new spin issue, and 67% say shut about it, it's a non-issue. The SUV was a non-issue...let them spend $60-100 mil trying to get to Kerry...if they had something, they'd have tossed it already.

Relax, bush is beating himself...:)

edited: forgot to use spell check...:(

[Pepperbelly]

46. I do not know what the FIRETRUCK people want him to do....

I saw him DESTROY little Timmy Russert when he was interviewed by the turd a week or so ago when none of the other Democratic candidates ... NOT A SINGLE ONE ... put Timmy in his place as surely and as quickly as Kerry. IMO, it was a work of art.

Today even, as I listened to NPR during my commute, I heard Terry McAuliff, when asked about Cheney's heinous remarks today about Kerry, responded by questioning the personal military credentials of both Bush and Cheney before laying into them on point.

I heard Kerry's spokesman respond to the Cheney speech by noting the 71 weapons systems that Cheney was personally responsible for scuttling when he was SECDEF.

I think Kerry's doing well.