The Mean Season!
And so it begins... the political mean season!
This weekend, every major news network (alas, including Fox!) all gave full lip service to the Democratic Convention "pre-game" show! While mostly fluff and pap, there were actually two enlightening and interesting things to come of this semi sycophantic love feast. The first is that the Democratic leadership is desperately trying to hold down the Bush bashing rhetoric in favor of promoting a more positive and pro-Kerry like image. Wow... this would be a good things for the country, and could actually promote honest and open debate between good people with differing political ideological viewpoints... and that is why I am wondering if the Donks can really pull it off, what with Michael Moore, Al Franken, and Al Gore wondering the convention floor.
The second interesting this is that the Donk leadership actually thinks they need to explain to the country exactly who John Kerry really is, even though they just spend $27.5 million on battleground state adds that were supposed to do just that! They believe that if they can just get out who this guy really is, people will begin to warm up to him. So the plan is to spend a great deal of the convention time and resources to "explain" John Kerry to the world. Even leaving aside the fact that very little of the convention will actually be viewed by anyone other than the Donk kool-aid drinkers and us political junkies, is this really the best strategy for them to follow? I mean, right now, without the vast electorate knowing that much about the new JFK, he is either marginally ahead or tied in the polls. Not to bad for a challenger to an incumbent war-time President at this stage of the game. If, by chance, the economy or Iraq take even a slight turn for the worse, Kerry is - as things stand right now - positioned very well to take advantage. So why tinker with the soup if the spices are right? Cause the soup ain't gonna get done in time, that's why! The Donk leaders seem to have conceded that neither the economy or Iraq will get worse, and will probably get better, so thet're scrambling to bring some fire to their creation, and they think that explaining the new JFK will do the trick.
To support the Democratic leadership in their efforts, I will do something genuinely altruistic of me, I will gladly and honestly give some very good and free advice... be careful what you wish for, because if the general public ever does get to know the "real" John Forbes Kerry, they may not like what they see!
