Love Ya, Big John, But You Still Aren't Getting It

Go here and listen to Stephanie Miller's interview w/ a very hip, very funny John Kerry. Kerry "gets" so much -- he gets that we need to quit cutting taxes on America's wealthiest citizens while borrowing money and shipping manufacturing jobs oversees. He gets that we need a real, comprehensive energy policy -- yesterday.

But how he can still defend his vote to give Bush authority to use force in Iraq is beyond me. He says now that he regrets the vote because Bush broke his word to Congress to use force only as a last resort to enforce inspections. Well, John, what possible reason did you have to trust George Bush even back then? Come on. You just can't be that naive.

And how can he say that his only mistake in response to the SwiftBoaters was not having enough money? John, you were one of the best-funded Democratic candidates in history. If you didn't have enough money, no one's going to. The problem wasn't money. The problem was spending the money you did have on Bob Shrum and shit consultants who told you to ignore Karl Rove's attacks -- a strategy others have tried and that has NEVER WORKED EVEN ONCE.

And how can Big John still not get it about election fraud? John, they stole the election from you. Miller does a good job of trying to hold his feet to the fire on this one. Finally, he says, well states will legislate paper ballots even if the feds won't and hopefully we'll win back one House or the other this fall. John, that's not a plan. I guarandamntee you Ohio and Florida won't institute paper ballots and Ohio and Florida have selected George Bush twice over the will of the rest of the country. I know that I sound like a broken record (butcha are Hec, butcha are!) but until the Democrats decide to throw everything they've got -- and I mean everything -- at electing the Secretaries of State in Ohio and Florida, they might as well not bother running anyone for President.

So here's a smart, hip, personable, funny guy, the kind of guy I'd love to hang out with and have an elitist glass of pinot noir, a guy who would move America forward, a guy you can see beginning to repair the damage done to our image abroad, not least because most world leaders would probably also enjoy having an glass of elitist pinot with him, a guy who desperately wants to be president. In short, he'd be a great president. But he's not going to get that chance because he still has the huge blind spot all the Democrats seem to have concerning what's happened to electoral politics in America. John, more money isn't the answer and the fact that you think it is scares and depresses the bejebuz out of me.


Thanks to cs, art is bread at Eschaton for the tip.