But not for very much longer.
The Washington Post ran a piece yesterday concerning the upcoming ad campaign from the Kerry campaign. Expect things to kick into high gear by endo f July.
Then we’re in the silly season until the election.
astro, couple things echoing what others have said
First of all, the main reason you aren’t hearing anything from Kerry is that you aren’t making an effort to see what he is saying, and at this point, you’d have to actually actively seek it out to find it. He’s saying plenty about all sorts of things, and working his ass off all the time. The media just doesn’t happen to be listening at the moment. And this is par for the course before convention season: challengers just don’t get very good or very much air time for their views or arguments. Now, most people understand this, but for some reason, pundits pretend not to so that they can trick you into duitifully repeating their chosen spin points like “Kerry’s only argument is that he’s not Bush,” as you’ve nicely illustrated.
second of all, it makes no sense to blow their ad budget wad this early, when media is slow, Congress is in session, and Bush is screwing himself over without any help. I don’t think people realize how early this season is compared to other years. There are still four months to go.
Expect things to pick up soon. And the convention is the “coming out” party.
Believe me, when you come out from under the insane blitz of politics in the months after the conventions leading up to the elections, you’ll be pretty darn thankful that you didn’t have to sit through all that stuff ALL summer as well.
Strange days, brothers and sisters, pals and gals. Odd events, portents in the sky, monstrous births in rural areas, rough beasts slouching all over the place…
The Dem’s are going to have as much money as the Pubbies. Money is dropping down on Kerry like golden showers. Six months ago, looked like roughly a 2 to 1 advantage in money, now its a kind of rough parity.
Which is good, I guess, pretty sure, but its seems so…so awkward, you know? Like going to church and seeing Mammon handing out the hymnals, kinda a jarring, you know?
As any number of news outlets have noted, Kerry has a reputation for being a good closer (a surprise, come-from-behind win against William Weld a few Senate terms ago, this year’s primaries, etc). So in part I think he’s letting the bad news do whatever it does before pouring it on full-blast.
As regards not blowing money on ads… I think that premise doesn’t work. After all the media are quite happy to give “free” airtime if you are news. Kerry doesn’t have to hide. If he is “active” the news will eventually show him… its “free” airtime.
I think Kerry has to show that he is more than “not Bush”. Remember he has to win in battleground states… its not good getting the national vote but not the delegates.
Meanwhile Bush is digging his own hole for sure, but he isn’t losing votes in his key voters. If Kerry comes across as “slow and inactive”… then Bush wins the image of a good “war” president. Many moderates want a president that won’t “bend over” to terrorists or europeans… but dislike budget deficit.
Wonder what state Astro lives in?
Here in Connecticut, we’re never going to see heavy campaign ads and the only time candidates come to the state is to raise money. Why would anyone bother preaching to the converted?