DC-Area radio station (also broadcasting in Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, NoVA) 93.9 WKYS had on Senator Kerry and discussed with him his positions on various issues. This is significant because WKYS has a mostly young, black/minority (though there certainly are white listeners) audience. He answered all the questions clearly and effectively. On touchy subjects such as reparations, he struck a compromising tone by vouching his support for fortifying Affirmative Action and increasing aid to HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) but declining to endorse actual reparations.
The DJs are all anti-Bush and were positively glowing over him, as were those that called in to ask questions themselves. One gentleman encouraged (to put it lightly) Kerry to pick Edwards for VP, and the DJs concurred. Kerry gave the standard reply, saying he was investigating several possible choices and that Edwards was among them.
All the people here who criticize Kerry for not dong a good job campaigning clearly have their heads in the sand or are simply not pro-active enough in searching out what Kerry really is saying and where he's saying it. This is an excellent example. Most on DailyKos don't listen to 93.9, but Kerry was there reaching out to an audience that votes rarely but, if they did vote, would vote overwhelmingly Democratic.
Also, to those of you who say social issues will hurt Democrats among minorities: evidence I collected today from the interview and from subsequent questions reveal to me that the particularly minorities listening to Kerry today have little interest in social wars. Questions focused on (gasp!) Iraq, the economy, healthcare. Moreover, as I've said before, young blacks/minorities are far more likely to hold liberal social values than their parents and grandparents.
I'd also commend Kerry for standing his ground on tough questions. Universal healthcare was clearly supported by the DJs and listeners and yet Kerry forthrightly declined to endorse that measure. He pointed out that Americans want choice in their healthcare and that a Canada-style Universal system would not provide that. The DJs were impressed. Someone sent in a question on gay marriage and he said he opposed such an act. I'm gay, and I think marriage ought to be reserved for all loving Americans, but I respect his stance (in favor of CU).
Kerry kept on what is (I guess) an emerging centerpiece behind his outsourcing and tax code plan. And, frankly, it is a good one. Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize companies that send jobs overseas. The single-mother DJ asked him to talk about single-mother issues (and there are a lot of single-mother black women) and he did a good job on that, too.
It's too bad all the critics can't come out from behind their bitterness and recognize that Kerry is running a hard, focused campaign.
-Gerald!