From Alexander Cockburn's Beat The Devil column
The Nation, 9/27/04 issue

So what hve kerry supporters and prospective supporters got to hang their hat on?  Not much, which is why most of the ones I meet seem wan and out of sorts, reduced to mutterings about fascism's march.  It may indeed be on the march, but there are no spirited vows from Kerry that he'll stand in its path.  Just the other day, in a debate on NPR one of his "strategists" boasted that he (Kerry) had drafted some of the Patriot Act's language."

Cockburn also points out that the strongest issues against Bush are "off the table." 

Pretty much everything's off the table except for some Kerry rhetoric that no one believes about a health plan and taxing people who make more than $200,000.

As I saw from reading David Kay Johnston's Perfectly Legal, all Kerry had to do was tell the REAL TRUTH about the tax system under Bush in a frank and simple way, and it would be over for Bush.

Kerry seems afraid of offending the opposition.  Right now, all the Republicans, the White House, and the right-wing pundits should be absolutely screaming bloody murder.  They should be calling Kerry a traitor, a hate-monger, a class warrior, a psychopath, a madman, and every other Gingrichian name in the book.  They should be calling for injunctions against Kerry of all sorts.  Kitty Kelley shouldn't even be able to get any press because of the absolute blood-curdling rage against Kerry.  THAT is the ire a truth-telling and effective Kerry campaign would have to run.

Kerry is now combining the zero-charisma, non-entity style of Michael Dukakis in 1988 with the extreme-moderate me-too-ism of Al Gore in 2000.

I'm almost ready to believe a conspiracy theory that says the Clinton people are bribing (or threatening) Kerry to take a fall in order to pave a way for Hillary in '08.

Let's face it, after four more years of Bush, this country well be so screwed, we would elect a Woolworth's mannequin before a D-i-c-k Cheney or a Rudy G.  That is IF the whole bloody lot doesn't get impeached, fired, and exiled!  And that is IF Congress impeaches these guys BEFORE they impose martial law.  Yeah, I'd be happy to vote Clinton/Obama in '08, but we cannot withstand another four years of Bush.  Seriously, America cannot afford even another day of this garbage.

I start thinking conspiratorily because I refuse to believe anybody could in conscience run such a bad campaign against the worst Presidential administration in over a century.

John Kerry, you can't be serious!

Indeed. He sums up so many of my own feelings. John F. Kerry is looking more and more like Dukakis again. If he loses such an important election, to the worst administration in decades, then he should be shunned. I would hope the Democratic party forsakes him forever, because he is really screwing us, and AMERICA IN GENERAL, over with his horribly ran campaign.

-Kerry supports the Patriot Act.

-Kerry voted for war, and does not plan a real withdrawal.

These two facts indicate, that except for the way he plans to go about diplomacy, his foreign policy will be just like Bush's.


He has no charisma, he has many blotches on his record that could be, and have been, exposed by the opposition, and he is a conformist. He was TERRIBLE choice for the nomination in my opinion. I was shocked that he won the primaries. It should have been Dean. Dean knows how to build a campaign, Dean built a whole grassroots movement, Dean has charisma! Howard Dean would have not only mobilized the party's base, but he is the type of person who could inspire independents to vote for him. If Kerry cannot inspire people against an administration as bad as the Bush/Cheney administration, he is just a bad candidate. Plain and simple.

He has no charisma, he has many blotches on his record that could be, and have been, exposed by the opposition, and he is a conformist. He was TERRIBLE choice for the nomination in my opinion. I was shocked that he won the primaries. It should have been Dean. Dean knows how to build a campaign, Dean built a whole grassroots movement, Dean has charisma! Howard Dean would have not only mobilized the party's base, but he is the type of person who could inspire independents to vote for him. If Kerry cannot inspire people against an administration as bad as the Bush/Cheney administration, he is just a bad candidate. Plain and simple.



I'm with you on this one. Dean was deffinately my choice. He was on the news the other day and I said to Carlos, "Man, I wish it was him instead of Kerry." I know that Dean wouldn't have taken any of the s*** that the Bush people are dishing out. He would have nailed Bush right and left (no pun intended). I have seen first hand of some of the accomplisments that Dean did. I have even met him once.

So now we have Kerry. I really hope he can pull this off. If not, this country may not be here in another 4 years.



Cat

I'm not going to lie, I think Kerry is no-doubt screwing up big time.  And good, we do not need 4/8 years of him.  

As for the republicans in 2008, my favorite is the rumor of Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney running in 2008.  Other hopefuls include: Rudolph Giuliani, John McCain, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.  

Unless the consititution is changed Schwarzenegger won't be able to run, and even if he could he wouldn't be my choice.  Giuliani is great and McCain is a has-been.  So:

Vote Romney-Giuliani in 2008!

I'm with you on this one. Dean was deffinately my choice. He was on the news the other day and I said to Carlos, "Man, I wish it was him instead of Kerry." I know that Dean wouldn't have taken any of the s*** that the Bush people are dishing out. He would have nailed Bush right and left (no pun intended). I have seen first hand of some of the accomplisments that Dean did. I have even met him once.

So now we have Kerry. I really hope he can pull this off. If not, this country may not be here in another 4 years.



Cat


I thought you said John Edwards was your first choice, but where the hell has he gone.  He is a great campaigner, but I guess Clinton says no to Kerry in 2004.  Bush I think just has to hold out in the debates and he'll lock this up, and hopefully it will be a long walk back to Massachusetts for Senator John Kerry.

Missing: John Edwards.
Last seen in one of two Americas.

This campaign just sucks.

He is NOT hitting back near adequately enough when he is attacked.

And for Pesci's sake! Why in the blue h3ll isn't he using Edwards more? Edwards has a lot of charisma, and not using him more is hurting this campaign.

And he is way too ambiguous. What is this crap of 'I voted for the war, the war has been a f**k up, but hey, I would vote for it again'!? If Kerry's brain were a room, and that idea the oxygen in that room, anyone who entered it would suffocate...

I thought you said John Edwards was your first choice, but where the hell has he gone.  He is a great campaigner, but I guess Clinton says no to Kerry in 2004.  Bush I think just has to hold out in the debates and he'll lock this up, and hopefully it will be a long walk back to Massachusetts for Senator John Kerry.

Missing: John Edwards.
Last seen in one of two Americas.



It was Cheerleader who said that her choice was Edwards. And he is out there on the campaign trail. As for the debates, I think your buddy is going to have a h3ll of a time because I think Kerry is much smarter and will rake him over the coals.




Cat

I'm with you on this one. Dean was deffinately my choice. He was on the news the other day and I said to Carlos, "Man, I wish it was him instead of Kerry." I know that Dean wouldn't have taken any of the s*** that the Bush people are dishing out. He would have nailed Bush right and left (no pun intended). I have seen first hand of some of the accomplisments that Dean did. I have even met him once.

So now we have Kerry. I really hope he can pull this off. If not, this country may not be here in another 4 years.



Cat

That's what I mean.  The right-wing punks were saying Dean was crazy.  They had to discredit Dean because they were scared of him.  Dean had true grass-roots populist support and gave fiery speeches.  He also called himself the candidate from the "Democratic wing of the Democratic party."  
It's like I always say, the propaganda war against Kerry is not really about Kerry.  It's about the Democratic candidate.  The Democratic party is the less-faithful handmaiden of corporate America.  I could have told you at the beginning of 2004 when they were tearing down Dean that they would do the same thing to ANY Democratic candidate.  For some reason, the Dems just didn't get it.  The Republicans began to badmouth Dean in most defamitory and scurrilous ways, and the Dems exhibited what is totally foreign to the GOP: self doubt.  The said, "Jeez, maybe this guy IS a loose cannon..."  Instead, they go with Kerry.  They actually believed Kerry would be immunet to criticism on military matters because he is a decorated combat veteran!  If I had been there , I would have told them it wouldn't matter if Kerry was Audie Murphy.  Look what the cowardly chickenhawks of the GOP did to McCain and Cleland!
So now we have a crashing bore and a pushover.  If Dean had been the nominee, they would have gone to any lengths to discredit him, but I guarantee the Dems would be better off than they are now!

Catwoman, Bush is not too bright, and his ideas stink, but he for some reason is pretty good with debates. Bush has a knack for avoiding questions without making it seemed like he didn't answer, and has a tendency to be good at making the other person look bad. Gore was no aggressive enough in the 2000 debates in my opinion. And I do not think Kerry will be either.

We needed Dean. Howard Dean would have ripped him to shreds in a debate, because Dean is charismatic and fiery, and would quickly mow over any smart remarks or diversionary tactics Bush uses and corner him into either actually discussing the issues, or obviously refusing to.


That's what I mean.  The right-wing punks were saying Dean was crazy.  They had to discredit Dean because they were scared of him.  Dean had true grass-roots populist support and gave fiery speeches.  He also called himself the candidate from the "Democratic wing of the Democratic party." 
It's like I always say, the propaganda war against Kerry is not really about Kerry.  It's about the Democratic candidate.  The Democratic party is the less-faithful handmaiden of corporate America.  I could have told you at the beginning of 2004 when they were tearing down Dean that they would do the same thing to ANY Democratic candidate.  For some reason, the Dems just didn't get it.  The Republicans began to badmouth Dean in most defamitory and scurrilous ways, and the Dems exhibited what is totally foreign to the GOP: self doubt.  The said, "Jeez, maybe this guy IS a loose cannon..."  Instead, they go with Kerry.  They actually believed Kerry would be immunet to criticism on military matters because he is a decorated combat veteran!  If I had been there , I would have told them it wouldn't matter if Kerry was Audie Murphy.  Look what the cowardly chickenhawks of the GOP did to McCain and Cleland!
So now we have a crashing bore and a pushover.  If Dean had been the nominee, they would have gone to any lengths to discredit him, but I guarantee the Dems would be better off than they are now!


My EXACT thoughts. Thank you.

It was Cheerleader who said that her choice was Edwards. And he is out there on the campaign trail. As for the debates, I think your buddy is going to have a h3ll of a time because I think Kerry is much smarter and will rake him over the coals.




Cat


Huh, I thought it was you too, but I guess you know best who you support.  Edwards is campaigning, but seriously can you off the top of you head name where he is.  Watching so much Fox News I know where Bush, Cheney, and Kerry currently are but not Edwards.  And don't count Bush as a loser in the debates, he certainly killed Al Gore.  And if Kerry stays as boring as he is, Bush will win in peoples' hearts.  I can't wait to see Bush turn to Kerry and say: ''Now Senator Kerry, what exactly is your stance on Iraq.''  He can't possibly answer it without contradicting himself at least twice.

Huh, I thought it was you too, but I guess you know best who you support.  Edwards is campaigning, but seriously can you off the top of you head name where he is.  Watching so much Fox News I know where Bush, Cheney, and Kerry currently are but not Edwards.  And don't count Bush as a loser in the debates, he certainly killed Al Gore.  And if Kerry stays as boring as he is, Bush will win in peoples' hearts.  I can't wait to see Bush turn to Kerry and say: ''Now Senator Kerry, what exactly is your stance on Iraq.''  He can't possibly answer it without contradicting himself at least twice.

Bush "won" because the right-wing pundits said so.  Anyway, Gore didn't really even debate him.  He agreed with about 90% of Bush's agenday.  Furthermore, the "debates" aren't really "debates" they're glorified press conferences by Jim Lehrer if an intelligence capacity-diminished populace. 

Bush doesn't even make sense when he talks on his own WITH dummy cards!

The Democratic party hasn't learned its lesson because I don't think it is able to.  The Dems are too beholden to the SAME rotten interestes as the GOP.  In other words, Democratic party is the handmaiden of corporate America with breadcrumbs for the poor.  The Republican party is the handmaiden of corporate America with arsenic for the poor.

Dean being President would have equated with Satan taking over Earth, IMHO.
I would have rather have had McCain than Bush in 2000, so we can't have everything. I think Al Gore would have all but sealed America's fate.
I agree that Kerry is only a Dukakis without Lord Bentsen.



I'm with you on this one. Dean was deffinately my choice.

Dean being President would have equated with Satan taking over Earth, IMHO.
Why?

I would have rather have had McCain than Bush in 2000, so we can't have everything. I think Al Gore would have all but sealed America's fate.
I agree that Kerry is only a Dukakis without Lord Bentsen.


Lord Bentsen?  I wouldn't go that far!

Did you see his "I gonna conquer all of the U.S." speech following his defeat in Iowa
"AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHH!" :o

Rush Limbaugh did. ;)


Why?

Lord Bentsen?  I wouldn't go that far!

Dean being President would have equated with Satan taking over Earth, IMHO.
I would have rather have had McCain than Bush in 2000, so we can't have everything. I think Al Gore would have all but sealed America's fate.
I agree that Kerry is only a Dukakis without Lord Bentsen.




Dean was the governor of my state for many years and he did good things. He made sure that EVERY kid had health insurence and many low income people also had health insurence. In my book, that is a WONDERFUL thing. I would have voted for him again if he was running.

BTW I too, would have prefered McCain.



Cat

Dean was the governor of my state for many years and he did good things. He made sure that EVERY kid had health insurence and many low income people also had health insurence. In my book, that is a WONDERFUL thing. I would have voted for him again if he was running.

BTW I too, would have prefered McCain.



Cat


Like any good Vermonter, Dean is a fiscal conservative and is socially liberal.  I agree that he did really good things as governor, and he told me that he likes my many letters to the editor of our local paper  ;)

Like any good Vermonter, Dean is a fiscal conservative and is socially liberal.  I agree that he did really good things as governor, and he told me that he likes my many letters to the editor of our local paper  ;)

I would say Dean is for fiscal responsibility.  In saner times he would be called a "fiscal conservative."  Today that label implies right-wing jacobins such as Tom De Lay, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and others who rooted for the bad guys in Dickens novels.  These guys equate "fiscal conservatism" with tax cuts for the rich at the expense of everybody and everything else.  Period.
Governor Rommel, I mean Romney, is such a contemptible pig he vetoed the state university budget even though there's more than enough in the state coffers to fund it.  I hate that man!  The Massachusetts university system has been crippled by over 20 years of cutbacks, inadequate funding, and internal corruption.  Every year fees rise and services deteriorate.  I saw Bill Weld as a guy who wanted a great state college system without having to pay for it, you know, the old Republican pipe dream.  Weld was a northeastern liberal Republican.  Romney is one of these post-Gingrich crazies who wants to destroy the public sector as much as possilble.
The state college system will get its funding next January.  When the legislature convenes they can override the veto.  Nonetheless, Romeny's veto still gums up the works, and sends a clear message:  "If you're not rich enough or smart enough to go to Harvard, f**k you!"
Romeny has declare all out war on the public sector and the unions.
>:(

I would say Dean is for fiscal responsibility.  In saner times he would be called a "fiscal conservative."  Today that label implies right-wing jacobins such as Tom De Lay, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and others who rooted for the bad guys in Dickens novels.  These guys equate "fiscal conservatism" with tax cuts for the rich at the expense of everybody and everything else.  Period.
Governor Rommel, I mean Romney, is such a contemptible pig he vetoed the state university budget even though there's more than enough in the state coffers to fund it.  I hate that man!  The Massachusetts university system has been crippled by over 20 years of cutbacks, inadequate funding, and internal corruption.  Every year fees rise and services deteriorate.  I saw Bill Weld as a guy who wanted a great state college system without having to pay for it, you know, the old Republican pipe dream.  Weld was a northeastern liberal Republican.  Romney is one of these post-Gingrich crazies who wants to destroy the public sector as much as possilble.
The state college system will get its funding next January.  When the legislature convenes they can override the veto.  Nonetheless, Romeny's veto still gums up the works, and sends a clear message:  "If you're not rich enough or smart enough to go to Harvard, f**k you!"
Romeny has declare all out war on the public sector and the unions.
>:(



You know, Benito Mussolini himself once described fascism as the centralization of all power into the hands of business interests, out of the hands of the public sector.

Hmm, I wonder....