Z, The fact that Kerry has had to stay on Vietnam is not an indicator of his state of mind or his ability to lead, it's an indicator that Bush has a more effective political team than he does.
It doesn't take political genius to move the focus back onto Kerry's Senate record. Nor does it take political genius to focus on 9/11 and the war on terrorism, for defense has always been one of the GOP's strongest suits.
IMO, Kerry's constant reminders of his Vietnam service are no longer politically calculated. Instead, it's getting personal for him at a time when his poll numbers are dropping and the GOP is stepping up their attacks. In other words, his buttons are being pushed.
Think about it. What Kerry could have said was, "They have some nerve saying they want a safer America, when they're making a mess of things in Iraq and Afghanistan and creating more terrorists than they're killing." Instead, what Kerry really said was, in effect, "How dare they accuse ME of flip-flopping, of not being strong on defense! How dare they, a couple of draft-dodging chickenhawks, accuse ME, a Vietnam veteran!"
See the difference? Kerry's first reaction was to focus on his status, not the issues. This was a reaction straight from Kerry's gut, and it's showing. Hopefully for him, the press can make up for Kerry's shortcomings, because after all, the press wants Kerry to win (#reply-20329348).
Tenchusatsu |
