August 29, 2004
Frip Frop
How do you say flip-flop in Korean?
Allan at Just On The Other Side examines Kerry's 'flexibility' on Korean troop levels, and elsewhere...
In an August 1st television interview on ABC's "This Week", John Kerry advocated troop redeployment with potential reductions in South Korea and Europe. But when President Bush announced a large scale redeployment plan that contained the same withdrawals and redeployments, Kerry criticized it, as an AP wire story reports:
"Let's be clear: The president's vaguely stated plan does not strengthen our hand in the war against terror, and in no way relieves the strain on our overextended military personnel."
It is hard to imagine Bob Dole - like Kerry, a war veteran and long-serving Senator - heckling President Clinton in a similar fashion.
In the 1998 standoff with Iraq, Kerry was quite the hawk- repeatedly calling for tough action if Saddam Hussein failed to comply with international inspectors. In the run up to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Kerry again stood firm on the need to remove Saddam.
But after he began serious designs on the Oval Office, Kerry stuck his finger in the wind and decided what will bring him the most Democratic support - opposing the war. Thus, we have the 'I voted for the $87 billion before I voted against it' flip-flop.
We have no way of knowing which Kerry to believe. Democratic party strategists undoubtedly suggest attacking President Bush whenever possible. If Bush says the sky is blue, Kerry is advised to disagree.
Leaders must advance a vision, a set of ideals that they hope to see reflected in the world around them. Kerry flip-flops because he must - he is not a leader or great visionary, around whom party loyalists will flock.
Kerry's political compass at times resembles nothing more than a thermometer - which is useless in preparing the nation for the long haul - be it a year or a decade ahead.
- Wrttien by Allan at JOTOS
Posted by MEC2 at August 29, 2004 10:41 AM