The New York Times reports that Democrats, and even the Kerry Campaign, now realize what a mistake it was for Kerry to make that inappropriate remark about Cheney's daughter during the last presidential debate:
Amid signs of Democratic concern, Mr. Kerry's advisers acknowledged Sunday that some voters perceived Mr. Kerry's remark as an invasion of Ms. Cheney's privacy, a gratuitous personal insult, or a crass political calculation by which Mr. Kerry was trying to drive a wedge between Mr. Cheney and conservatives unaware that his daughter was gay.
[. . .]
Still, as the fallout continued this weekend, some Democrats were clearly concerned, aware that there has rarely been a presidential campaign as close as this one. Three organizations released polls on Sunday showing that Mr. Bush had improved his standing. Time magazine showed him with a lead of two percentage points while Newsweek found he was ahead by four percentage points. The latest Gallup poll said Mr. Bush had a lead of eight percentage points.
It is amazing that even though the Kerry campaign realizes Kerry's disgusting comment is a problem, Kerry won't apologize. By not apologizing it reinforces the impression that Kerry's comment was pre-meditated gay-bashing. Before long an apology will be seen as merely a disingenuous attempt to prevent further political damage, which of course is all it will be.
The spin the Kerry campaign is putting out about Kerry's inappropriate comment about Cheney's daughter is pathetic:
Mr. Kerry's aides said the remark was neither the result of political calculation nor meant unkindly, insisted that it had been a spontaneous response to a question and noted that Mr. Cheney himself had brought the subject up earlier this year.
The Kerry campaign's position that Kerry's comment about Cheney's daughter was not a pre-meditated attempt to score political points is nothing but pure political bovine fecal matter. Edwards made a similar reference to Cheney's daughter in the Vice Presidential debate, Kerry's campaign manager was ready with talking points about it immediately after the debate calling Cheney's daughter "fair game," and Mrs Edwards said Mrs. Cheney's reaction may suggest that the second lady is ashamed of her daughter.
That all adds up to planned political calculation to me.
Zev Chafets said it best when he explained that Kerry's comment was "premeditated gay-baiting."
There's no doubt that it was a deliberate statement. The immediate reaction of Mary Beth Cahill saying Mary Cheney was "fair game" removed any doubt about that. Edwards' mention got a pass, so they thought they could get away with it twice. Much to their chagrin they are learning that they can't: fool me once...
This was Kerry's "Dukakis Moment" and when combined with "global test" and his non-answer to the "strong women in your life" qustion are *the* memorable moments of the debate season.
Debates should never be scored like boxing matches. They set impressions and can only truly be judged based on the impressions can last. By the only measure that counts, Bush won the debate series by: a) not making any gaffes, and b) Kerry making a series of them.
Posted by: Jim B | Monday, October 18, 2004 at 10:51 AM
http://72hour.com/
Go to this website, spread it around, use it, do it.
Posted by: CheneyIsRight | Monday, October 18, 2004 at 09:47 AM