We know that the GOP targeted John Kerry's supposed strength, which was that he was a courageous and decisive leader under fire. Somehow they managed to turn that around so he had to defend that record, while his opponent has a sad and indefensible record.
There is no point in targeting Bush's strength, because there isn't anything to target except the smoke obscuring the hand of Dick Cheney.
We know Bush's most glaring weakness is that he is stupid, and that the entire GOP campaign strategy is designed to keep that inconvenient fact hidden. Thus the teleprompter, the vetted crowds and the scripted questions.
Kerry needs to attack that weakness, and the best possible way is to do so by comparing it to one of his own strengths, which is that he is very smart and understands the real world because he is not protected from it by layers of sycophants. Kerry is well-informed, and can think on his feet, while Bush knows only what his handlers tell him and can't think from any known position.
Kerry needs to ask every day why the President of the United States is afraid to answer unscripted questions. At the same time, he should invite the press to hit him with the toughest, most insulting questions they might have.
If Bush ever gets in front of reporters allowed to ask unscripted questions, the election is over, and the GOP knows it. We need to press the issue for two reasons. First, to contrast Bush's fear of a free press with Kerry's smarts, and second because if that starts to work, we might just get the president in front of some real questions, and then it's "Say goodnight, Gracie."
"Goodnight, Gracie."