Kerry: No W. (& No Bill)

A friend of mine in Los Angeles reports listening to a radio station that caters to middle-class African-Americans and hearing repeatedly from hosts and callers that there's little difference between George W. Bush and John Kerry. "People keep saying they're both Skull and Bones guys," she says. "So why bother?"

It's a pity our political system doesn't produce a more diverse range of choices. It's also a pity that some voters don't discern the Texas-size gap between these two Yalies. And it is troubling that polls show Bush voters to be more committed to their man than Kerry voters are to theirs. Of course, Kerry is largely responsible for this. He's no dynamo on the stump. But that's always been the case, and Democrats and anti-Bush voters still waiting for Kerry to seduce, charm or excite them and others--by changing his style or by issuing bold, imagination-capturing policy proposals--should give it a rest. Kerry's limitations are not going to disappear between now and Election Day. Yet it is important that Democrats and potential Kerry voters perceive him--and talk about him--as more than an Anybody-but-Bush placeholder.

That's not always easy. Kerry can get lost in nuance, not a trait associated with strong leaders (though the country could use a leader who recognizes, let alone appreciates, nuances). He has voted consistently for abortion rights--earning a 100 percent rating from Planned Parenthood--but when asked about abortion he ruminated that he might consider appointing an antiabortion judge to a lower bench. His supporters shook their heads. His foes claimed it as evidence of his "flip-flopping" ways. So, a stalwart choice supporter found himself explaining a position that should need no explanation.

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