Take this advice, Democrats
KERRY LEADERS: Here are suggestions for DNC convention week.
Remember how you got here. Race started and ended in Iowa. (See well-reported account in US News & World Report.) Iowans cut Howard Dean's message off Dean and pasted it on Kerry. Message: No Bush light. Before Dean, D.C. Democrats acted like Prius-driving wing of Republican Party. Dean changed that, then exploded and imploded. Kerry loaned self $6.5 million and that was all she wrote. Lesson: Be for change.
Back off testosterone. Theme for week is Muy Macho. DNC memo on convention is chock full of aggressive words: strong, strength, resolve, duty, service, toughness, protect, fight, military, security, respected, face challenges head on. Solid week of antler crashing seems excessive, even in home arena of Boston Bruins.
Understand election is not about what America will be like if Kerry wins. It's about what America will be like if Kerry doesn't win. War will continue, economy will keep hemorrhaging jobs, tax breaks will flow only to super-rich, Halliburton will have second largest economy on earth.
Have Bill Clinton build bridge to past. Remind everyone how good things were last time Democrat was president. Also urge him to shine light on horrible ethnic cleansing in Sudan.
Stop, please stop, justifying that Iraq vote. Two weeks ago on "60 Minutes," Kerry was asked about Senate intelligence committee report on 9/11. Based on failures you now know about, do you regret your Iraq vote? Kerry: "I believe, based on the information we have, it was the correct vote."
Aaargh! What happened to Vietnam veteran who went to Senate 33 years ago and said, "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"
Speak for 140,000 troops in Iraq and in lonely battles in Afghanistan. Fatalities now up to 905 American, plus another 121 from other countries in dwindling "coalition." Thousands bear life-altering wounds. Reliable estimate of Iraqi dead: 12,000 but who's counting? No one.
Have ex-Senator Max Cleland, who left three limbs in Vietnam, share this recent news: "Military payroll records that could more fully document President Bush's whereabouts during his service in the Texas Air National Guard were inadvertently destroyed, according to the Pentagon."
Inject humor into campaign. James Carville said of Bush's father, "He reeks of yesterday. If I think of an old calendar, I think of George Bush." David Kusnet, speechwriter for Clinton, wrote this line in Ann Richards's hilarious 1988 convention speech about Bush senior: "He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple."
Set up betting pool on Ohio delegate Jerry Springer. How many times will Fox news cameras cut to host of raunchy daytime TV show?
Have your top enforcer insist on seeing Ron Reagan's speech before it's put on teleprompter. This guy makes me nervous.
Ask Bill Richardson to speak Spanish every so often. With that name, it's not obvious he's Mexican-American.
Lighten up on values stuff. You can't redefine political meaning of values in three months. "Health care for all," while noble sentiment, isn't same as "belief in God."
Use this value-laden word: "Halliburton." All speakers should say Halliburton no less than six times.
Kerry should discreetly call Democratic nominees McGovern, Carter, Mondale, Gore. Thank them for service to party and country. And tell one in Brookline you know how much losing hurts and appreciate his fighting GOP attempts to pair you.
Tell Kerry to keep his hands off Edwards, especially his face.
Let Edwards be Edwards. Superb trial lawyer should make case against Bush. Forget making him sell optimism. If voters think it's sunny in America, you lose. Let him nail Cheney by name. Makes it tougher for Bush to drop Cheney from ticket, which GOP would do in heartbeat, so to speak, if it meant saving Bush's hide.
Find another slogan; first 479 haven't stuck. Current one, "Stronger at Home, Respected in the World," sounds like global arms dealer.
Challenge Bush to join you in doing what every presidential candidate since 1976 has voluntarily done, take only federal campaign funds in general election. Bush has outspent you 2-1, most of it on attack TV. Hasn't worked. For presidential voters, it's not all about the Benjamins.
Be real on post-convention expectations. GOP will say Kerry should be ahead by 25 points after convention. Kerry handicappers will say they'll be happy with tie. Can we find sensible midpoint, say, 10 points?
Delegates, remember: In Boston what happens here stays here. Unless we need to use it against you later.
Dan Payne is a Boston-based media consultant who worked on John Kerry's Senate campaigns and for Michael Dukakis during the 1988 presidential primaries. He does presidential campaign analysis for WBUR, Boston's NPR affiliate. His column appears regularly to the Globe.
