...here is someone that is keeping it real. Finally, a worried liberal that will admit they are very concerned about their candidate. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An Open Letter to John Kerry from a Worried Democrat By Michael Silverstein May 5, 2004 Dear Senator Kerry: Like so many Americans who understand the necessity of defeating George W. Bush this November, I've been profoundly disappointed by your failure to capitalize on his many policy blunders. You seem unable to present your views in ways that touch people and change minds. Given President Bush's obvious vulnerabilities on Iraq, jobs, tax policies, the environment, drug costs, energy, women's rights, et al., the coming election is more and more becoming yours to lose. And lose you will (and we will) unless you correct present shortcomings. Here's a few suggestions, respectively offered, that might help improve your campaign. 1. Present your basic themes in the fewest words possible. Drop the caveats and nuances until after the election. 2. Treat criticisms as opportunities to showcase your strengths‹to better define your character. If challenged about your Vietnam protests, for example, note that any excesses here illustrate your passion for the things you believe in‹a passion you feel today about a strong national defense and the needs of working Americans. Youthful excess thus showcases a passion to serve. Retort trumps slight. 3. Don't defend, attack. Attack any challenges to your record as half-truths and outright lies. If called to explain have one‹and only one‹sound bite example ready that shows the truth twisting of a Bush commercial. 4. Pepper your speeches with attacks on unpopular members of the Bush Administration (Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, etc.), and with references to unpopular corporate targets (drug companies, overpaid CEOs at companies with many laid off workers). There's a lot of unpopular figures tied to this personally popular President. Exploit that fact. Hone in on the weak underbelly of this Administration 5. Be prepped to exhibit, in campaign appearances, passion, anger, disgust, and disdain. Passion about your core beliefs. Anger about Americans who have no jobs or low paid jobs, and those who can't afford health insurance. Disgust at the smear campaign being used against you by over-funded Kerry bashers with an agenda that doesn't reflect what most Americans really want. Disdain for your so-called 'flip-flops' on key issues over the years. While experienced and effective leaders don't change their core beliefs, they do change their approaches to problem solving as new circumstances dictate. Only ideologues hold on to outmoded solutions that no longer make sense. 6. Make clear, concise, and straight forward comparisons between your views on issues and President Bush's views so as to highlight the very real choice in this election. Done well, this could generate rousing audience responses that energize your campaign. George Bush opposes a woman's right to choose. I support that right. Where do you stand? With Bush or Kerry? George Bush thinks polluters should be allowed to clean up their act any way they please. I think a prod from government is sometimes necessary to keep our air and water clean and safe. Where do you stand? With Bush or Kerry? George Bush thinks a Medicare drug benefit should enrich drug companies greatly, while trickling only small savings down to the elderly. I think the benefit should help the elderly more than the drug sellers. Which approach do you favor? Bush or Kerry? 7. Key off present discontents to make political points. Make clear, easily understandable linkages between bad Bush policies and voter pain. Soaring gasoline prices, for example, can be presented as an indictment of Bush energy policies that focus on destroying one of this country's natural treasures rather than encouraging conservation and the development of alternative energy resources. 8. Turn criticisms that you lack the qualifications to be President into positive comparisons with your opponent, and into your own criticisms of his unpopular cronies. Your public service is four times longer and more comprehensive than George W. Bush's before he was elected President, so you have a far greater ability to set your own policies without depending on advisors such as Vice-President Cheney (a very good proxy target) and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld (another good one). 9. Treat 'liberal' labeling of you and your policies with contempt. You're running on your vision of America's future, not playing a decades-old and outmoded liberal and conservative label game. When a President who calls himself a conservative runs the deficits this President is running, takes the aggressive international stances this President is taking, intrudes on individual rights and choices the way this President has done, the old labels are meaningless and outright silly. 10. Try humor once in awhile. Little self-deprecating jibes about your looks would play well. So would the Yale background you share with President Bush (You were two years ahead of him at Yale and still are....) 11. On the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism‹focus on the safer future you will create. Make clear, sharp and frequent distinctions between your ability to create such a future and the President's. Make your arguments in ways that quickly get across why you're the better wartime leader. Examples: The Bush Administration has lost the confidence of the world with its arrogant behavior and will be hard-pressed to win the world's full support in our battles in Iraq and our war against international terrorists. Kerry doesn't carry the baggage of their past blunders. The world hasn't lost faith America's leadership. It's lost faith in the Bush Administration's ability to lead. 12. On the economy, pick three or four key economic themes. Boil them down basics. Call these as your "New Kerry Economics." Tax cuts for a middle class that needs them. No tax cuts for the very rich who don't. No American tax subsidies that encourage American firms to ship jobs abroad. A Medicare drug program that benefits seniors more than drug companies. Over the years, some very qualified Democratic candidates have lost races for the White House because of poor campaigning. That must not happen this year. Please, Senator Kerry, make your own campaigning more effective in coming weeks and months. So much of so many futures now depend on your ability to simplify the complex in ways that touch the heart, the gut and the spirit of voters, as well as their minds. Sincerely, Michael Silverstein, the Wall St. Poet © Copyright 2002, 2003, 2004 by MikeHersh.com MikeHersh.com invites you to reproduce, reprint or broadcast any material at this site, provided you identify the source as MikeHersh.com. All Internet and email summaries, excerpts or other written reproductions must include this blurb and a link to http://www.MikeHersh.com. http://www.mikehersh.com/An_Open_Letter_to_John_Kerry_from_a_Worried_Democrat.shtml
Who the heck is Mike Hersh, and why didn't you find this story(Republicans Sabotaged Clinton's Anti-Terror Efforts) on his website interesting enough to start a thread? http://www.mikehersh.com/Republicans_sabotaged_Clintons_Anti-Terror_Efforts.shtml
ron413's derailing train strikes again the concept isn't "nuculer" science, a thread is created to deal with a topic, people respond to that thread about said topic if you want to post something about a democrat voicing concern about Kerry, create a new thread about it the admins need to do something about your continual disregard and disrespect for topics and threads
Hey Chump Daddy, this ain't the BBS Hangout forum. I am not going to waste Clutch's server space with a new thread when this liberal Vote For Change Tour thread is perfect for my article. The musicians are standing on the principle of voting for change. That means they most likely could care less what Kerry has to say. They hate GWB more than anything. Well that is great and all, and I wish them well in their pursuits this Summer and Fall. But I DO NOT VOTE FOR CHANGE, I vote for anyone but Forbes Kerry; which means I vote for GWB!!! Which means that my conservative behind will find as many chances to bring another perspective to alot of these crazy liberal threads If you want this thread to be all lovey dovey and positive for Kerry, bring that weak shiite somewhere else. Ok chump?
If he was still alive, JFK would vote for Bush. And of course Dave Matthews isn't washed up. You have to not suck at one point in order to eventually be washed up.
Nah, that's actually logical. We're making up stupid speculative **** about dead people right now. Come back later.
OK If Brian Jones were still alive, the Rolling Stones would be playing casinos and state fairs instead of football stadiums. How's that? Did I win something???
Since you avoided the simple question of what the heck did your article have to to with the topic at hand, I will dismiss your ramblings as those of someone unable to comprehend basic language skills and unworthy of responding to. You are a troll and will be treated as such.
I was not talking to you Chump. That is why I replied to Oski and his name appears at the top of the post. If I was replying to you your name would be up there at the top like it is now. If you will notice my response to you is before my response to Oski, and here it is for you once again. "Hey Chump Daddy, this ain't the BBS Hangout forum. I am not going to waste Clutch's server space with a new thread when this liberal Vote For Change Tour thread is perfect for my article. The musicians are standing on the principle of voting for change. That means they most likely could care less what Kerry has to say. They hate GWB more than anything. Well that is great and all, and I wish them well in their pursuits this Summer and Fall. But I DO NOT VOTE FOR CHANGE, I vote for anyone but Forbes Kerry; which means I vote for GWB!!! Which means that my conservative behind will find as many chances to bring another perspective to alot of these crazy liberal threads. If you want this thread to be all lovey dovey and positive for Kerry, bring that weak shiite somewhere else. Ok chump?" THE END. Now do you have a response to that? Thank you very much for your time and sorry that I bothered you in all your brilliance.
Oh, I'm a waffler alright! I can't decide now if I wanna go see the band in San Francisco or Dayton! When're we balling?
Monday-Wednesday @ 6pm in SW Houston. Send me an e-mail any day you may be interested, please invite RocketmanTex
