John Kerry has been more aggressive than any recent leading Democrat in counterattacking when Bush’s message machine cranks up. The one subject that’s been toughest for him is the Iraq War. His votes are contradictory. And though I suspect he voted for the war in part because he was afraid politically to vote against it, he can explain the votes. And he should; otherwise, we’ll continue to get stories like this. As balanced and fair as these stories might try to be, the mere fact that they are written and headlined as this is, is damaging.
I think a risky strategy of addressing head-on the flip-flop issue on Iraq is warranted. Kerry should say:
I voted for the Iraq War because it never occurred to me – and I suspect neither to most of you — that our president would deliberately fabricate a rationale to send our sons and daughters into harm’s way. Certainly not while the job in Afghanistan was incomplete.
Be he did. And when he wasn’t willing to rescind tax cuts on the rich to pay for the war, I voted against giving him a blank check — without a plan to raise revenue for the war or to end it.
Kerry also can argue that his election is the only way we can make American safer.
The current president is mistrusted by leaders of our traditional allies, scorned by their constituents and literally hated by many Muslims. Building a strong coalition can happen only if we change administrations. George W. Bush can’t get it done.
I will put in place a new policy of cooperation and use the power of our ideas and our ideals to prove to the world’s one billion peace loving Muslims and our allies that we are ready to work with them. Our allies understand that by waging a war built on false pretenses and incompetently, we are creating more terrorists than we can ever destroy.
Osama bin Laden is no more representative of the Muslim world than Timothy McVeigh is of America. The long-term solution is to help the Muslim world achieve its vision of security and freedom throughout the world. George W. Bush cannot do that because he has no credibility with them.
By such positioning, Kerry can also counter the Bush campaign’s practice of the Lee Atwater strategy.
While I was abroad last month, columnist E.J. Dionne discussed Lee Atwater’s lingering impact on our elections. But while Dionne warns Dems to be ready to react, he failed to discuss one of Atwater’s more potent strategies. The late political operative often advised his clients to claim that their opponents are guilty of the very same thing his clients were most vulnerable on.
“It is not enough to advocate reform; you have to be able to get it done,” Bush said. “We are getting it done.”
Of course, Bush is not getting it done. He tries to inoculate himself by claiming Kerry can’t: the Atwater strategy.
Kerry has outlined a plan. It’s here. But he must emphasize that Bush cannot “get it done” because of the mistrust and fear he has engendered in the world.
According to the polls, more and more people are changing their minds about the wisdom of this war. They will respect Kerry if he admits the same.