The New York Times Magazine article about Kerry is very revealing.
Hugh Hewitt has some great comments about what was written.
A key point that struck me was this - while George Bush might not be as articulate as John Kerry during a debate - Kerry has YET to articulate to this nation his plan for national security. Oh yes, he SAYS he has a PLAN, but does he share it with us?
Let me give you an example of what his aides are telling about Kerry's PLAN when asked by Matt Bai of the NY Times Magazine:
..what I heard from some of them in response was that Kerry's theories on global affairs were just too complex for the electorate (***Note: that's us, folks) and would have been ignored -- or, worse yet, mangled -- by the press. ''Yes, he should have laid out this issue and many others in greater detail and with more intellectual creativity, there's no question,'' one adviser told me. ''But it would have had no effect.''
This is, of course, a common Democratic refrain: Republicans sound more coherent because they see the world in such a rudimentary way, while Democrats, 10 steps ahead of the rest of the country, wrestle with profound policy issues that don't lend themselves to slogans. By this reasoning, any proposal that can be explained concisely to voters is, by definition, ineffective and lacking in gravitas.
Oh, and don't forget - Kerry told us that he will hold 'summit meetings':
In all of this, Kerry intends to use as leverage America's considerable capacity for economic aid; a Kerry adviser told me, only slightly in jest, that Kerry's most tempting fantasy is to attend the G-8 summit.
The fact is, Kerry just doesn't understand the mindset of terrorists that want to instill Islamic rule worldwide, who will decapitate their enemies in the name of God. That, John Kerry is the world vision that al-Zarkawi has for you, for me, for everyone in this country. And if you aren't willing to deal with reality, you aren't going to lead this country.
Perhaps Bai's most telling statement of all, while he was trying to write a piece that supports John Kerry's multi-positions on every issue, is this:
...his less lofty vision might have seemed more satisfying -- and would have been easier to talk about in a political campaign -- in a world where the twin towers still stood.
Yes, pre-9/11, that is the very dangerous mindset of John Kerry - the man who would be president...