QandO

September 02, 2004

Bad Politics
Posted by Dale Franks

John Kass writes that Kerry's inept politics are playing right into the Republicans' hands.

Rather than address a series of withering commercials from the Swift Boat veterans, Kerry decided not to engage. Rather than confront the Republican mantra using his own words to show that he's a flip-flopper on Iraq, he kept silent.

Rather than engage what threatens him, Kerry offered programs, plans and government benefits to his fellow veterans. He talked about improved health care, hospitals and cheaper medicine if he is elected president in November. It was a speech about political payoff, and he offered them a piece of the pie. But he couldn't offer a piece of himself.

In the speech to the American Legion, Kerry offered a side of himself that Republicans were hoping for, since it buttressed what they've been saying about Kerry for the past few weeks: indecisive. Overly cautious. Locked by his own post-Vietnam political past into a defensive position.

Letting the other guys define you is always a dangerous game. If you're the presdient, you can get away with playing it, perhaps, but only because you have the bully pulpit of the office, and can counter it by simply doing your job acceptably well.

If you are a challenger though, allowing your opponents to define you can be the kiss of death. If you can't engage your opponents directly--or even worse, it looks like tyou are hiding from them--it only adds credence to your opponents' attacks.

Kerry's last press conference/media sit-down was way back on August 1st, just before the first Swiftvet ad. It's as if he's intentionally allowing his opponents all the free shots at him they want.

In part, Kerrys reticence to speak to the press is understandable. After all, when he does so, as often as not he says something that requires some serious "clarification". It does seem at times as if his foot is continually cocked to go flying into his mouth as soon as it opens.

But, it's hard to see how speaking out could do him any more damage than is being done my hiding from the press for a month. That strategy is a proven loser.

Of course, part of the problem may be that Kerry has no particular desire to go over his own post-Vietnam record in detail. If he disavows his VVAW activities, or his support for the nuclear freeze, he disaffects his party's left wing. If he doesn't he disaffects moderates and undecideds. Perhaps he thinks that walking that line would require more nuance than even he has, and, he'd probably be right.

But just standing there and taking a shellacking isn't helping him all that much either.

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