Good news and bad news about where we are in the campaign.

[Eric J in MN]

The good news is that Kerry and Edwards make a great team and we're ahead in the polls.

The bad news is that Michael Dukakis and Loyd Bentsen once had a big lead over George H. W. Bush and Dan Quayle.

Let's be happy, but not overconfident.

For ways to help, click around:
www.johnkerry.com

[Dr Fate]

1. Sound advice. n/t

n/t

[TheDonkey]

2. Do you have the exact numbers? of dukakis' bounce

I'd like to see them.

I agree though, we have a tough 4 months ahead still. Shrub and the rightwingers are in panic mode and all this "most liberal ticket eva" talk is incredible.

[tritsofme]

8. Dukakis was ahead 54-37

[TexasSissy]

3. Totally agree. For first time in my life, I'm going to volunteer! In a

In a Repub state, even! (ooooh, that's dangerous)

[mourningdove92]

5. Me too, Sissy

Texas is coming back to the dems.

[King of New Orleans]

4. Yeah but Kerry will never look like

Alfred E. Neumann riding around in a tank

[Lex]

6. Didn't Dukakis get blind-sided with the Willie Horton ad?

I think the electorate is far less likely to buy some kind of bullshit like that now. In fact, I think it would backfire these days.

The electorate is more jaded and less likely to fall for that sort of ad now.

That's what killed Dukakis, iirc.

[jadedcherub]

7. Did ya know?

--snizzy--
also running ads calling Kerry a “rich liberal elitist.” The ads are being run by a GOP 527 called Citizens United, which is led by David Bossie, he of Willie Horton fame.
--snizzy--

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/001346.html

.jc.

[fujiyama]

10. Not only that

but Dukakis also never found a way to respond to the nasty Bush attacks.

Bush jr. is even nastier than his dad as we all well know, and Rove is Atwater's protege...plus we saw their tactics last time.

Confidence and competance. That's what we have. Kerry/Edwards really has it. It's a hell of a team! Kerry is a much smarter politician than Dukakis ever was. He's made some great choices. Let's hope that his convention speech is great and he learns from Gore's mistakes last time (no sighing during debates). Hell, choosing Edwards shows that Kerry has gone with someone more exciting and interesting, rather than conventional and safe (Edwards is a big improvement over Lieberman).

[demwing]

11. That, and two other things

1 - you mentioned. The tank boy episode

2 - Dukakis was asked in a debate (I believe) what he would do if his wife were raped. I think it was a capital punishment question. He really dropped the ball on the Q, ended up looking as if he no passion for anything, even his wife. He rambled, defended the rights of the imprisoned, etc. All technically correct answers, but he looked like a weasel.

Yeah, George the Elder didn't so much win that one as Mike D. lost it.

[salonghorn70]

12. You Are Right

Dukakis was a terrible candidate.

[Lex]

13. Ah, I forgot the question

about the hypothetical rape.

I think the press helped screw over Dukakis too--kind of like they did with Al Gore.

I just hope none of this kind of thing happens with Kerry/Edwards, or if it does, they can effectively counter it.

[sandnsea]

9. Let's be confident AND...

work our little fingers to the bone. Confidence is contagious, it gets in the air and we need that to win. The winds of change in the air. But at the same time, be focused little worker bees that gets every vote out on election day.