Since September, Clark has been my #1. I like Dean, his spunk and drive, but I never drank the Kool-Aid and was wary that the "new politics" was akin to the "new economy" of the late 1990s. The others? Yawn. Edwards is all form and no content, a pretty veneer. Kerry's doleful countenance scares people, and he has so much gravitas that he's a political black hole, from which no light can emanate.
But friends, I have changed -- our best hope now is either Kerry or Clark. Why?
I am like many of you, I don't just want to beat Bush, I want to
humiliate him, I want him to suffer great psychological anguish. This will only happen if the mass of the electorate -- not just a few kos-icans -- come to treat him with contempt and cast him aside. How can this best be done?
The killer issue for Bush is not the Iraq war, the deficit, Medicare, tax cuts for the rich, or the destruction of the environment. No, the killer issue for Bush, the silver stake that can be driven through his presidency's heart, is the AWOL story. That story alone is the one that casts doubt on Bush's honor and integrity, that opens up his character for all to see. That story is the one that can kill the Bush presidency and drive him away to well earned oblivion.
And only Kerry or Clark can drive this issue. The AWOL story had no traction in 2000 because Gore didn't have much to show, either, and the country was still familiar with Clinton's draft avoidance. The AWOL story will fade away if Dean or Edwards is the candidate, because the media wants contrast, they want a narrative, and there just isn't much to compare with either Dean or Edwards.
In recent days, the AWOL story has gained some traction. It can live, it will live, but only if we have a military man as the Democratic nominee. Every time that the media mentions Kerry or Clark's wounds and Silver Stars, someone will ask, what about Bush? And again the story will be told.
I am a VN vet. I loathe the Chickenhawks -- Bush, Cheney, Delay, Wolfowitz, and the rest -- and I want them driven out in ignominy. Forget rational examination of the issues, forget thoughtful analysis -- we are now down to visceral desire for revenge.
