The now departed Petey (and I'm sorry to have seen him go, though I don't question why he had to go) always attacked me as a rank amateur on politics - particularly on my thoughts on polling and issues strategy. I enjoyed the give and take frankly, Petey seemed to take it personally.
Anyway, with Ruy Texeira having successfully driven my thoughts on the polling into the CW (See my diary here) and Team Kerry having adopted my line of featuring, almost exclusively, the Iraq Debacle/WoT (see my diary here), I am sure you are all waiting with bated breat for my thoughts on what now.
My pronouncements on the other side.
September 30 - the First Debate. It is all about that now. One assumes Kerry will continue the drive to own this Iraq Week as he has throughout. Big Speech on Iraq tomorrow we are told. My gut tells me he ties it to failing in the WoT.
But about the Debate - All Iraq. The whole thing. 90 minutes. You watch and see. And Kerry is beautifully positioned here.
Why? Because he has tested his new Iraq message, it is a resounding hit and now he just needs to hammer it for 90 minutes on September 30. If he does that, the initiative is all his - he owns the battle and only when the domestic issues debate pops up - which BTW, is going to be Kerry territory anyway - will Bush be able to change the dynamic.
Right now, IMO, Kerry is in a beautiful position. He has found his stride, the Media sees him with Mo, he found his voice on Iraq, and it will be the big issue of the most important moment of the Campaign, the First Debate.
WHEN Kerry nails that Debate, then the Media will smell incumbent blood in the water and the pile on begins. With only weeks to go, Bush won't have time to right the ship - Kerry starts to smell like a winner - on to a big victory on November 2.
At least, that's what I think will happen.