Listen, Kerry says he will continue the war, and that he is still proud of his vote authorizing it. To quote my Republican mother (who lives in Missouri, hates Bush and the war, and is desperately looking for a candidate to vote for), "Kerry has no right criticizing the war." (she also won't vote for him because of the Mass blue-blood Ted Kennedy thing, but that is another story)
Whether she is right or wrong, that perception (that he has no right criticizing a war that he himself was and is a fervent supporter of) will still be there.
I also think Kerry will not get a bounce from the "Bush misled me, like he misled you" argument. No one will buy it until Kerry says he regrets his vote. If half of the citizenry could tell Bush was lying about the intelligence, then I don't think they'll give a pass to a man with a full security clearance who couldn't tell, and is still proud and boastful of his vote.
Seriously, you guys need to go back and listen to Kerry's war statements in the weeks after Saddam's capture.
This also illustrates why I cannot vote for the man. 80% of Dems disagree with his vote... but Kerry has played the fear card and convinced Democrats that only a pro-war candidate can ever be elected President... that we must never attempt to stop the Right when they try to start a war, because we will be considered weak and unelectable. I will not vote for him, because his nomination would send the message that he is right. America will keep sliding down this pit of World War with the Moslem world, unless we have one party that has the courage to stand up against it.
To me, it is more important to keep the possibility alive that the Dems could come to their senses, than it is to get Bush out of office. A second term for Bush would be a disaster. Surrendering the Democratic Party to the Vichy wing would be the end, or at least the beginning of the end.
