Saturday, September 25, 2004
Raised on Jaws, Part II: And this is cool too. ... Tempted to go down to Falmouth to see.
The crackpots of ‘The Da Vinci Code’: Got a chuckle out of the church’s recent denunciation of the book. But these guys are just losers. ... Not at all tempted to go to Paris to see.
‘Let me be as blunt and direct’: OK, a little better from Kerry. Emphasis on ‘little.’ He’s still fighting last year’s debate about the original justification for the war -- something that raises uncomfortable questions about his authorization vote. Why did he vote for it if he now thinks Iraq was a ‘diversion’? Honest answers, please. ... He says he will ‘finish the job in Iraq.’ But the future-looking question is: How? No detailed answers are provided to either question. Raising doubts about his doubts strategy. Raising doubts about the truthfulness of his truth strategy. ... Kerry has to catalog all the blunders (a little looking back into the past) and channel them into the future. The connection of the past to the future is the key. ...
The attacks on Ayad Allawi -- and, yes, they were attacks -- were a blunder by the Kerryites. They may have to end up working with Allawi, who strikes me as much pro-American as he is pro-Bush. The criticisms of Allawi were transparent partisanship. Not impressive at all. Moderates notice these type of things. Then again, Bush did push Allawi front and center and the issue had to be neutralized somehow. Mark the Allawi episode down as Something To Remember and Watch. ...
Will Kerry’s Iraq strategy work? Depends on how he plays the game. But he couldn’t ignore it. An 18-27 percent confidence gap in favor of Bush on Iraq (depending on the poll) is and was just unacceptable. But the main Iraq problem for Kerry has always been Kerry himself. ... Freebie strategy tip: Start jabbing away at the economy on issues of concern to the moderate middle-class, the run-away deficit, growth of part-time jobs, loss of health-care benefits (BIG issue, bigger than outsourcing), the sense corporate America always gets what it wants etc. I know. I advocated concentration on Iraq. Still believe that. But jabbing is always a good strategy too. ... Punch Iraq. Jab, jab economy. Punch Iraq. Maneuver warfare. Break up Bush’s strategy of consistent Almighty Ruler. Don’t try to knock him out. Get behind his lines. ... See Manhattan-based WMD Spy’s frustrations and field observations below.
Update -- Tom Oliphant is also urging the jab, jab approach.
The crackpots of ‘The Da Vinci Code’: Got a chuckle out of the church’s recent denunciation of the book. But these guys are just losers. ... Not at all tempted to go to Paris to see.
‘Let me be as blunt and direct’: OK, a little better from Kerry. Emphasis on ‘little.’ He’s still fighting last year’s debate about the original justification for the war -- something that raises uncomfortable questions about his authorization vote. Why did he vote for it if he now thinks Iraq was a ‘diversion’? Honest answers, please. ... He says he will ‘finish the job in Iraq.’ But the future-looking question is: How? No detailed answers are provided to either question. Raising doubts about his doubts strategy. Raising doubts about the truthfulness of his truth strategy. ... Kerry has to catalog all the blunders (a little looking back into the past) and channel them into the future. The connection of the past to the future is the key. ...
The attacks on Ayad Allawi -- and, yes, they were attacks -- were a blunder by the Kerryites. They may have to end up working with Allawi, who strikes me as much pro-American as he is pro-Bush. The criticisms of Allawi were transparent partisanship. Not impressive at all. Moderates notice these type of things. Then again, Bush did push Allawi front and center and the issue had to be neutralized somehow. Mark the Allawi episode down as Something To Remember and Watch. ...
Will Kerry’s Iraq strategy work? Depends on how he plays the game. But he couldn’t ignore it. An 18-27 percent confidence gap in favor of Bush on Iraq (depending on the poll) is and was just unacceptable. But the main Iraq problem for Kerry has always been Kerry himself. ... Freebie strategy tip: Start jabbing away at the economy on issues of concern to the moderate middle-class, the run-away deficit, growth of part-time jobs, loss of health-care benefits (BIG issue, bigger than outsourcing), the sense corporate America always gets what it wants etc. I know. I advocated concentration on Iraq. Still believe that. But jabbing is always a good strategy too. ... Punch Iraq. Jab, jab economy. Punch Iraq. Maneuver warfare. Break up Bush’s strategy of consistent Almighty Ruler. Don’t try to knock him out. Get behind his lines. ... See Manhattan-based WMD Spy’s frustrations and field observations below.
Update -- Tom Oliphant is also urging the jab, jab approach.
