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Gifts for all occasions in the Galleria! Subscribe to the "What is the Deal?" mailing list. The "What is the Deal?" Deal-of-the-Week: Best sellers at The Sharper Image September 5, 2004 What is the Deal with the Kerry Campaign? By Jan A. Larson Entering the final sixty days until Americans go to the polls, the Kerry campaign is clearly in trouble. As this seemingly never-ending presidential election year has unfolded, slowly, but steadily, the rhetoric, spin, half-truths and outright lies have been peeled away and it is now becoming quite clear that the majority of American voters will cast their votes for President George W. Bush. Coming off a rousing Republican convention, the President was greeted with the news that the unemployment rate has fallen to a post-9/11 low of 5.4%. Ironically, just hours after the last balloon had fallen to the floor at Madison Square Garden, John Kerry once again blasted the President for his "record of failure" with respect to jobs. Just how long does Kerry think he can spin the ever-decreasing unemployment rate and ever increasing job figures? Kerry and his campaign calculated that the fact that he served in Viet Nam was sufficient to unseat an incumbent president reviled by the noisy, extreme wing of the Democratic Party. Hey, it worked for Howard Dean, at least for a while. As Kerry's Viet Nam service has come under serious question while his post-Viet Nam and two decade Senate record are subjects his campaign would prefer to leave out of the discussion, Kerry is running out of things to talk about that might have a chance of bringing undecided voters to his way of thinking. The problem for Kerry is that it takes more, much more, than appealing to the blind partisans to win a national election. In these uncertain times, this campaign is about far more than which candidate will make the most promises. It is about the candidate that will lead the country into an uncertain future with conviction and purpose. Kerry cannot win if the campaign centers on the war on terrorism. Despite having served four months in Viet Nam, Kerry's record on defense and the military reflects a position inconsistent with the realties of the world today. When it comes to the matters of defense and war, Kerry will simply not be the choice of the majority of voters. To have any chance of winning the presidency, Kerry must turn the campaign away from foreign affairs and terrorism. That leaves domestic policy as Kerry's only alternative. Kerry's solution to the improving economy? Raise taxes. No matter how you slice it, that is not a winner. What can Kerry do? There is simply nothing more on which Kerry can attack the President. The war in Iraq? The deficit? Tax cuts for the rich? We've heard it all and it is wearing thin on many voters. Negative campaigning, in general, is effective, but with Kerry now running behind in the post-GOP convention polls, it is hard to imagine that continued negative campaigning on his part will do much to stem the tide. He could try actually offering concrete solutions to the issues facing America, but so far, all he has offered are tax increases, "secret" plans for dealing with Iraq and the promise to "reach out" to France. No one will win the presidency by promising to kiss and make up with the French. The President is a man of conviction. Kerry is a man of uncertainty. The President knows where he wants to lead this country. Kerry knows to say what his partisans want to hear. The President has a record of leadership. Kerry has a record that he would prefer not be discussed. In this campaign, it seems that the Kerry camp has run out of ammo. Of course, if Kerry were voting on ammo, he would undoubtedly vote against it. -- Send feedback to the author. The "What is the Deal?" column will appears weekly on the Pie of Knowledge website. Guest submissions are welcome and encouraged. To submit an article to "What is the Deal?" click here. To subscribe to the "What is the Deal?" mailing list and receive early notification when a new column is available, click here. The Pie of Knowledge will never, ever divulge email addresses to any third party for any reason unless so ordered by a court of law. Contributions to the Pie of Knowledge are greatly appreciated. 
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