US and the World

This may be how you get elected . . . .

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Banned in Boston

. . . but it doesn't feel good.

Yes, I liked most of John Edwards speech last night. But they are playing the macho card to the extreme and when it comes to the war on terrorism they intend to talk at least as tough as George Bush.

I'm not convinced they'll act that way. (But I doubt that those who oppose them are convinced either.) But it is not at all clear just how different they will be. They may start believing their own words - and the more we play the tough guy with the terrorists the surer we are at going down to defeat. We need more of what Clinton spoke of - the compatibility of wisdom and strength - with an emphasis on wisdom.

The only clear difference between Kerry/Edwards and Bush when it comes to war, is they would make much more of an attempt to bring the world along with us. That's good. But simply battering the Islamic fundamentalist into submission will not win this war. It will only succeed if at the same time we convince the rest of the Islamic world that we are making a real effort to provide an even playing field - a just world where the West does not tromp on their beliefs and steal their oil.

Meanwhile, the only time I felt I have seen integrity - truth - on stage in Boston is in the quiet damnation of the administration brought to the stage by Jimmy Carter - and in the shouting (yes, he really is black) damnation of George Bush brought to the stage by Al Sharpton. Neither of those speakers were in prime time, however.

One side note on the press. After Al Sharpton spoke CNN went after him, challenging him for straying from the script. How dare he speak longer than the six minutes alloted. (He spoke for 20 electrifying minutes.) How dare he actually criticize in no uncertain terms, George Bush. He was loud and certain and all heart and soul. Anyway - a couple hours later commentators from the same network were complaining about how scripted the Convention was.

Yes, the convention is scripted - far too scripted - and so is the press. They still can't find their voices. They are still mesmerized by 9/11 and the "wartime president." They are floundering all over the map.

And I'm floundering too. I frankly don't know what to make of any of it. I'm still in an "anyone but Bush" mode. I simply can' t imagine four more years of the worst president in history. It will certainly wreck the country beyond repair. So Kerry knows he can count on my vote. What he needs now is votes from the middle - or so he thinks. And that's what he will go after in his speech tonight - assuming he follows the pattern of this highly-programmed convention.

But does he really need those votes in the middle? I'm not at all sure he does. I think it's time to bash Bush. I think it's time to be honest with the American people. And I think it's time to simply show that there is more of us than there are of them. And there are. The key to this election will not be the middle - the key will be in getting out the black and Hispanic vote - and in showing the "common man" - the NASCAR dads of whatever hue that they are being screwed by the rich and powerful for the rich and powerful. This is still a country by the people and for the people and elections can be won on honestly portraying yourself to the people.