Put a fork in Monsieur Kerry. He’s done
September 1, 2004
by Mike Bates
Here it is two months before the election and there’s not much to look forward to. That’s because Kerry’s campaign is collapsing faster than the Cubs do every year. Absent a colossal Bush blunder, it’s all over except for the finger pointing.
The controversy generated by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has had significant impact. Questions about Kerry’s Christmas in Cambodia, and whether one of his Purple Heart wounds was self-inflicted didn’t boost his electability.
Look back, however, and we can see how Frere Jacques’ rendezvous with failure has been developing. There have been and continue to be signs of the imminent disaster.
For starters, he had the backing of people like Michael Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. That kind of support may be worth something in New York and Hollywood, but not in much of Middle America.
The Democratic convention was orchestrated well yet the candidate didn’t get the standard bounce in public approval after it. This might have been expected.
For the truth is that the more people know about John Kerry, the less they like him. This generally isn’t considered a big plus for political candidates.
The monsieur used the convention to introduce himself to voters. Standing there on the evening of his acceptance speech, he saluted and announced he was reporting for duty.
How pathetic. At one time this man couldn’t talk enough about how the U.S. military, his alleged band of brothers, committed atrocities in Vietnam. He threw away his medals and/or ribbons or someone else’s medals/and or ribbons in protest.
Yet now he just wants to focus on those four months in spent in Vietnam. What about his two decades in the U.S. Senate?
For a gent who now claims he has all the answers on terrorism, defense, health care, education, Social Security, Medicare, the environment and everything else, he doesn’t sport a very impressive resume.
Last year the Associated Press reviewed the senator’s legislative record. The verdict: "Kerry has been the lead sponsor of eight bills that have become law. Two are related to his work on the Senate panel on oceans and fisheries . . . In 1999, President Clinton signed his bill providing grants to support small businesses owned by women. The rest of the laws he saw passed were ceremonial . . ."
Little wonder he’s fixated on a four-month period that occurred 35 years ago.
Adding to the candidate’s headaches is his extraordinary lack of warmth. If he’s got a personality, he’s holding back on it for an October surprise.
The smiles seem forced, the gestures strained. At times he appears as stiff and remote as a cadaver. This may well qualify him to vote Democratic in Cook County, but not to be president.
A few months ago a public opinion poll found that more Americans would rather spend time at a barbecue with George Bush than Kerry. Even if the latter brought the ketchup. Make that catsup. Anyone who calls Genghis Khan "Jenjis Khan," as Kerry does, is unquestionably a catsup person.
Last week brought the Democrat even more ghastly news. By 51 to 37 percent, dog owners trust the President over Mr. Kerry to walk their dog. On the all-important issue of who would be a better president in terms of their pet’s happiness, respondents chose George W. over John F. by a margin of 44 to 37 percent.
Wait, it gets even worse. On Sunday night, the Bush daughters appeared via a pre-recorded message at the MTV Video Music Awards. As would be anticipated at an assembly of artistic intelligentsia, they were heartily booed.
What was astonishing was the crowd also booed the two Kerry daughters who were there in person. Even Vanessa, who told USA Today that when dear old Dad gets elected, she wants her Secret Service code name to be "The Hot One."
If a gal like that can’t win over the hearts and minds — such as they are — of the MTV crowd, there’s a major malfunction here.
Another indication of how party colleagues are heading for the tall grass is the new re-election ad for the Democratic leader of the Senate, South Dakota’s Tom Daschle. The commercial has Mr. Daschle hugging not Kerry or Edwards or even Teresa AKA Momma T., but George W. Bush. Talk about a morale booster.
I’m actually starting to feel bad for John Kerry. Not bad enough to vote for him though.
Mike Bates
(This appears in the September 2, 2004 Oak Lawn (IL) Reporter.)
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