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September 20, 2004

Free Kerry Advice

Republicans including the top dog, George W. Bush make a point of talking about Kerry's record, legislative votes, policy records etc and point out how sometimes Kerry's positions (especially at various times) echoed Bush, sometimes not, sometimes both (at different periods). It's ridiculous. Here is a war that is not popular with the American people, and the Republicans criticize Kerry for voting for it (as if President Bush looked to John Kerry alone for the go-ahead) and later raising doubts.

Kerry's problem is that he has let himself be dragged into this debate and it's not really a debate he can win. What he should have done, and maybe still can, is say should go something like this

George Bush has gotten his way on every single issue every single time these last 4 years. We went to war exactly how he wanted to, the postwar has gone exactly according to his plan, on domestic policy issues like tax cuts and education reforms the President has gotten his way 9 times out of 10.

And now, the President would like to shift the responsibility for the results of his policy decisions to someone, anyone else. George Bush and I both want to defeat terrorism, stop job losses and build a strong Democratic Iraq. Sometimes we agree on what the best thing to do is, many times we haven't. But George Bush has gotten his way everytime. When I have voted against the President's policies, he tries to blame me for the results. And when I voted to support the President, as with the war authorization, instead of his gratitude I've gotten his scorn.

We've been doing things George Bush's way for the last 4 years. Today he wants to blame others for his own faults. And now he's asking America for another blank check. And when things go wrong, he's going to tell you that it's someone else's fault and that someone else has to clean up the mess. If your definition of a strong leader is someone who never takes the responsibility for being wrong no matter what, then by all means vote for George W. Bush.

But if you want someone who means what he says and says what he means, someone who'll share the credit when things go right and accept his responsibility when they don't, then vote for John Kerry.

Posted by Chris at September 20, 2004 04:45 PM

Comments

This is good advice. I always thought something like this should be in KE04 material:

"How many chances should America give George Bush to get it right?"

Josh Marshall at TPM also posted about this and was taking suggestions a few days ago.

Posted by: ajc [TypeKey Profile Page] at September 21, 2004 04:47 PM

It is essentially bad in speaches to say, "By all means vote for [insert opponent]".
It just never sounds right nor comes out right.
But yes, Concept is good.

Posted by: William B [TypeKey Profile Page] at September 21, 2004 10:42 PM

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