March 25, 2004

NOT GEORGE BUSH:

Kerry's Task Now Is to Win Enthusiasm of Democrats: Fresh from an Idaho vacation, the likely presidential nominee needs to turn his party's anti-Bush fervor into passion for him. (Mark Z. Barabak and Matea Gold, March 25, 2004, LA Times)

[E]ven as he sets his sights on the fall contest against President Bush, Kerry faces a challenge within his own party, rallying Democrats who seem more passionate at this point about beating the Republican incumbent than backing the party's apparent nominee-to-be.

"The early Kerry people are certainly enthusiastic about their guy," said David Rosen, a Democratic fundraiser in Chicago. "But the rest of the folks, the folks coming over and jumping on the bandwagon, I don't think they have this great enthusiasm yet for Kerry."

Rosen is convinced that will change as the senator becomes better known. But for now, Rosen and others say Kerry is still a mystery to many fellow Democrats, who know little beyond the fact that he once served in Vietnam and won a succession of primaries to clinch the party's nomination in record time.

And while Democratic leaders praised Kerry as both a candidate and potential president, notwithstanding the rough patch his campaign hit before vacation, they tacitly acknowledged that he has yet to forge a personal connection with many of the party faithful

"I think people in the Democratic Party like, admire and love him because he's a Democrat," said Mark Brewer, the state party chairman in Michigan.


Does anyone who knows him like him?

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 25, 2004 5:13 PM
Comments

"Rosen is convinced that will change as the senator becomes better known..."

...contradicting every piece of empirical evidence ever collected about Sen. Kerry.

Posted by: Rick T. at March 25, 2004 5:53 PM

I would like to go on record as someone who knows who Senator John Kerry is and prays every night that he won't be elected President of the United States...

What an idiot!

Posted by: Bartman at March 25, 2004 7:57 PM

Wait a minute--Kerry served in Vietnam?

Posted by: jsmith at March 25, 2004 9:17 PM

For some more anecdotal evidence, here's something that happened today at my job in Kalamazoo. Two customers started talking about politics without my prompting - both despise Bush with major passion (including the claim that Laura Bush is evil - first time I've heard THAT one), both believe anyone would make a better President ... neither wants to vote for Kerry. (One is a Naderite; the other sounds like she'll hold her nose and click "D".) I've seen no bumper stickers for Kerry around here, but one for Kucinich (!) - certainly the Kerry juggernaut is taking its time to heat up.

Posted by: John Barrett Jr. at March 25, 2004 9:54 PM

I skied with three Democrats yesterday and one mentioned that Kerry not only did well snow boarding but performed well on skis as well, as observed on newscasts the night before. I'm sure they'll vote for the Masshole on that basis. I mean what more could you expect from a Democrat candidate for the presidency of the U.S.A.?

What war?

Posted by: genecis at March 25, 2004 11:59 PM

Reading about Kerry now makes me wonder if John Heinz would have ever sought the Presidency. Despite his background, he had forged a link with most voters in PA and had much better touch with the average person than Kerry can ever dream about. I wonder if Teresa will be asked that question in the next 7 months.

Posted by: jim hamlen at March 26, 2004 8:50 AM
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