August 30, 2004

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM from Dan Rather:
A new tide of optimism inside the Bush-Cheney campaign .. began roughly a week to ten days ago when it became obvious to even early doubters that the “Swift Boat” ad attack against Senator Kerry was damaging him — badly, at least in the short run ..

Among Democrats, high and low, there is considerable grumbling about how and why all this was, in the words of one Kerry consultant, “allowed to get this far” ..

“Kerry and his staff significantly underestimated the “Swift Boat” negative campaign assault. Then they fumbled the response. It was too slow and not very effective even after it got started.”

UPDATE: Perhaps Dan has been watching ABC News:
the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll shows clear deflation for Kerry across a range of measures: Strong enthusiasm for his candidacy has dropped by 16 points [since Boston] .. and his personal favorability rating has lost eight points to hit a new low.
And I can't help but add, aren't these images which sear on the mind: Richard Nixon with a metal detector on the beaches of San Clemente .. and Dan Rather blogging from the darkened booth of CBS News from the National Convention in New York. Cry, Walter, cry. Posted by Greg Ransom