Oct 4, 2004
William Safire's Misguided Analysis
In today's NYT (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/04/opinion/04safire.html?oref=login) William Safire says that Kerry is the newest neo-con. His evidence is that at the debate Kerry said we have to clean out the enemy in the Sunni Triangle. That makes Kerry a neo-con? Nonsense.
Nor did Kerry by taking a hard line suddenly become the pro-war candidate, as Safire claims.
But Safire is onto something.
Kerry brilliantly succeeded in the debate in reaching out to two audiences simultaneously. 1. He scored points with the anti-war crowd by calling this war a colossal mistake.
That shored up his support among Deaniacs and other anti-war Democrats.
2. He succeeded in reassuring the Patriotic crowd that a Kerry presidency would see to it that the Iraq war is won. That helped him win over swing voters, who don't want to face the consequences of Bush's bumble headed war.
That Kerry succeeded in satisfying both groups without apparently alienating either was a remarkable testament to his political skills. It's the first time in this race he has achieved such success.
Of course, there's a paradox here. He accused Bush of living in a world of fantasy. But Kerry's policy is built on a fantasy. He won't get the Allies to share our military responsibilities. If we do go into Falluja guns ablazin' we will alienate the very people whose support we need.
Kerry's loophole may be that he didn't say how he defines success. Maybe we can get out quickly be turning affairs there over to a strongman government, as Daniel Pipes recommends.
But for now Kerry is having his political cake and eating it too.
Nor did Kerry by taking a hard line suddenly become the pro-war candidate, as Safire claims.
But Safire is onto something.
Kerry brilliantly succeeded in the debate in reaching out to two audiences simultaneously. 1. He scored points with the anti-war crowd by calling this war a colossal mistake.
That shored up his support among Deaniacs and other anti-war Democrats.
2. He succeeded in reassuring the Patriotic crowd that a Kerry presidency would see to it that the Iraq war is won. That helped him win over swing voters, who don't want to face the consequences of Bush's bumble headed war.
That Kerry succeeded in satisfying both groups without apparently alienating either was a remarkable testament to his political skills. It's the first time in this race he has achieved such success.
Of course, there's a paradox here. He accused Bush of living in a world of fantasy. But Kerry's policy is built on a fantasy. He won't get the Allies to share our military responsibilities. If we do go into Falluja guns ablazin' we will alienate the very people whose support we need.
Kerry's loophole may be that he didn't say how he defines success. Maybe we can get out quickly be turning affairs there over to a strongman government, as Daniel Pipes recommends.
But for now Kerry is having his political cake and eating it too.