Abstract

Kerry: Fill in the Blanks

The author argues that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry should take strong positions on economic policy issues. It is time--past time--for John Kerry to tell Americans what he is about. This is less about biography (although the only information too many Americans have about Kerry comes from the $50 million negative-ad assault the President's campaign unleashed on him) than about mission and values. He must tell voters what things--big things--he is prepared to fight for and why. Thus far, Kerry has been intent on proving that he'll fight back, answering Bush's assassins shot for shot. But that puts Kerry constantly on the defensive. Worse, it doesn't tell voters what he is for. His first economic initiatives were similarly defensive, designed to produce headlines saying that he supports corporate tax cuts and lower deficits--no tax-and-spend liberal he. This is not a recipe for success. It offers little to hard-pressed working families struggling with insecure jobs and wages that aren't keeping up, while college and healthcare costs soar. If Kerry doesn't champion their concerns, they may see no reason to get rid of a President who seems like a regular guy. That's why it is vital for Kerry to lay out two or three big things he's prepared to fight for--big ideas about where he wants to take the country. These should demonstrate that Kerry understands what's happening to working families, and that he's prepared to fight for them.