----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Henwood" <dhenwood at panix.com>
Michael Pollak wrote:
>Independent voters sided with Kerry 5 to 1.
-But even if the strategy only convinces, say, 1 out of 5, it's a net -gain. Or raises enough doubt that Kerry has to spend time fighting -the charges - and doing it badly, undermining his whole tough guy -pose.
Could be. The short term hit seems real, if only in taking the focus off Bush. But the long term hit of 4 out of 5 independents thinking Bush may have been involved in dirty politics based on lies could feed into Bush's vulnerability, his perceived lies on bigger issues like Iraq.
This isn't the first time Kerry has faced these kinds of attacks and the pattern seems to be he takes the hits, then brings in supporters that strengthen him in the end.
We'll see how it plays in the end, especially once other issues come to the fore. If the main flavor left in peoples mouths was dirty politics by the Bush folks, it's a net loser.
Nathan Newman