The Art of Politics

Tender Mercies

The metrosexual commander-in-chief...

In a speech to the Unity Conference, a gathering of minority reporters (surely a double-whammy to Republicans), John Kerry made some curious remarks regarding the war on terror.

Well reported was the ill-advised shot Kerry took regarding the moments Bush was informed of the attack on the WTC - his own wife disagreed with his assessment in a Hardball interview. But not as widely reported - and in fact almost impossible to find doing a search - was the following quote from Kerry on the war on terror:

"I believe I can fight a more effective, more thoughtful, more strategic, more proactive, more sensitive war on terror that reaches out to other nations and brings them to our side and lives up to American values in history."

One of these clauses is not like the other ones, one of these clauses is not the same...

Take out "war on terror" and substitute AIDS policy, racial policy, economic policy, almost any policy, and you have fairly typical stump-speak, flourished applause lines that are designed to sell the notion that the speaker can improve upon the current situation.

But "war on terror" doesn't fit. The notion of a "sensitive" war is quite an eyebrow raiser. Kerry can ill-afford to make statements which will contrast with Bush's strength - the war on terror. Kerry has a case to make, but not by attempting to create the impression of a kindler, gentler wartime leader.

Posted by MEC2 at August 5, 2004 07:07 PM