First half of the article appeared in the Honolulu Advertiser; not
surprising given that the LA Times made the second half a puff piece on
Kerry/Edwards cooperation. Here's my take: Even if they were able to reach
the dissatisfied Republicans upset with Bush's performance (unlikely),
they could not maintain a conservative or moderate administration if sworn
into office. Remember how Wa****ngton DC "liberalized" Bill and Hillary in
8 years? -KC
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-kerry11jul11,1,2358266.story?coll=la-home-politics
Kerry to reach out to the "People on the Right"
by Matea Gold and Mark Barabak
Los Angeles Times
July 11, 2004
ALBUQUERQUE -- Counting on his liberal base to stick by him, Sen. John F.
Kerry plans to aggressively court more conservative voters with a message
that emphasizes traditional values of service, faith and family.
Following his pick last week of a running mate with potential appeal to
rural communities, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee said he
was not content to target the narrow band of swing voters that the two
parties were expected to fight over in roughly 20 swing states.
"I'm going to talk to people on the right," Kerry told The Times on Friday
during a joint interview with his vice presidential pick, Sen. John
Edwards. "I want to talk to conservatives."
As for rank-and-file party members, Kerry said his record of strong
sup****t for environmental protection, gun control and abortion rights all
core Democratic issues "speaks for itself about my priorities in policy
terms."
Indeed, Kerry seemed unconcerned about antagonizing his liberal
sup****ters.
"I'm a hunter. I'm a gun owner. A lot of people on the left don't like
that, but that's who I am," he said.
The Massachusetts senator has already begun his effort to broaden his
political reach. During a recent swing through the Midwest, where he
tramped around farms and toted a shotgun on a trap-shooting range, Kerry
said that he represented "conservative values," and emphasized his
personal opposition to abortion.
Last week, as he and Edwards made their joint debut, they spoke
continually of their commitment to helping the middle class, which they
said had been harmed by President Bush's policies.
Kerry's strategy is not without risks. By wooing moderates and
conservatives, he could offend liberals in an election that could hinge on
which side best galvanizes its base. And casting his values as
conservative, despite his liberal voting record in the Senate, could
reinforce Republican criticism that Kerry lacks convictions.
"It's a frankly stunning assertion, given the fact that John Kerry is the
most liberal member of the United States Senate, who picked for his
running mate the fourth-most liberal member," said Steve Schmidt, a
spokesman for Bush's campaign. Schmidt was referring to recent rating of
lawmakers by the National Journal, a nonpartisan Wa****ngton magazine
Schmidt added: "This is another example of John Kerry proving he will say
anything to anyone if he feels it will benefit him politically."
But Kerry's unflinching outreach to conservatives reflects another
political reality: this year's steadfast unity among Democrats determined
to defeat Bush. That sentiment has created a dynamic that mirrors the one
that Bush enjoyed in 2000, when many conservatives were mute as the
then-Texas governor positioned himself as a moderate. Bush, however, never
laid out his strategy as explicitly as Kerry did in the Times interview.
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