MORE KERRY STRATEGY
New York Daily News:
He's bleeding," said a top Democratic strategist.
"Kerry's got to get out there and defend himself. He can end this right now by saying: 'In the midst of this slanderous debate, I want to remind the American people: They didn't serve. I did.'"
Democratic sources say Kerry is eager to counterattack but has been held back by advisers who want to take the high road and believe the public will see through the attacks.
This is pathetic - "release the records, answer the questions, and clear up our side of the story" is apparently not even being considered.
KERRY'S STRATEGY TODAY
Kerry's upcoming speech, from The Note:
"The Bush campaign and its allies have turned to the tactics of fear and smear because they can't talk about jobs, health care, energy independence, and rebuilding our alliances — the real issues that matter to the American people. They have no plans, no positive vision and no understanding of an urgent and undeniable truth — a stronger America begins at home."
More keen observations:
Now, Bill Clinton had a way of convincing audiences that his campaign was not about the past, but was about the future — it was about policy debates that were engaging and interesting and provocative — and meaningful.
John Kerry hasn't been able to sell audiences on his version of the future (Note Note: saying "it's about the future" is like saying "Message: I care.") because the central organizing metaphor of his campaign is about the past...
It's why the group is now running an ad that speaks more precisely to a central question many Americans will have to answer about Senator Kerry: is a man who led protests against the U.S. government and its war in Vietnam while troops were fighting and dying an acceptable commander-in-chief?
The means may be illegitimate to some, but the question is not, and it's not an easy question for Senator Kerry to answer especially since Kerry himself has made, in David Broder's words this morning, "his Navy combat in Vietnam the principal metaphor for his dedication to public service and the proof of his toughness in a time of terrorism." "He might have guessed," Broder continues, 'that the skeptics would not remain silent. In a 2002 conversation, Kerry told me he thought it would be doubly advantageous that 'I fought in Vietnam and I also fought against the Vietnam War,' apparently not recognizing that some would see far too much political calculation in such a bifurcated record."
KERRY CALLED BOB DOLE THIS MORNING
According to Bob Dole, appearing on Sean Hannity's program, the Democratic candidate called Dole to talk things over.
He said he was very disappointed, we'd been friends. I said John, we're still friends, but [the Swiftvets] have First Amendment rights, just as your people have First Amendment rights.
Dole told Kerry, "I'm not trying to stir anything up, but I don't believe every one of these people who have talked about what happened are Republican liars.
"And very frankly, Bush is my guy, and I'm tired of people on your side calling him everything from a coward to a traitor to everything - a deserter."
Dole said he urged Kerry, "Why don't you call George Bush today and say, 'Mr. President, let's stop all this stuff about the National Guard and Vietnam - and let's talk about the issues."
Dole said Kerry responded, "I haven't spent one dime attacking President Bush."
But the Republican war hero shot back, "You don't have to. You've got all the so-called mainstream media, plus you've got MoveOn.org and all these other groups that have spent millions and millions of dollars trying to tarnish Bush's image."
"Don't tell me you don't know what some of these people are doing," he told Kerry.
"Everybody likes quiet heroes," Dole added, saying he told Kerry, "John, everybody knows you were in Vietnam and the less you say about it, the better."
Dole said he tried to end the tense conversation cordially by telling Kerry, "I wish you good luck, up to a point."
If Kerry really said, "I haven't spent one dime attacking President Bush," to Dole, he appears to be hoping that the former Kansas senator has gone senile.
Does Kerry not remember ads like, "Misleading America" or ads accusing Bush of supporting sending jobs overseas, or saying, "George Bush is appointing far-right judges determined to take away our privacy."
All of those are Kerry campaign ads, not MoveOn.org, or the Media Fund, or Americans Coming Together, or the DNC. And the most recent Kerry ads responding to the Swifties charges, "Instead of solutions, George Bush's campaign supports a front group attacking military record. Attacks called smears and lies... Bush smeared John McCain four years ago. Now he's doing it to John Kerry."
John Kerry has spent a lot more than a dime on attacking President Bush.
Short-term memory loss seems to be another problem for Kerry.
THE WORD IN REPUBLICAN CIRCLES
Just chatted with a high-ranking Republican tuned in to the Bush campaign. A couple of highlights:
* The idea that the Swift Boat Vets ads’ could boomerang on Bush is wishful thinking. Smart Democrats understand there’s nothing good about this for John Kerry.
* The Bush campaign isn’t worried that the Swift Boat Vets’ message will step on President Bush’s message during the convention.
* Despite Josh Marshall’s charges, Bob Dole wasn’t “sent out” by the Bush campaign. The campaign offered to brief him on some issues, and he turned it down. “Bob Dole doesn’t let anybody tell Bob Dole what to do,” the high-ranking Republican said, using the exact third-person style that Dole himself would use.
* The Republican also wasn’t impressed with Kerry’s efforts to urge television stations not to run the Swift Boats’ ad, wondering how loud the cries of outrage would have been if the Bush campaign had tried to prevent “Fahrenheit 9/11” from running in theaters.
More good stuff The Kerry Spot on National Review Online
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