August 26, 2004

HUH?:

It's Getting a Bit Dodgy: John Kerry has evaded his Senate record, his plans for the war on terror, and a host of other issues. Will he be able to get out of his Vietnam troubles? (Fred Barnes, 08/25/2004, Weekly Standard)

The dodge has worked well for Kerry. At the Democratic convention last month, he didn't bother to defend his Senate positions on defense and foreign policy. In his acceptance speech, he devoted only 73 words to his two decades in the Senate. Instead, he surrounded himself with Vietnam veterans and insisted the best window on his leadership as president was that the men who'd served with him in Vietnam were now backing his presidential campaign. The result: little discussion in the media or the political community of his Senate record at the convention and since then.

That may change as early as next week when Republicans gather for their convention in New York City. No doubt Republican speakers will go after Kerry for favoring cuts in intelligence and Pentagon spending, endorsing the nuclear freeze and deployment of Pershing missiles in Europe, opposing the Reagan doctrine of supporting anticommunist guerillas in Nicaragua and elsewhere, and voting against the Iraq war.


Worked well?

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 26, 2004 11:48 AM
Comments

Comparatively. Imagine if he had made his Senate record the focus of the convention.

Posted by: David Cohen at August 26, 2004 12:14 PM

Mr. Judd;

He's still the candidate isn't he?

Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at August 26, 2004 1:28 PM

I guess Fred thinks he'd be doing even worse if the spotlight was on his political record. to that extent it's a successful dodge. Fred's probably right too.

Posted by: jeff at August 26, 2004 1:29 PM

Yeah, it's worked well for Kerry, because he wouldn't have gotten the nomination otherwise. It won't be enough to win the general election however, and it won't be good for the Democrats in general. Why do they keep nominating candidates who only damage the party?

Posted by: Thom at August 26, 2004 1:29 PM

Thom: You asked:

"Why do they keep nominating candidates who only damage the party?"

Because, in my opinion, the Democrats really don't know what they are for anymore. They are caught up in interneccine warfare between their various factions. If Sen. Kerry gets trounced in this election, watch the bloodletting go into extra innings as the factions try to annihilate, eject, or neutralize each other.

As a political dabbler and mildly interested observor, I will be setting up a pitcher of cold drinks, some snacks, and a tarp to protect me from the splatter damage and will watch the political "slaughter" with great interest.

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