Why Kerry Failed

[Arrian]

The Dems failed to convince enough people of those things. That is clear. Some of that goes down to mistakes by Dems and some of it goes to well-executed strategy by the Repubs. Simplicity was definitely a bonus - simple people like simple messages. Bush had 'em, Kerry didn't. It doesn't really matter that Bush is a dangerous incompetant fool. The voters don't see it that way.

-Arrian

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by The diplomat
My point is that the Dems can say . . .

I'm not a Dem. I am a Socialist. My party massively increased its vote this time compared to 2000. Hell, even in states like South Carolina and Louisiana we picked up votes.

Republicans != Americans

You are only half of Americans.

[Whoha]

This isn't why Kerry failed, its why the democrats failed. Sorry guys, like it or not you are absolutely going to have to give up the devisive non-issues of gay marriage and abortion, atleast on the national stage.

[chequita guevara]

More people support choice than oppose it.
Gay marriage was the killer.

[Arrian]

The REPUBLICANS chose gay marriage as an issue for the election. The Dems would have loved to have avoided it altogether.

-Arrian

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Correct, a reasonable decent candidate should have won handily considering the free advertising the MSM was giving and the reporting of Iraq, Abu Ghraib etc. It was only after SBV torpedo'd Kerry that his momentum swang the other way and Bush finally took the lead in the polls.

Yay Vietnam vets!!


Shame the Libertarians didn't do better tho'.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe

Shame the Libertarians didn't do better tho'.

They never will.

[chequita guevara]

If Kerry had picked Bob Grahm as his running mate, he would have won Florida and the election.

[PLATO]

It's really funny that so many people are saying that it was Republican strategy or Democratic failure. Has anyone of you excuse minded liberals ever considered that most Americans believe Bush is right?

The excuse hunt would be too funny if it wasn't so sad.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by PLATO
It's really funny that so many people are saying that it was Republican strategy or Democratic failure. Has anyone of you excuse minded liberals ever considered that most Americans believe Bush is right?

The majority of voters != majority of Americans. Millions of people in "safe" states didn't vote because there was "no point." On NPR yesterady, a conservative talking head mentioned something like 3.5 to 5 million Kerry backers didn't vote in New York and California because there was no point. When combined with the follwing image, I think these are two very good reasons to abolish the electoral college.

[GePap]

NO, since we still had 35-40% of the electorate not turn out, plus you won by 3 million votes in a country of 290 million people. A victory by 1.5% of the population hardly shows a plurality of support accross the entire nation. And given what out system actually is for chosing a president, had the Dems gotten 150,000 more votes in Ohio Kerry would be president. That is a matter of voter turnout.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Most Americans don't believe Bush is right. Bush has just frightened them into believing he is the only one who can fight the War on Terror. He called himself a wartime president...but that's because he started the damn war.

No matter how you look at it, gay marraige was a big key. 25% of the voters in Ohio considered themselves Evangelical/Born Again Christians.

[Kontiki]

Originally posted by PLATO
It's really funny that so many people are saying that it was Republican strategy or Democratic failure. Has anyone of you excuse minded liberals ever considered that most Americans believe Bush is right?

The excuse hunt would be too funny if it wasn't so sad.

I really don't think that's the case, though. From an outsider's perspective, Kerry clearly wasn't a great choice and he didn't run a great campaign and it was still a pretty tight election. Be honest - if 1992 Bill Clinton (or even 1996) was running against Bush, do you think Bush still would have won?

[Thucydides]

I think it all comes down to the issue of branding. I think the Bush campaign had a better understanding of the general principals of marketing and had been branding Bush (inc.) since day 1 of his presidency. Kerry had to catch up to 31/2 years of campaigning by Bush and sell a consistant story of why people should vote for him and continue to repeat his message. His campaign failed to do that, and he wasn't able to win solely off of the debates.

I think Kerry was a strong enough candidate that he had would have won had he a good enough campaign. Unfortunetly, Bush inc. was able to bludgeon his campaign into submission by repeating a few key lies and half truths.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Thucydides
I think it all comes down to the issue of branding. I think the Bush campaign had a better understanding of the general principals of marketing and had been branding Bush (inc.) since day 1 of his presidency.

... which was precisely the same advantage that Gore had over Bush... yet Gore still lost.