Kerry Campaign Seeks to Define Bush as Stubborn and Out of Touch

Strategic Insights -

The John Kerry campaign has outlined a strategy to redefine President Bush as stubborn and out of touch in the face of his significant financial advantage. According to campaign aides, the approach involves portraying Bush as a ideologue with broken promises, while also trying to flesh out voter perceptions of Kerry before Bush has a chance to. The campaign plans to do this through a series of speeches and campaign appearances, including a jobs tour and a health care tour, aimed at extending Kerry's appeal beyond hard-line Democratic primary voters.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Kerry campaign has a strategy to redefine President Bush as stubborn and out of touch, which they believe will resonate with voters who are looking for a change in direction in the White House.
  • Campaign aides say they will portray Bush as a ideologue with broken promises, and highlight domestic problems like economic dislocation, skyrocketing health care costs, and school-financing shortfalls.
  • The campaign plans to use speeches and campaign appearances, including a jobs tour and a health care tour, to flesh out voter perceptions of Kerry and extend his appeal beyond hard-line Democratic primary voters.
  • The campaign believes that by defining Bush as stubborn and out of touch, they can turn the negative impression people have of him into a positive one, especially if they can point to the president's handling of domestic problems.
  • The campaign is relying on coverage in the news media to help them reintroduce Kerry to the broader American public and highlight Bush's credibility problems.
  • Kerry's aides say they will also use Mr. Bush's attack ads as an opportunity to strike directly at the president, while appearing to be merely standing up for himself.

Statistics:

  • 62% of Americans are giving the election a lot of thought, according to a recent poll.
  • The Bush campaign has spent millions on advertising, including ads on ESPN and the Golf Channel.
  • Several public opinion surveys have shown that a slim majority of Americans want to see a change of direction in the White House.
  • Mr. Kerry's fast, sharp counterpunches have been effective in refuting part of Mr. Bush's argument against him.
  • In Iowa, the local newspapers were found to be a critical source of information for voters, and Kerry's campaign saw a significant increase in attention and favorability after focusing on local media.

Sources:

  • "Kerry Strikes Back at Bush's Plans with Own Ads" by Peter Baker in _The New York Times_
  • "Democrats Revive Hope of Upset, But Bush Keeps Lead" by Richard W. Stevenson and Elisabeth Bumiller in _The New York Times_
  • "Poll Finds Kerry's Edge with Independents" by David M. Herszenhorn in _The New York Times_
  • "Bush Campaign's $2.2 Billion Fund-Raising Goal is on Track" by Robin Toner in _The New York Times_