Fri 28 Oct 2005
AP > PERSPECTIVE: Consultant says Mahoning typical of Ohio campaign
AKRON, Ohio – A new study found that John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign bullied its way into a traditional Democratic stronghold and ignored local party officials and their knowledge of the area.
The study, prepared for a conference on the election at the University of Akron this month, contends the Kerry campaign brought in outsiders to run the Mahoning County campaign, staged poorly organized events and angered union leaders.
The campaign also suffered from its inability to coordinate activities with outside groups such as America Coming Together and labor unions, the study found. Those relationships are off-limits under federal legislation passed since the 2000 election. (more…)
This is something that I’ve heard echoed throughout the state. Rather than acting defensively to this Ohio Democrat leaders need to use the criticism to learn from their mistakes. If that is something that they are incapable of doing, then they need to be replaced.
(via D.U. || Democracy Guy)
Makes me think Kerry wouldn’t have made a very good president.
You would think, huh?
But somehow being able to run a successful state election operation has absolutely nothing to do with being good at running a country. Case in point right now. Bush’s Ohio operation was about as efficient as anything could be but his managing of the country is a total disaster.
That’s why the Administration’s incompetence and mismanagement should be perceived as willful because they have proved superior strategy and efficiency in so many other areas.
What’s your opinion on the Bush administration’s use of military force in Afghanistan? How would a Gore administration have handled that differently?
I believe Al Gore or John Kerry either one would have sent American troops into Afghanistan. I also believe that they would have pursued bin Laden until he was captured.
This president and his administration lost focus and invaded Iraq.
It is unlikely that Gore or Kerry would either one would have misused the American military by launching an invasion (of Iraq) based on deceipt that ultimately cost more than 2,000 American lives…not to mention the tens of thousands of others.
Gore and Kerry are both proven patriots who were willing to serve their country when they were called upon.
They would likely have used the same force in Afghanistan but certainly not Iraq.
So Bush was right to use military force for regime change against the Taliban but not against Saddam and his elitist Sunni Bathist Nazi Fascist Stalinist terror-sponsoring ruling class that makes up the bulk of the insurgency? How many American lives have been lost in Afghanistan? How many others? Why did you only give the numbers for the war in Iraq and not for Afghanistan? Do you really think bin Laden is still operational and not just hiding out?
Well……
As I recall, Bush sent troops to Afghanistan not to execute a regime change but as a response to the September 11th terrorist attacks here. You might recall that OBL who was responsible for those attacks was hiding out there using the Taliban for cover.
Most Americans including me, John Kerry and Al Gore were in favor of going there and either capturing or killing OBL and his cohorts.
In comparison to Iraq, American casualities have been minimal in Afghanistan. But again, any casualities there can be justified in my mind because of the mission. And with all due respect, the mission there was not regime change.
Nor was the stated primary mission in Iraq. You might also recall that the Bush administration assured us that Sadam had weapons of mass destruction that might very well be used against this country. Now, it is apparent that there were no weapons of mass destruction, Sadam was not a threat and it is very likely that the deceipt was by design.
More than 2,000 American soldiers are dead…tens of thousands of others are dead and the Bush administration continue to confuse and deceive…leading some people to believe that the invasion of Iraq was justified and our soldiers died for a reason.
I can’t make it any simpler than that.
The mission in Afghanistan was “to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations, and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime.” http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/10/20011007-8.html
My guess it that you’ll recognize your own position at the time somewhere here: http://www.pitt.edu/~ttwiss/irtf/Alternative.html
“Sadam (sic) was not a threat and it is very likely that the deceipt (sic) was by design.”
Only in your imagination was Saddam not a threat. Only in your imagination was there designed deceit.
The day Democrats quit dreaming of conspiracy theories and imagining that an Islamist war of terror on the West does not exist is the day Democrats will start winning some elections.
“I can’t make it any simpler than that.”
Democratic politicians who supported the war want an excuse to tack closer to their antiwar base. That’s about as simple as it gets.
Actually…I supported the war at one time because I trusted the president and the Sec of state.
I could not have imagined that they would lead the country into a war based on lies.
I’m no pacifist but I don’t believe in wasting American lives for absolutely nothing.
You appear to be in denial of the facts…and you have convinced me that there is nothing I can do about that.
Why don’t you enlist and fight for your beliefs rather than sending others to do it?
“Why don’t you enlist and fight for your beliefs rather than sending others to do it?”
What makes you think I haven’t? Have you? When you supported the war at one time, I mean.
I don’t think you have ever served because you show all the earmarks of what is commonly called a “chicken-hawk”.
That is someone who talks tough but runs away at the first sign of trouble.
I did in fact serve. U.S. Air Force…1972-1976.
Vietnam?
Phan Rang, DaNang and Guam, then known as Andersen AFB.
DaNang huh? So you were with pilots and crew that operated from, where – Thailand? Flew into Laos and Cambodia to support US and South Vietnamese soldiers?
AFOSI
Traveled the circuit for 18 mos TDY out of Andersen
Contacted with many rated officers and crew but had no hand in sorties, targets, missions
You were part of the Pueblo call up?
“TDY”
You were in the USAF. Why do you use Marine lingo?
I believe “TDY” is a universal term in the U.S. military. Odd you don’t know that.
By-the-way Chicken Hawk….I’m waiting to hear about your illustrious military service.
Am I going to need to step in? As much as I like seeing a heated discussion, I don’t want the tone to degrade too far.
In 1973, I was sentenced to serve three years in the Federal Correctional Institution in Milan, Michigan for violating draft laws. I received a presidential pardon in 1977.
So were you drafted or did you enlist?
I agree Editor. This is going nowhere fast.
So here is the final quiz:
I served for 4 years and I wasn’t drafted nor was I enlisted.
How could that be?
You served drinks in officers’ clubs?
Swiftboat scrubber?
You have now proved beyond any shadow of doubt that you are a Chicken Hawk.
You have attacked and demeaned the service record of one who has served…with no record of your own.
Bach…Bach…Bach!!!
What service record? The service record of a, what, Chicken Chicken? Or is it a Hawk Chicken? Or just a common everyday fraud?
I was referring to your record…any of those terms would likely work. Chicken Chicken, Chicken Hawk, Fraud. Or consider this one…Coward.
Bach…Bach…Bach!!!