I see this Bush National Guard stuff as a waste of time for the Kerry campaign, if they're considering using this info.

I think the SwiftyLiars crap---as reprehensible as it was---worked to some extent because many people are sincerely puzzled where Kerry stood on important issues during his Senate career. And then came a bunch of juicy Vietnam gossipy trash---from dubious, flip-flopping sources---that maliciously added question about who he was and what he stood for 35 years ago. Huge numbers of Americans believe in alien abductions, psychics, ghosts, and BigFoot on flimsier evidence, so why not play to that audience?

But I think people like Bush because of his decisiveness, folksiness, religious values, and their belief in his will to fight terrorism. I'm not sure why questions about his National Guard career decades ago would switch many of his supporters or even swing voters. I don't think Bush has the puzzling record that Kerry has. And I'm a Kerry supporter. IMHO Bush has an overall bad record, but at least it's not puzzling.

Kerry needs to focus on the ongoing Iraq quagmire that only seems to have inflamed hatred of the US in a world once united behind us after 9/11, and also keep saying Bush's economic policies have caused the first overall job losses during a presidential term since Herbert Hoover. I think good clean policy discussions can win elections.

re - "Kerry needs to focus on the ongoing Iraq quagmire that only seems to have inflamed hatred of the US in a world once united behind us after 9/11, and also keep saying Bush's economic policies have caused the first overall job losses during a presidential term since Herbert Hoover. I think good clean policy discussions can win elections."

Although I disagree with the opinion behind this phrase it is what Kerry should be saying. Too bad they (politicians) don't listen to normal people. They are all surrounded by "insiders" that forget that people don't live in the Beltway.