There's one constant for any politician. Moreso local guys like mayors and govs, but it never fails for federal guys either. All you have to do is pull out two words:
CRIME. POLICE.
Kerry has been endorsed by both the International Brotherhood of Police Officers and the International Union of Police Associations.
Why does the Kerry Campaign not spotlight this?
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2003/0309.wallace-wells.html
The Bush administration's first budget eliminated all direct funding for street cops. The war in Iraq, fought largely without allies, has required the call-up of huge numbers of reserves, many of whom are cops. And instead of using the men in blue as eyes and ears on the domestic war on terrorism, the administration has, in effect, used them as glorified security guards. The federal government's repeated directives to local police to beef up patrols at potential terrorist targets have taken officers away from their regular duties. And because the feds have not paid for many of these extra patrols, homeland security has stretched local budgets even further.
On his Sept. 14, 2001, visit to Ground Zero, the president famously addressed a group of cops and firemen through a bullhorn, from the top of a pile of mangled steel. When someone in the crowd called out that he couldn't hear the president, Bush said, spontaneously: "I can hear you. The rest of the world can hear you." But now many cops feel they're not being heard. During an interview in late July, Richmond's Chief Parker told me he's been "dismayed at the current administration's attitude towards local law enforcement." The administration, he said, has not "seemed to grasp what we face."
Now let's be real: The most violent crimes (homicide, armed robbery, etc) occur in economically depressed, urban areas.
Well-off suburbanites who live in quiet bedroom communities miles away from the "south side" of a city such as Detroit or Chicago (like my parents), have little chance of being a victim of this type of crime. Yet, the news reports drive them NUTS. They put multiple locks on their doors a la Jerry Seinfeld, call up ADT, buy Rottweilers and look into installing Panic Rooms.
Irrational Perception? Yup.
But perception = reality/votes. When suburbanites hear the first thing about cuts in police department budgets they go insane. This is why the broader image of 9/11 resonates so loud.
The Kerry campaign should be reminding people of the dangers they face in their own neighborhoods. They should be reminding them of the 100,000 cops Clinton program.(1) They should be reminding them of the drop in crime during the Clinton years. They should be flogging the endorsements of the police.
I am NOT advocating Willie Horton redux, believe me. What I'm talking about is a reversal of that. Reminding the public that WE are the party thats supports the Police.(2)
Of course this is one of about a million suggestions Kossacks have offered, but I just figured this is one that might get some traction, and even trump the terrorism tack.
So whaddya think?
(1)He only got about 70,000 by 2000, but Gore was going to continue it!
(2) Just like we're now the party of fiduciary responsibility, the party of military veterans,
etc.,etc.,