Democrats can't seem to decide what they think about their candidate. Here are three examples from major newspapers in recent weeks which illustrate the varying degrees of excitement for John Kerry among liberals:
The Washington Post Reports on Ambivalence:
- The Post noted that Democrats are much more passionate about defeating Bush than they are about electing Kerry. One reason for the ambivalence is that Kerry has not put forward much of a message beyond being opposed to most of Bush's agenda. In fact, Kerry's lack of message seems to have been recognized throughout the Democratic ranks.
For example, the Post reported: "'There is a danger in that [ambivalence],' said John Podesta, White House chief of staff in the Clinton Administration, 'You can't just be against something. [Voters] want a positive vision of where the country is going, and he has to provide that.'"
Also, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) demonstrated this phenomenon saying, "I am excited about a change of the administration. I think Kerry is a solid guy; he's not an exciting guy."
Deaniacs Settling Too:
- In his regular column for the Baltimore Sun a couple of weeks ago, Jules Witcover wrote about a conference recently put on in Baltimore by the liberal progressive "Take Back America" crowd. Several comments made it clear that the radical left is merely settling on Kerry for the sake of defeating Bush.
"I don't care if John Kerry is a sack of cement. We'll carry him to victory," said Jim Hightower, a liberal Texas humorist. He also proposed a "two-step program" to the enthused crowd saying, "First we get rid of Bush. Then we get rid of Kerry."
New York Times Presents Glowing Portrait:
- The Times, on the other hand, presented John Kerry as a Renaissance man. The Sunday, June 13, edition of the Times, carried a cover story on the liberal Senator, which featured a picture of Kerry riding a motorcycle. The story's jump page included a photo of Kerry throwing a baseball. The paper went on to call him an "avid and able athlete," making references to his playing hockey, snowboarding, and bicycling, in addition to his large vocabulary and his ability to play the Spanish guitar.
Further, the story described him as a "father figure" and followed with examples of nice personal gestures he has made to staffers and aides. It also included gushing quotes, like this one from a former speechwriter: "[He's] up on pop culture more than most people running for president; at the same time he's read all these books by people whose names I can't pronounce."
Though liberals cannot seem to decide what to think of Sen. Kerry, surely conservatives have some suggestions.
