Kerry on Kerry
From Kerry’s speech today (hm. yesterday, now): Speech at New York University.
George Bush has no strategy for Iraq. I do.
George Bush has not told the truth to the American people about why we went to war and how the war is going. I have and I will continue to do so.
I believe the invasion of Iraq has made us less secure and weaker in the war against terrorism. I have a plan to fight a smarter, more effective war on terror — and make us safer.
Today, because of George Bush’s policy in Iraq, the world is a more dangerous place for America and Americans.
If you share my conviction that we can not go on as we are …that we can make America stronger and safer than it is… then November 2 is your chance to speak… and to be heard. It is not a question of staying the course, but of changing the course.
The whole speech is really impressive. Thoughtful conservatives like Craig, who object to emotion-laden, misleading arguments, are encouraged to read it and see what they think.
Basically, Kerry is now making the argument that caused me to switch my allegience to Dean back in the day. According to a Newsweek article (Kerry’s new call to arms), Republican strategists are happy about the new, more-aggressive Kerry:
The reaction from Camp Bush was gleeful. “Good,” said one senior Bush aide. “We’re glad he’s talking about Iraq.” It remains Exhibit A in the flip-flopping case against Kerry, built around his prewar nuances and his postwar votes. Moreover, the Bush campaign sees Kerry’s attacks as a sign of weakness and as an attempt to shore up his base — a leftward tilt that could alienate “persuadables” in battleground states. Bush’s advisers are confident that their candidate can win any contest of straight talk, pointing to a series of polls that give him a big lead on questions of honesty and consistency.
Well, maybe. But truth matters. The world is not under any obligation to rearrange itself to match up with conservative or liberal political ideologies; it just is what it is. And on Iraq, Bush’s position is a fantasy, while Kerry’s critique is rooted firmly in reality. Maybe voters will see that. Maybe they won’t. But I’m glad Kerry’s finally making the case.
September 23rd, 2004 at 9:28 pm
“I have a plan…” That’s what Tricky Dick Nixon said when running for his first term. He had a secret plan to end the war in Vietnam. Two years later I was enjoying the heat and humidity of that Southeast Asian paradise(?). His secret plan didn’t work – the devil is in the details, you know.
Kerry’s plan of envolving the Europeans is nieve. Historically they have never confronted evil until it was about to overwhelm them. We’re not talking about ancient history either.
You may be encouraged by Kerry’s rhetoric, but it seems familiar to me. And Bush reminds me of LBJ (damn, another Texan!). At least, however, the violence is in another part of the world. Bush’s plan may have been imperfect and incomplete, but war is never predictable. Otherwise McNamara would have been a hero instead of the goat’s posterior that he is.