Back to business
All right, enough of that. Let's stop pretending to be surprised that Jim McGreevey is gay, and return to matters that actually might matter a damn for a moment.
There's a new Bush ad campaign in the pipes, and it's got some people upset. It seems he's invoking (surprise!) imagery of 9/11 in a new spot entitled "Solemn Duty."
Kerry's people are in a snit, you see, because it's completely inappropriate for a Bush ad to reference the one issue where Bush maintains a political advantage over his opponent. It would be so much more appropriate if he would just campaign exclusively on issues that are clear winners for the Democrats. Wouldn't that be nice?
So far, all is normal. The Bush campaign is behaving politically, and the Kerry campaign is shocked, shocked to find politics going on in an election season. Team Kerry accuses Bush of "desperation," and having "lost credibility."
But now get a load of this comment:
"He can't speak to a single issue voters care about: not jobs, not health care, not deficits," said Chad Clanton, a Kerry campaign spokesman.
Sweet, sufferin' Jesus, did he just say that? The implication could not be clearer: the American people don't care about terrorism. They don't care about 9/11, and they don't care about the war against those who would destroy us.
Obviously, I don't believe that's the case. But I do believe the Kerry team believes it, and that's frightening. I think there's a bit of projection going on here.
It is precisely this attitude that gives so many of us qualms about Kerry's fitness to lead. No matter how they try to cover it up and paper it over with cheesy salutes, fawning Swift boat veterans, "Apocalypse Now" yarns, and magic CIA hats, this attitude seeps around the edges, and the voting public sees it.
It is this attitude which has made a real horse race out of an election that, in peacetime, would be a rout.