Cahill: Kerry Camp Underestimated Ads
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The campaign manager for Sen. John Kerry's failed presidential bid said Wednesday she regrets underestimating the impact of advertisements that featured John Kerry. Mary Beth Cahill, who spoke at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government with Ken Mehlman, President Bush's campaign manager, said the Massachusetts senator's campaign initially thought there would be "no reach" to the ads where John Kerry took a particular stand on any issue.Instead, the ads, which initially aired in practically every state, became a central issue of the campaign, eventually forcing Kerry to personally contradict statements he made in them."We didn't realize that people would actually listen to John and what he said in any of the ads", Cahill said. "Every time we'd put a commercial on TV, people would actually see him and listen. Then, they'd see him speak on the news and hear something completely different. It was devastating.""In hindsight, maybe we should have put Senator Kerry out of the race earlier, perhaps we could have cut it off earlier. But, you go to the elections with the candidate you have. They're not the candidate you might want or wish to have. "
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The campaign manager for Sen. John Kerry's failed presidential bid said Wednesday she regrets underestimating the impact of advertisements that featured John Kerry.
Mary Beth Cahill, who spoke at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government with Ken Mehlman, President Bush's campaign manager, said the Massachusetts senator's campaign initially thought there would be "no reach" to the ads where John Kerry took a particular stand on any issue.
Instead, the ads, which initially aired in practically every state, became a central issue of the campaign, eventually forcing Kerry to personally contradict statements he made in them.
"We didn't realize that people would actually listen to John and what he said in any of the ads", Cahill said. "Every time we'd put a commercial on TV, people would actually see him and listen. Then, they'd see him speak on the news and hear something completely different. It was devastating."
"In hindsight, maybe we should have put Senator Kerry out of the race earlier, perhaps we could have cut it off earlier. But, you go to the elections with the candidate you have. They're not the candidate you might want or wish to have. "