Newman's own: It's Kerry time
Nathan Newman, no lightweight he, says it is time for liberals to accept that John Kerry will be the Democrats' nominee for the presidency and get behind him.
This is less an endorsement than a prediction of inevitability, and a hint that Dems should just concede to the inevitability as soon as possible, so we can turn our guns on Bush as soon as possible.
. . .Why is Kerry inevitable?
Aside from the basic strong support he has on his own, he is likely to be everyone else's second choice as the field narrows. Just look at the candidates and think about where their supporters will go.
I have remained pretty indifferent to all the candidates. I'm not saying I will not fall in line and vote for the nominee, but it appears I will do so with all the enthusiasm I take to my appointments for root canals unless something changes within the next months.
Commenter Jennifer Balcombe believes the Democrats need to try harder.
What is a Dem to do? The answer is go with something completely new and untested. The answer is to shoot-the-moon, so to speak. Elect a smart, articulate, good-looking new comer; someone who can be appealing on television, can have a bofo sitdown with Oprah Winfrey, and thereby open up a serious gender gap. Just shoot-the-moon. Try John Edwards and see what happens. Maybe magic will happen. Maybe not. But to go with one of these conventionally standard well-worn politicians is pointless.
If a significant segment of the voting public feels the same way Jennifer does, the Democrats will pay for it -- dearly.
Nathan says people may underestimate Kerry's toughness.
And while Kerry seems to be getting this retroactive media-driven reputation as this cautious guy, I remember during the 1980s when he was pushing investigations into the link with the the Contras, the CIA and drug-running down in Central America. When Iran-Contra broke, the establishment pushed Kerry as far away from the investigation as possible for fear that he would overturn the really nasty skeletons in the national security state's closet.
That is a very encouraging thought considering the spinelessness of so much of the Democratic leadership. For example, I've found Joseph Biden ludicrous since his shameful performance during the Clarence Thomas hearings.
Nathan does not mention and issue Susan Nunes and I have been thinking about -- whether the GOP can convert Kerry's wife Teresa Heinz Kerry into a liability. Ms. Heinz Kerry is a billionaire heiress with a sharp tongue.
As the race for the presidency becomes more real, we will have to confront both solid issues and trivialities that shouldn't be issues, but will be after the Republican spin machine finishes with them.
