Thursday, 26 February 2004 - 7:15 PM EST

I really don't understand this strategy. Did no one in the campaign think that highlighting this obvious contradiction would come back to bite him in the ass? I had never heard his policy against "benedict arnold ceo's," but I probably wouldn't have believed it.
The more I know about this guy and the more he says in direct contrast to it, the more he pisses me off.

Friday, 27 February 2004 - 4:52 AM EST

Sigh. Drudge is reporting that Kerry's wife spoke out against the evils of Wal Mart while she owns a million dollars in stock of the company.
Curiouser and curiouser...

Friday, 27 February 2004 - 7:42 AM EST

All this talk about special interests and evil corporations might work if it were coming from some first-term governor. But Kerry has been in the Senate for twenty years! You can't talk about your extensive Washington experience, and at the same time, act like you are an outsider.

Friday, 27 February 2004 - 7:54 AM EST

I posted up here a while ago a link to the man behind the curtain, who was also Gore's senior political adviser in 2000. It seems to have that stamp of a completely inappropriate populist message forced upon a man going through the motions. Do you guys see the same similarities?

Friday, 27 February 2004 - 8:49 AM EST

I'm not arguing in support of Kerry, but I need more than Drudge before I start to believe anything. Also, that picture looks a bit doctored. By the by, the Drudge report made an appearance on West Wing this week. There was an article coming out involving the former Vice-President and the staff first heard about it on Drudge. Just thought you'd like to know.

Friday, 27 February 2004 - 9:02 AM EST

Why is it so hard for the Democrats to nominate someone who has the courage of their convictions? I don't understand why every year I have to suffer through this puppet show, with Shrum pulling the strings. Kerry is not a populist. Gore was not a populist. And oh by the way, most people in this country don't hate the wealthy, they envy them. The Democrats are going to nominate a Northeastern Al Gore, and they are going to use the same (losing) playbook from last time. Remember, the first mistake in politics is trying to win the last election. This ain't gonna be pretty.

Friday, 27 February 2004 - 1:09 PM EST

Ah, Bob "The people versus the powerful" Shrum. What a great line coming from a vice president who was the son of a senator. Now we can hear a billionaire senator using it to attack a fellow Bonesman.

Friday, 27 February 2004 - 6:38 PM EST

I have to admit I didn't know who you were talking about. I was thinking of Michael Whouley, who may have another title other than senior political adviser. Gore's whole team must be on the bench.
However, in googling his name i did come across this Slate speculation from before Shrum picked a horse. Most telling is this quote, for which we are seeing a mix of strategies:

John Kerry presents problems. With his aristocratic mien and Massachusetts provenance, he couldn't pass for populist if he were caught driving a pickup truck with Paula Jones riding shotgun and Astroturf in the back. No, Kerry would be a cinch for Shrum's other eternal riff: the Next Kennedy.

Saturday, 28 February 2004 - 1:04 AM EST

Wow, I didn't know Whouley worked for Gore, too.

Shrum is a hack from way back. He was a speechwriter for McGovern and Teddy Kennedy, and wrote Kennedy's famous speech at the 1980 Democratic convention.