The Great Debate

Except it wasn’t. I was impressed with Kerry. He was articulate and much more personable than he has been in the past. It is obvious that he was a debate champion in college. He did have me cringing every time he made a reference to his time in Vietnam. I counted at least 4 times. To give him credit, nothing was seared into his memory this time. He wasn’t wearing his magic hat but does he ever speak without bringing up his time in Vietnam? I thought his invocation of the memory of Ronald Reagan was a little too rich since he made it a career move all through the Presidency of Ronald Reagan to make sure he stood on the opposite side of every Reagan initiative. But that was then, and this is now, and who knows where Kerry will be tomorrow?

George W. Bush looked tired and often agitated in the cut-aways when Kerry was speaking. I have to give the President credit, he didn’t take the cheap shots I would have and he stayed on message. Did he misspeak? You can bet the farm on it and this morning you would still have to get up early and milk the cows.

But Kerry showed himself very much as yesterday’s man when he brought up his plan for nuclear proliferation and disarmament. Nuclear disarmament was very much the "radical chic" cause of the 80’s and he outlined in his speech that not only would he seek nuclear disarmament of the world but he would not fund nuclear "bunker busters" research. No doubt that bit was music to the ears to the Mullahs in Iran. The Pandorian box was opened a long time ago and trying to shut the lid on nuclearization of weapons is a joint exercise in folly and futility.

Here’s the bottom line: did John Kerry change any minds? George W. Bush was never my first choice for leading the world in this war but nothing Kerry said last night influenced me that Kerry was the man to lead the way. If anything, nothing Kerry said last night inspired me that he was the man most capable of taking on the Mullahs.