Saleton:

1. Reframe the “consistency” issue. Bush says you often change your mind. You’ve denied this. According to yesterday’s Washington Post, Democrats are grumbling that Bush flip-flops a lot. They’re wrong. The Post story showed how peripheral Bush’s shifts are. On the big issues—tax cuts and Iraq—he’s been even steadier than Reagan. Stop fighting his consistency shtick, and go with it. The economy sucks. Iraq is a mess. Polls show that people understand these things and that they want change. You’re the challenger, the candidate of change. You’ve already picked up the Clinton ‘92 theme, “Change versus more of the same.” In the first debate, when Bush accuses you of changing your mind, admit it. Say that your goals and values are firm but that when the president’s policies are going in the wrong direction—away from those goals and values—you’re not afraid to change course. This is what Bush can’t do, and everyone knows it. You took a step in the right direction with today’s observation that “the president still says he wouldn’t do anything different. I would.” You need to come back to this theme more, uh, consistently.

It’s about fucking time. Bush’s perceived strengths are that he is resolute and unbending — not great traits when you’re consistently wrong and refuse to admit it. It’s great to see Kerry finally using the “flip-flop” label to his advantage — and to see someone noticing that he’s doing it.

Link