The three issues that Morris mentioned are in fact issues. Therefore when calling this a negative campaign strategy, at least it's not about personal attributes of the candidate, although they would be effective also. (cabana boy, never had regular job, cheats on wife)

Bush should run on his achievements, his goals, and his vision. And why he should be the one to continue leading America.

Besmirching Kerry, while perhaps inviting, is not going to impress the voters.

(This doesn't mean he shouldn't ask the Democratic contender pointed questions on policy.)

Barry
I agree with you.
Sometimes I read my on post and can't make heads or tails of it.

I understand the need to define Kerry early but the call for negative ads by Morris and others seems a bit premature. With the Dem race over Kerry's coverage should drop off significantly. Bush burnishing his own image first through positive ads and then going to anti-Kerry ads by summer seems the right approach.

I agree with all above except for the Cabana Boy approach. AWW states the logical agenda. As far as Kerry's media coverage dropping off; don't count on it. If it doesn't, it will work against him when the public gets sick of it. They will ... and I have already.

Theoretically, if the press did its job properly, candidates should run a positive campaign on their achievements, qualities and aspirations, leaving the media to dig out the skeletons and highlight each candidate's weaknesses.

Unfortunately this doesn't happen - leaving especially the right-wing parties to have to do the research and highlight the problems with the other candidate for themselves.

Add in the fact that the press has already set up the situation that for Bush to smiply ask questions or make statements about Kerry's record, as he did today in Dallas, is constituted as "negative campaigning."

That doesn't mean he can't do it later on, but to actually do a negative ad at this point in time would result in weeks and weeks of having to answer questions and defend yourself. While the media can whine about today's remarks, or about the 2.3 seconds of 9-11 footage in the two Bush campaign ads, when the press and the Democrats go ballistic there, it becomes obvious in a hurry that there's no there there and the general public can see the transparency of the outrage involved.

"Ted Kennedy with a fresh liver??" I wouldn't be too sure of that... I"m sure he's hoisted a few in his Navy days... not that there's anything wrong with that of course... and Teddy's working much too hard to elect Kerry for him not to be a drinking buddy.

I was thinking more along the lines of "Clinton on slimfast" or "Carter effectiveness and Clinton Integrity."