WHAT KERRY MUST SAY:
Sullivan
The most important task of this convention is to persuade Americans that a future Democratic administration will fight this country's enemies with a passion and energy and consistency at least comparable to Bush's. If Kerry doesn't make this a centerpiece of his speech, he deserves to lose. He needs a passage that goes something like this:
Let me now address those in the world who believe that the United States, under a Democratic president, will cower before terror or respond to any future attacks with passivity and weakness. Nothing could be further from the truth. As president, I will pursue this country's real enemies every day I am in the Oval Office; I will seek them out and bring them to justice; I will ensure that our historic duty to the people of Afghanistan and Iraq is met in full, however long it takes, however hard the task. To the murderers of al Qaeda, let me say this. Do not even begin to interpret a Democratic victory as some sign that we will acquiesce to your murderous intent and nihilist politics. In the war against Jihadism, there is no Democrat or Republican. There is simply American. We will unite to defeat you and to secure our country.
Am I dreaming? I don't know. If Kerry bores on about healthcare or taxes without focusing on terror, then he will richly deserve to lose. Unlike some, I'm open to persuasion. This war is far too important to be left to one party. The 9/11 Commission was an important reminder that we can indeed work together to find a way forward against the dire threat we still face. And it is indeed a failure that this president, far from uniting the country behind this war, has served to divide it more deeply. He may, however, be the best we have on offer. This week will go a long way toward resolving that question. |
