Not a personality contest

Possibly John Kerry's biggest weakness is his personality. He comes off as aloof, he talks in that stentorian manner, etc. No doubt the ever-substantive press is going to ask him often (as they asked Edwards about Kerry in the last debate) "Do you think Americans will like you enough?"

John Kerry should take this off the table by saying, as Edwards did-- and saying it fairly loudly and often-- that this is not a personality contest, that the issues facing the country are too serious to decide the matter on anything but who is best prepared to make the right decisions for the country. Since he's stolen everyone else's lines already, he should steal Clark's line about "a higher standard of leadership." If Kerry can make the press-- and maybe even some voters-- feel ashamed about picking a president simply because they like the guy, maybe he can head off this potential minefield.