Guardian Editorial Cites Arthur Schlesinger Jr.

"(Some) voters . . . may have been surprised by the person they saw in the three televised (presidential) debates. Knowledgeable, pragmatic, with an agile, focused mind - Mr Kerry was the same man in all three appearances.

"Arthur Schlesinger Jr, the presidential historian, was asked recently . . . whether he saw any comparisons between Mr Kerry and John Kennedy, in whose administration Mr Schlesinger served . . . He said he found the two men 'similar in that they prove politicians can be intellectuals'. Despite the general debasement of American politics, this is still a desirable trait in a president . . .

"Mr Kerry is best suited to heal our painful rifts now - not just with the community of nations but within this nation, rent by social, ideological, economic, and religious divisions. These sap the strength of America. We are confident a Kerry presidency will restore both unity and strength."