Where Kerry Went Wrong

The ideas were right. The policy was right.

But the campaign was wrong.

When you've got people... excuse me.. goblins like Karl Rove willing to do anything to win, you can't help them out. You can't be on defense. Maybe that's where Bush's terrorism policy is most useful: A strong offense is the best defense.

Kerry didn't lose because he was out of touch with America. He lost because his campaign was too slow to attack. With all of Bush's mistakes, the democrats should have had a field day. But they laid off, until it was already too late. Perhaps they too were caught up with patriotic fervor, the reluctance to criticize the commander-in-chief.

Newsweek has a great, brief breakdown of the Kerry campaign: Kerry Vs. Bush

Kerry had early momentum. He had blasted through the primaries quicker than any democratic candidate in recent history. But that momentum was killed by Kerry's reluctance to take on Bush on the topic of Iraq.

And then there was the flip flop quote, the one that the Bush campaign (and the media) seized upon. I didn't think this had much of a real effect at the time, but speaking to a moron... I mean.. Bush supporter after the election, I realized how huge Kerry's mistake had been. It planted the seed of doubt, and the Republican hate machine was more than willing to water it.

Kerry didn't come out strong against Bush's Iraq policy until very late. Perhaps he was fearful that Iraq would turn around, and he'd come off looking like a pessimist. Whatever the reason, Kerry was not saying the things his supporters wanted to hear so badly. Mainly-- that Bush had fucked up.

Because of this, Kerry allowed Bush to go on offense. Kerry allowed Bush to talk about gay marriage instead of Iraq. You think if Kerry was hammering Bush every day about Iraq that Bush would have been able to say even three words about gay marriage??

Kerry was too often on the defensive. When he went on offense, the tide turned in his favor. Winning those three debates set him in the right direction. And his last month, criticizing Bush's ignorance of the missing explosives, failure to catch Bin Laden, etc., brought Kerry back into the race, made it close. But Kerry was too far behind. He had dug a hole by responding to Rove's spin with long winded explanations-- that made sense, but, appropriately, sounded defensive. He should have deflected those attacks by attacking Bush-- something that he also started to do late in the game, when he turned around Bush's quote about "jumping to conclusions."

I loved it when he did that. And Kerry's last month solidified me behind him.

But the damage had already been done.

I hope the democrats don't take this election as a sign that they have to abandon their stances on social issues and pander to the far right. The truth is, the right isn't gonna fall for us. What can the democrats do?

Stop being (expletive for woman's reproductive opening, starts with p)s !!!!!!!

The democrats need to be strong. Solidify their base and attack the Republicans for their pro big business, anti-labor, excessive spending and war mongering. The democrats have to be on offense the entire time. When Cheney said Kerry threw away his war medals, and made a case out of it, Kerry should have responded with, "I don't think a guy with five deferments from the military has the right to question my sacrifice for this country." Instead of attacking the interviewer and accusing him of being a Republican.

Kerry should have gone on Bill O'Reilly. He should have gone on and stuck it to Bush. But he didn't.

(Instead we whined that O'Reilly was a republican hack. So? Your point?)

Kerry should have called Bush on his WMD jokes and that infamous golf swing-- but get this.. HE WAS TOO AFRAID OF WHAT THE REPUBLICANS WOULD SAY!!!!

He was afraid the republicans would paint him in bed with Michael Moore. (Not a pretty picture.) But the truth is, so what? Michael Moore, for all the 300 pounds of asshole that he is, WAS RIGHT!!!

My point is, the dems lost not because they weren't right. Not because they're out of touch. Not even because the racists got to the polls this year. They lost because they were a bunch of sweaty, unshaven (expletive for a woman's reproductive opening starting with a p)s.

It's time to stop being those, and start being just as big dicks as the republicans.

Caused if we don't, we're gonna get fucked.