December 11, 2002
THE SLO-MOTION ROUT:
In image race, Kerry is starting to pick up pace (Mark Jurkowitz, 12/11/2002, Boston Globe)December 4 brought good news - literally - for Massachusetts senator and potential presidential hopeful John Kerry.The day before, he outlined an economic vision in a major speech in Cleveland. Meanwhile, at New York University, Bill Clinton chastised Democrats for sounding weak on security.
Commenting on the two events, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd - never one to dispense compliments freely - wrote that while Clinton may have advised the party to adopt a little swagger, it was Kerry who actually displayed some. Chuck Todd, editor of the political newsletter Hotline, says the noteworthy point is that Kerry attracted more coverage than Clinton, the party's resident rock star.
And Todd has more glad tidings: A new Hotline poll, due later this week and sure to generate media buzz, will have Kerry leading Al Gore in New Hampshire.
The local guys (Dukakis, Tsongas) win the NH primary. That fact may be enough to keep Gore and Edwards out of the race altogether and it has to make Kerry the frontrunner and prohibitive early favorite to win the nomination. So here's the question: on the day after the '04 presidential election, will John Kerry have as many electoral votes as his wife has flavors? Posted by Orrin Judd at December 11, 2002 2:17 PM
electoral vores ? Oh, yes that "technicality" Al Gote had a problem with.
Posted by: Peter at December 11, 2002 1:47 PMThe Massachusetts media is already getting all gaga over a Kerry run. It will be fun to watch their complete incomprehension when the electoral score is about 365-180 for Bush (assuming the war and economy don't south before 2004)
Posted by: AWW at December 11, 2002 2:07 PMI always wince to see "literally" used in the popular press. Nine times out of ten, it's used to mean "figuratively." But I have no idea what Jurkowitz thinks he means.
Posted by: David Cohen at December 11, 2002 2:52 PMHow many flavors does Mrs. Heinz have?
Kerry for President just boggles my mind. His whole career, as far as I can tell, has been built around being innocuous, inoffensive, and inconsequential -- just a reliable liberal Democrat playing up a likeness to JFK and relying on Massachusetts voters' reflexive voting habits. To inspire any devotion, he'll have to be born again.
57, of course
Posted by: oj at December 11, 2002 4:22 PMPJ -- And he's my good
senator.
Dave - He's my senator too (as a MA resident) but I have more respect for Kennedy (I completely disagree with his views but at least he's consistent) than for Kerry who seems to be Northeastern version of slick willie.
As I noted below the only reason I'd be happy about a Kerry candidacy is that he will probably get pummeled.
AWW-
There's something comic about making these distinctions, but, with all his many faults, Kerry did serve in Vietnam. That alone puts him a rung up on Kennedy for me.
About Kerry...I wouldn't want him commanding a troop I was part of, in the jungle. I could imagine what those fellows REALLY think of him?
Posted by: Neil at December 11, 2002 9:24 PMMark Steyn has a piece in the Wall Street Journal today in which he says, "Kerry's $75 haircut catches the fancy because it seems to cut to the essence of the Kerry candidacy, whose problem as a whole is that it's over-styled. Platform-wise, every strand feels as if it's been exquisitely combed and parted to the finest calibration. . . . President Bush is certaintly not undefeatable, but what is certain is that he won't be defeated by a politician whose gut instinct is to have no gut instincts. Mr. Kerry has never held an original position for longer htan it took his party's interest groups to put the squeeze on him. The Democrats suffered last month because they were perceived on the central issues of war and national security as, at best, tentative and, worse, opportunist. The senator seems set to expand this losing formula from the war to every major policy area, until the entire Democratic platform has achieved the perfect snapped-seesaw symmetry of his eyebrows."
Posted by: pj at December 11, 2002 9:28 PMLet's at least give Kerry this much, if he killed anyone they probably weren't US citizens, unlike his fellow senator.
Posted by: oj at December 11, 2002 10:10 PMOJ - true on the killing part
PJ - I was going to note the Steyn article (which was dead on) but you already did
Neil - I think in the past they have tried to talk to his fellow troopmates - I can't remember if they liked him or hated him
David - good point re Kerry, Kennedy and Vietnam
Another Kerry thought:
In 2000 Lieberman got grief for running for VP and CT Senator at the same time. Kerry was reelected in 2002 and won't have this issue in 2004 but having a GOP governor ready to replace him with a GOP senator if he quits the seat (which he won't do) or god forbid, wins, is a potential issue.