Why Iraq is important

What's Wrong With John Kerry?
Is it the hair? The lack of charisma? Or do we just wish he was more angry and ruthless?
By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist


He is not Bill Clinton.


Just gotta say it again, right off, because it is, quite possibly, still the most difficult fact for most moderates and Demos to accept, even now: Kerry is not Clinton. Kerry is not JFK. Kerry is not quite even Al Gore. We have to accept it. Let's go from there.


... read the whole thing - it's entertaining, and it makes good points

But I suppose this is the saddest part of all. That is, how cheerless and heartbreaking is it when you are essentially forced to wish that your candidate would be more ruthless, more cutthroat, more ferocious. When deep down you long for a little dignity among your leaders, some humanitarian deftness, some way to salvage a shred of spirit and hope amongst the political carnage.

Not this time. After all, sometimes, when playing badminton with the devil, you gotta screw the birdies and lob a couple grenades.

For once, I disagree somewhat with Mark Morford. I do agree that John Kerry lacks the instant charisma of Bill Clinton, or the down-home folksiness of Jimmy Carter. I also have been disappointed that Kerry and Edwards, up to now, have been playing softball.

But now, with over a month to go, they're coming out serving grenades:
"George Bush made Saddam Hussein the priority. I would have made Osama bin Laden the priority," Kerry said. "I will finish the job in Iraq and I will refocus our energies on the real war on terror." says Kerry.

Not only did Bush pick the wrong fight, in other words, he cheneyed it up. And even though the war in Iraq is far from being the major problem that Americans face (it may be the major problem that America as a nation faces, which is slightly different), that and the "war on terror" are the main attack points where Kerry must go in on.

After all, Kerry's accused of being a flip-flopper. Bush is seen as the unswerving leader pursuing the course of righteousness. And look where it's got him. Tens of thousands dead. Terrorism increasing. The USA hated around the world.

And this is touted as Bush's only "success". The rest of his record (health, education, environment) is just lies. Iraq is only distortion. After Bush and Cheney are defeated, and safely locked up in cages with Saddam Hussein for company, then America can get on with the important business of providing a social structure for its citizens which comes up to the standards of the rest of the world.