Kerry’s on the Right Track
I had a hard time sleeping the other night…too many thoughts swirling in my head. As a political junkie, the first presidential debate was the equivalent of a quadruple shot of espresso.
So many angles, so little time…so the one I have to return to began in the Great Debate Blog of ’04 between Garrett and yours truly.
Kerry, behind in the polls before the debate, had but one goal: change the dynamics of the race. Polls show voters nervous about backing Bush again, but not yet convinced Kerry’s the man for the job. Until last night, the Bushies have done a masterful job of creating a giant sinkhole on Kerry’s road to the White House with a pair of flip-flops.
Problem is, those shoes aren’t made for walking. They’re made for a sound bite. That’s how the flip flop started, sometime over the summer, when Rove & Co. first launched the test balloon. And man, did it soar.
Last night, when Bush tried to place the flip flops on Kerry’s feet, they crumbled. Kerry shifted the dynamics of the race by redefining his positions as strong leadership. When new information arises, you react to that information. That’s strong leadership; Kerry’s explanation of his positions restored his status in the minds of the critical undecided voters. That’s one step out of the hole.
Now, the Bush team is fast approaching the sinkhole Kerry’s team has rigged. Bush is a man of convictions. He’s a strong, resolute leader who, when the going gets tough, will do what he said he was going to do and get the job done. And darn it, that means staying the course, no matter how wrongheaded he may be.
This sinkhole is more like a black hole…Bush can’t avoid it without becoming what he’s dubbed Kerry. If he shifts on Iraq now and acknowledges the failures (like he probably should have done months ago), he becomes the flip flopper. Bush steps into the hole, Kerry emerges.
(After all that, Sidney Blumenthal beat me to it. Fiddlestix! )
Et tu, Rové?
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