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Politics : PRESIDENT JOHN FORBES KERRY -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: American Spirit who wrote (844)	3/13/2004 2:03:41 PM
From: cnyndwllr	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 1017

American Spirit, I agree that the election is there for the taking. It was there for Gore also, however, and we all know how that turned out. The problem I see for Kerry is that he's getting tired, he's too close to the center of the storm, he may be losing the big picture perspective and he's beginning to make mistakes that could cost him. This is a "first impression" time for a lot of casual voters and it's critical that he make the most of this opportunity. That means that he should be driving home a very simple, easily articulated and powerful message. I'd like to see him center his message on two fronts. The first front would be "John Kerry's practical vision for America." In order to be effective he would have to stress that no president can create programs that are not based on sound fiscal policy and that every president has to make tough choices that involve funding some programs at the expense of others. The choices a president makes tells you a lot more about his view of the world and his priorities than his words do. With that springboard, I'd like to see him compare the Bush record on Education, environment, veteran's benefits, energy, constitutional protections of individual rights, the sanctity of Social Security funding and medicare solvency for our nations elderly, etc., with the Bush words on those subjects. This would be most effective if he led out with the lines "George Bush and I SAY many of the same things regarding our support of Social Security, tax relief for everday Americans, education, the need for health care...... Based on our WORDS, It would seem that on these issues there would be little difference between a Bush presidency and a Kerry presidency. Those that make that judgement, however, have not looked carefully at the ACTIONS of George W. Bush. This could introduce numerous illustrations of the Bush practice of saying one thing, and then doing the opposite. It allows him to attack the credibility of Bush while at the same time revealing the Bush record and a Kerry commitment to take back the initiative on those moderate programs that Bush preempted with words only. (How about introductory language like this; "George W. Bush claims to be a strong supporter of Homeland Security, sound fiscal policies, Social Security and medicare solvency, education, health care and long term tax relief for working Americans." Hundreds of millions of working Americans want a president that makes those needs high PRIORITIES when it comes to making tough choices about the Nation's path. After the last years of this Bush Presidency, however, his actions reveal his REAL priorities and those actions speak louder than words.) In fact, I'd make the phrase, "actions speak louder than words," the major theme of my campaign and I'd carry it on throughout the campaign. The other thing I'd do is to say loudly and often that the nation cannot afford to fund all of the programs that we'd like to see in place and that John Kerry UNDERSTANDS that. That's why it's so important to have priorities and to be able to make the tough choices when competing needs are presented and that's why it's so important to be sure that the dollars spent by government are spent wisely-as opposed to spending on no-bid contracts like those awarded to Haliburton. Finally, and just as importantly, Kerry should have a second prong of attack that illustrates that many of histories failures were not men who had poor intentions, they were men who had poor judgement and made blunders that resulted in unintended consequences. I think it's very apparent that Bush (or whoever is running the show) either has poor priorities or poor judgement. I think there are some who believe he's "sincere" and let's not fail to give them a good reason to vote him out as well. If Kerry presents himself as a pragmatist, as one who has the best interests of working Americans and their families at the center of his desire to serve and as one that can get things done, and if he hammers away at the real priorities and mistakes in judgement of the Bush Administration, he'll win big. It's right there for the taking if he doesn't lose sight of the finish line.