John Kerry, the real thing - ( Des Moines Register Editorial)

[Jon8503]

About half of Americans have lost confidence in President Bush, yet many hang back from embracing the alternative. That's unfortunate, because Senator John F. Kerry is a wise and decent man who has the makings of a fine president.

Still, there's little wonder that voters have doubts. Most of what they think they know about the senator comes from a masterful job of "defining the opposition" carried out by the Bush campaign and its surrogates before most people got a chance to know the real Kerry.

So Americans were introduced to Kerry the flip-flopper. Kerry the softie on defense. Kerry the wild-eyed liberal. Kerry the appeaser who will let terrorists attack America.

It's sad that an incumbent president chose to employ so much of his vast campaign resources to tear down his challenger, and not to cite his own accomplishments or to move the nation ahead. But perhaps that's precisely the difficulty the president faces.

http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041024/OPINION03/410240317/1035&lead=1

[msongs]

1. evidently more of the same is not such a good idea to

many of the newspaper editorial boards. four more years of bush should be a downer to anyone except the fundies.

Msongs
Riverside CA

[PurityOfEssence]

2. Kerry took 38% and Edwards took 32% in the primary...

There's a lot of love there for the team.