Republicans are saying Kerry will flop in South

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Republicans boasted of gains in the South on all political fronts while predicting yesterday that Sen. John Kerry won’t win a single Southern state as he tries to keep President Bush from winning a second term.

Republican strategist Ralph Reed said that if Mr. Kerry were to “put up a goose egg” in the South, the Democratic presidential challenger would have to carry 74 percent of all the remaining electoral votes to win the White House.

“While that may be an arithmetic possibility, it is not going to happen,” Mr. Reed said, addressing several hundred at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference.

Last night, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush criticized Mr. Kerry — accusing him of repeatedly switching sides on issues — as he told the crowd his brother, President Bush, is a man of his word. “You get a little dizzy if you listen to John Kerry explain his recent position on any particular issue at the time,” said Mr. Bush.

Mr. Bush said Mr. Kerry has changed sides on tax relief, free-trade agreements, the president’s No Child Left Behind Act, the Patriot Act, the Persian Gulf war, the current war in Iraq and more.

“George Bush is a decent, honorable man. He may not have all that fancy rhetoric that people up in Massachusetts think is real important,” Mr. Bush said. “I don’t think that’s a measurement of one’s character. My brother is a plain-spoken, direct-talking person.”

Mr. Reed and Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie painted Mr. Kerry as a candidate who doesn’t care about the South.

“He recently said, ’Al Gore proved you can get elected president of the United States without winning one Southern state.’ I’ve got some news for you, Senator Kerry: Al Gore didn’t get elected president of the United States,” Mr. Gillespie said to rousing applause.

Mark Kornblau, a spokesman for Mr. Kerry, said the candidate intends to campaign hard in the South and pointed out that he plans a campaign swing through Florida from tomorrow to Tuesday.

Mr. Kornblau said Mr. Reed’s comments were part of the GOP’s “smear machine.” He said Republicans were avoiding issues such as lost jobs and rising health care costs.