What do you want to hear from John Kerry on Thursday night?

[bushwakker]

I am hoping that JK's speech to the convention is not an hourlong Clintonesque recitation of various promises, proposals and programs. This speech should not be a detailed laundry list but a broad thematic statement. The problems facing our country right now are much more basic - and serious - than fully funding one pet program or another. JK needs to speak clearly and succintcly about the secrecy and corruption that are the hallmarks of the Bush regime. He needs to clearly and succintly point out that a blind, almost religious adherence to right wing ideology has put the US on the wrong track at home and abroad. He needs to demonstrate that at the heart of the Bush Adminstration is a contempt for the very citizens it is supposed to serve.

He must present himself as a return to a more open, honest and rational style of governance.

[meti57b]

1. I want to hear that he has an aggressive campaign to win!

.... and get bush out of office.

[spooky3]

2. I would like him to describe several specific steps he would take to

improve our response to terrorism. This seems to be the main area on which people give * much more credit than they give Kerry, and since * has done very poorly on terrorism, I can only guess it's because people don't understand how Kerry will do anything differently.

[Carolinian]

3. I am hungry for a strong approach to anti-terrorism and mending

relationships around the world. The approach should be to establish what the Bush administration has lost --- TRUST. It will take some specifics to be convincing.

[readmylips]

4. Jobs at home...unite the country and world again for USA....

health care, education, and how the democrats have for the best of the country and their people vs bush for the elite.

Point out the hundreds of lies of bush vs his flop floppers. Point out how bush says one thing and does another...show facts. Right now bush voted against citizens suing for negligence, when when hurt on the job.

[bushwakker]

6. a memorable phrase of theme is necessary

Sometimes you see a speech and 5 minutes after it's over you remember nothing about it. A theme of uniting the country "come together" to quote John Lennon would be a powerful message to a badly fractured nation.

[LWolf]

5. Which "me?"

The citizen in me wants to hear him fire people up; fill them with confidence and hope, and come out firing and ready to kick GWB's ass back to Crawford, or better, to Mars.

The teacher in me would like to hear him publicly repudiate all forms of high-stakes testing and the neo-con "standards and accountability" movement in public education. I won't be holding my breath.

I would also like to hear him say he'll divert much of that overblown military spending into social programs.

[Myrina]

7. I want

*Clearly separate himself from Bush's policies (please don't pull a Gore/Lieberman and 'agree with the other guy').


*Offer fairly bold and detailed vision. (Everytime I watch a politico speak about 'when I'm president', my first thought is "Give me details HOW you're going to make that happen?")


*Give the un-initiated a little background on how some of his positions evolved to what he stands for now, in cases where his votes/statements do not match (This will be good defense against the 'flip flop' charges).


*AND PLEASE DON'T BORE US TO DEATH !!!!!!!!!

[bushwakker]

13. It has to be short - 40 mins at most

it has to be memorable. it needs a recurring theme or phrase than can be remembered and splashed across the front pages friday morning. if he speaks too long he will revert to monotonous kerry-speak.

[IndianaGreen]

8. Kerry: "I shall go to Iraq!"

Eisenhower's "I Shall Go to Korea" speech guaranteed his election in 1952. Kerry can borrow the following part of Ike's famous speech:

Dwight D. Eisenhower's ''I Shall Go to Korea'' Speech, 1952

October 25, 1952

The first task of a new Administration will be to review and re-examine every course of action open to us with one goal in view: To bring the Korean war to an early and honorable end. This is my pledge to the American people.

For this task a wholly new Administration is necessary. The reason for this is simple. The old Administration cannot be expected to repair what it failed to prevent.

Where will a new Administration begin?

It will begin with its President taking a simple, firm resolution. The resolution will be: To forego the diversions of politics and to concentrate on the job of ending the Korean war-until that job is honorably done.

That job requires a personal trip to Korea.

I shall make that trip. Only in that way could I learn how best to serve the American people in the cause of peace.

I shall go to Korea.

http://tucnak.fsv.cuni.cz/~calda/Documents/1950s/Ike_Korea_52.html

[bushwakker]

17. Bold and dramatic

what I fear is a speech that vanishes into the air 5 minutes after it is delivered. He needs a speech that can be summed up quickly by people who normally won't pay attention to politics. Like "yeah I saw that speech by that Kerry guy - he says he'll go to Iraq." something along those lines.

[gulliver]

9. A couple of good jokes are a must.

I heard Mort Sahl on NPR a few months ago lamenting that the Dems didn't seem to have any good comedy writers.

I also want to hear Ann Richards come up with another "he was born with a silver foot in his mouth" type of zinger. Surely someone can find something about Bush to ridicule. DUIs, the flight suit carrier landing... come on... the man is a walking joke.

[IndianaGreen]

10. Clinton could tell jokes

I don't think Kerry can. The second worst thing that can happen is to try to tell a joke and bomb. The worst thing is to laugh at one's own jokes.

A joke would be in bad taste at a time of war and bodybags. Let Leno and Letterman do that.

[gulliver]

12. Kerry can too.

True, Kerry's eyes can be a bit mournful. His humor shade might have to be smartly bitter or caustic (like Mort Sahl or Janeane Garofalo). But angry jokes are good jokes too, and now is a good time for them.

I'd have to bet Kerry can get a laugh at the Democratic Convention. It shouldn't be a silly laugh. It should come from a sense of utter disgust with Bush and set the stage for talking about that disgust openly.

For example, Kerry could say something like: "We're making sure that all the votes in Florida are counted this time! (Applause) Listen up, Jeb! (Laugh)" It might get a laugh (I'm no comedy writer) and make a point at the same time.

[Sparkly]

11. "General Clark will be part of my administration...

as will Max Cleland, Mario Cuomo, and...?"

It's difficult to hit all issues without it being a laundry list. I think a theme like "Responsibility" or "accountability" could apply to all issues, and he could articulate them as examples. (Responsibility to education means... to housing... to workers... to minorities...etc..)

In a sense he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't -- the media and rightwingers will slam him for going on too long and being a wonk, or for being "short on details" and "not articulating a plan."

[bushwakker]

14. how about a "mission" theme

to play on his miltary service and awol's mission accomplished blunder?

[wiggs]

15. Exactly

I'm with you -- broad themes: secrecy, ineptitude, too close to global corporations to look after citizen interests, mistakes in every aspect of policy, Orwell.

Gore has done this speech in recent months.

[Eric J in MN]

16. What he wants to accomplish in his first four years. Let other

Democrats focus on criticizing Bush.

[Mz Pip]

18. I want to hear

something that will not only energize the base but keep other Dems and Independents enthusiastic enough to carry through to November. He has to project a vision that is exciting and doable.

I know what he can't do:

He can't recite a laundry list of programs.
He can't drone on and on like a Senate fillibuster.

MzPip
:dem: