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The last act of a desperate Man...
Kerry planning to declare victory on Nov 2 even before knows if he actually won
Kerry Looks to Avoid Gore Recount Errors
Thu Oct 21,12:54 AM ET
By RON FOURNIER, AP Political Writer
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=sto...ter_strategy_12
WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), bracing for a potential fight over election results, will not hesitate to declare victory Nov. 2 and defend it, advisers say. He also will be prepared to name a national security team before knowing whether he's secured the presidency.
In short, the Democratic presidential candidate has a simple strategy for Nov. 3 and beyond: Do not repeat Al Gore (news - web sites)'s mistakes.
The Democratic vice president prematurely conceded the 2000 race to George W. Bush in a telephone call, then had to retract his concession after aides said Florida wasn't lost. He never declared victory, an omission Kerry's advisers — many of whom worked for Gore — now believe created a sense of inevitability in voters' minds about Bush's presidency.
Gore didn't plan for the legal showdown, though few could have predicted it before Election Day. And he watched as Bush seized political advantage during the 36-day recount by publicly discussing a transition to the White House.
Not this time, promise Kerry's advisers. If there is doubt about the results, they will fight without delay.
"The first thing we will do is make sure everybody has an opportunity to vote and every vote is counted," said Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter. "We will be ready to hit the ground running and begin a fresh start in this country, given that so many critical issues are before us."
The prospects for another contested election loom with every poll showing the race neck and neck.
Six so-called "SWAT teams" of lawyers and political operatives will be situated around the country with fueled-up jets awaiting Kerry's orders to speed to a battleground state. The teams have been told to be ready to fly on the evening of the election to begin mounting legal and political fights. Every battleground state will have a SWAT team within an hour of its borders.
The Kerry campaign has recount office space in every battleground state, with plans so detailed they include the number of staplers and coffee machines needed to mount legal challenges.
"Right now, we have 10,000 lawyers out in the battleground states on Election Day, and that number is growing by the day," said Michael Whouley, a Kerry confidant who is running election operations at the Democratic National Committee (news - web sites).
While the lawyers litigate, political operatives will try to shape public perception. Their goal would be to persuade voters that Kerry has the best claim to the presidency and that Republicans are trying to steal it.
Democrats are already laying the public relations groundwork by pointing to every possible voting irregularity before the Nov. 2 election and accusing Republicans of wrongdoing.
On Election Day, Whouley will head the so-called "boiler room," probably in Washington, that tracks vote counts and ensures Kerry doesn't concede too soon. Whouley was the aide who, after noticing Florida was too close to call in 2000, called Gore's team in Tennessee and told them to put the brakes on the concession speech.
Campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill will be with Kerry in Boston, where they will field Whouley's calls.
Jim Johnson, who headed Kerry's vice presidential search team, former Labor Secretary Alexis Herman and longtime Kerry aide David McKean lead the team planning Kerry's transition to the White House.
Aides say the transition process is behind schedule, but Kerry will be ready to name a national security team shortly after the election. They say he has candidates in mind, but is reluctant to discuss the transition while campaigning.
The advisers spoke on condition of anonymity because Kerry wants the focus to be on his campaign for now.
Former U.N. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, are among those frequently mentioned as possible members of Kerry's Cabinet.
The plan to quickly name a national security team is partly practical (at a time of war, continuity is necessary) and political, aides said, because if there is another recount Kerry will want to show he's ready to take power.
Amid the tumult of the 2000 recount, Bush sought to make his presidency appear inevitable time by leaking word of his national security team and bringing news cameras into his transition meetings. Gore and his staff were more reluctant to talk about the appointment process.
Kerry's advisers say Bush would have a natural political advantage in a re-count in this election because he is the president, with a national security team in place and a public relations spotlight that comes with the White House.
The last act of a desperate Man...
So, what they're saying is even if Bush wins by 80 percent, they intend to challenge it in the courts and tie up the election till Feb 2005. How sweet! Does any sane person not see what is going on here? Al Gore set a precedent for all future elections to be "challenged". So much for "free" America. This little strategy is gonna cost the Demos in the long run.
Doesn't sound like an 80/20 scenario to me, Hook. I'd also bet that Bush's camp has something similar lined up.Not this time, promise Kerry's advisers. If there is doubt about the results, they will fight without delay.
exstatic just beat me to the punch. I completely agree that both sides will do this, regardless of outcome.
"Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), bracing for a potential fight over election results, will not hesitate to declare victory Nov. 2 and defend it, advisers say. He also will be prepared to name a national security team before knowing whether he's secured the presidency." ..........I can quote too Ex. Looks like those two statements contradict each other. The one I am quoting does not say "if there is doubt". Take another look.
I hope it doesn't come to that.
I really do.
If the election is close and the pundits keep their pie-holes shut until the polls are closed we may be able to eliminate this.
I hate the "we are projecting Bush will win Florida..err, we are now projecting that Kerry will win..err, please stay tuned for developments.."..
Just wait damnit!!!
Agreed Joe!
Don't be surprised if this blows up in Kerry's face.
The media is responsible for a lot of this.
I don't see what the big deal is... Both sides have been declaring victory for the past year.
"When I am President..."
"As your next President..."
It's pretty obvious every place where the vote is less than say a million in favor of one or the other, Kerry's gonna drag it into court.
, we may have to move back Inauguration Day, it'll probably still be in the courts then.
Oh please, you whiners are already claiming that Bush is trying to steal the election...if it's 80/20, you'll just say, "THERE'S NO ING WAY IT COULD BE 80/20, BUSH CHEATED...SEND IN THE LAWYERS!"
I'm sure the Kerry camp is prepared to spin their protest whatever way they need to in order to fit the cir stance...
Joe, I think it's already in the Kerry quiver...I don't think he's going to hold back from an all-out scorched-earth protest regardless if the loss is by 1% or 15%...
Don't be rattling Ex's cage Yoni! He has no sense of humor and besides he is always right(in his own mind).
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