Most of us have witnessed the reinvention of John Kerry recently and now comes the planned assault on our minds. What does Kerry really stand for and when he says something, does he really mean it? That's the real strength of leaders: having the ability to stand up, state their case and then move in a planned direction.
I'm scratching my head, how about you?
We are entering now the final stretch of the silly season with the Republican National Convention just a few weeks away. In both cases, Democratic and Republican, the scene is similar, the candidates have been pre-chosen, the love nest is in place and the real issues that stimulate serious interest, within individual party doctrine, will not make center stage because there are no challengers. The conventions are only a show time exercise designed to confuse all of us, using love and kisses for bait.
Make no bones about it, most politicians have a similar strategy, party differences notwithstanding. Ask a politician a question, any question and the answer most of the time will generally go like this: "That's a great question, what do you think about it?"
Cute, really cute, it takes the politician off the hook and gives him or her an immediate opportunity to please you with an answer. The rest is history. The politician will say something that will either satisfy you or confuse you, but you will not generally get a serious feel of the candidate's position.
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John Kerry has some clearing up to do. Recently, according to the New York Times, he says he opposes the death penalty -- except for terrorists. What does that mean, that a serial killer, a rapist murder or some maniac on a killing purge deserves better treatment than a terrorist? Senator John Kerry, would you please explain?
Here's more from the Times. Kerry says he supports a woman's right to choose an abortion but recently revealed that he believes "life begins at conception." Hmmm, being a Catholic, he has some explaining to do.
The Times reported this as well. Kerry says he is against same-sex marriages, but is against a constitutional amendment to ban it. He contends it is up to the states to battle this issue out.
See what I am talking about here? Say something that will appease those you are talking to, but be vague about it, leave the door partly cracked open for a quick retreat. That's the name of the game today in politics.
Kerry says he will end the war in Iraq and the big question is, at what cost to America and the global economy we are so actively engaged in. That brings up another point here. We are, indeed, in a worldwide economy today, and it didn't just happen on George Bush's watch. It has been picking up speed since the end of World War II when nations banded together to reconstruct Europe and other regiional economies. Kerry knows this, but you won't hear much about it unless the bashing is directed at his opponent.
Beware of the doubletalk and innuendoes that have and will continue to enter the political picture. It's called the game of politics where logic and the truth take a back seat.
Dick Palmer is the former editor and publisher of the Budgeteer News. He may be reached by telephone at 729-6470 or by e-mail at rpalmer@duluth.com .
