Kerry Broadens Scope of His Pitch
Senator Hopes to Woo Swing Voters
By Jim VandeHei and Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, May 23, 2004; Page A01
washingtonpost.com
Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) has begun targeting swing voters and disaffected Republicans in an effort to expand the election battleground, a strategy that includes emphasizing centrist themes on the campaign trail while privately reassuring liberal constituencies he is committed to their core issues.
After watching and sometimes wincing at a clip of himself on the evening news in California earlier this month, Kerry has tried to adjust his campaign pitch by toning down the rhetoric and dropping some of his more bombastic sound bites from the primary campaign. His stump speech now includes a measured appeal to independents and "non-Bush Republicans" and the claim that he is more conservative than the president when it comes to budget deficits and respecting the Constitution.
Kerry aides have been talking about investing money for advertising in additional Republican-leaning Southern states, including North Carolina and possibly Virginia, that most analysts consider strong Bush country. Kerry is also intrigued with the idea of putting an unmistakable bipartisan stamp on his candidacy by appearing to woo a Republican such as Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) as vice president, or at least signaling his intention to tap Republicans for key Cabinet posts, according to some aides.
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) said four Democrats not part of the Kerry campaign have asked whether he had any interest in joining Kerry's ticket. Hagel said no, but, in an interview Friday, applauded Kerry's interest in creating a bipartisan government. McCain, too, has repeatedly ruled out becoming Kerry's running mate, though the two share a dislike for the Bush administration. Kerry will name his vice president in July, according to a Democrat familiar with the selection process.
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