Defeat Bush?

Oh man.

How can John Kerry be such a weak candidate? It's unbelievable.

Bush's approval ratings are falling. They just hit an all time low. But, amazingly, Kerry's positive ratings have failed to climb.

Whassup?

John Kerry strikes me as a man who stands for nothing in particular, other than his electoral potential. In the primaries, Kerry was viewed as electable, a war hero to counter Bush's dubious Texas Air National Guard service. But that's just it. He's electable, but not a lot more than electable. Yeah, I'd vote for him.

Quick! What's Kerry's position on the war in Iraq?

Y'know, he's for it, but he's kind of against parts of it.

Quick! What's Kerry's position on gay marriage?

Well, he's against it, but he's kind of for it.

Quick! What's Kerry's position on the Bush Tax Cuts?

Ummm... Well...

Quick! Kerry on Social Security?

Uh...

Quick! Kerry on a a drug plan for seniors?

...

See what I mean? It depends on what you want to hear. If you're an anti-war, pro-gay marriage, anti-tax cut, save Social Security at all costs, pro-single payer health care advocate voter, you can probably find stuff Kerry has said to make you feel okay about him. BUT, if you're a pro-war, anti-gay marriage, anti-tax, nuts to Social Security I'm self-reliant voter, you could probably find stuff Kerry has said that would make you feel okay about voting for him.

But 'okay' might cut it when you're seeking to represent the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate. And think about that... from what I know of Mass politics, you've got to grab votes from vegans in the People's Republic of Cambridge as well as mean-and-potato factory workers in Fall River to get state-wide office. But is that going to play out on the national stage?

I sincerely doubt that.

C'mon, Senator Kerry.

The Baron von Philadelphia points out that three and a half years ago, hard-core right wingers stole the presidency. They descended on the Sunshine State in force, determined to seize power by any means necessary. And they pulled it off. The former governor of Texas became President having lost both the popular vote and electoral votes. In other parts of the world, when this goes down, the people take to the streets in force. We were all kind of bemused. "Yeah, well. Whatever."

And now, in 2004, the Bush/Rove strategy? Simple. "Who is this Kerry guy anyway? Why don't you all just go back to what you were doing and forget about all this election stuff the Democrats seem to be perpetrating."

And John Kerry? Trying to tap into the anger and resentment felt in every corner of the country, ranging from 'what are our soldiers doing over there?' to outrage over the abuses at Abu Ghraib and festering resentment over what went down in 2002 in Broward County? Well, not quite. Just saying vague and carefully worded nothing and trotting out grizzled, misty eyes guys who talk about how John Kerry saved their lives thirty years ago. (And, y'know, I'm sorry, but I think that's crass. Kennedy, Carter, and Bush pere, who all had laudable war records with heroics) 'let it be known,' but never slapped it on their lapels.)

Pretty grim situation, I'd say.

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