The latest polling figures show Kerry is trailing by 11 percentage points. This is abhorrent to many, but should be a surprise to none. More than ever before, the political scene has been hijacked by mudslinging and lies to the detriment of the country. Between the failure of the Kerry campaign to effectively establish themselves as anything more than "Anti-Bush" and Bush's propoganda machines, there is now an advantage for the dauphin. Furthermore, these are not farm workers in Iowa that have been swayed -- it is apathetic students such as the ones that grace Hopkins' brick sidewalks. Take, for example, a musician/philosphy major I overheard recently. His first response to why he might vote for Bush, was, "Well, why shouldn't I vote for Bush?" He knew very little either way, but seemed to be producing a knee-jerk political reaction to blinding anti-Bush rhetoric. He simply wasn't saved by good Kerry politicking.
The backlash against the backlash is now serving the current regime all too well, and the saddest part is that it is the Kerry campaign's fault as much as anything. The only two things someone may be able to say about Kerry is that he served in Vietnam and he saved a hamster. Or was the hamster in Vietnam? And what's with those hot chicks with the long faces? The Kerry campaign is a sad montage of images that have simply not stuck, because the campaign has simply resorted to images. Kerry deserves better PR than his daughters.
Kerry began the campaign with a surge of excitement; anti-Bush sentiment was boiling around the country. From clever, crude bumper stickers to high-budget concert venues, hopes were high that George Soros could be Kerry's de facto campaign manager. But the run-away horse of anti-Bush sentiment has suddenly spooked.
"Anyone But Bush" was only enough to capture the percentage of the population that reads the New York Times. This is not enough. "The other guy" has never won, nevermind how horrible the current regime may be. It's hard to consider voting for "anyone."
Somewhat realizing this flaw, the DNC strode into Boston for Kerry's debutante ball. Embracing the politics of positivism, the Democrats, as a group, shone stronger than ever. However, the only positive image that came across about Kerry himself was that he salutes well and he has a great military background.
Within weeks, Bush's machines were able to finagle a band of backhandedly financed veterans and eliminate Kerry's well-earned but slight advantage. The actual truth behind the fleetboat veterans' financing and transparent motivations doesn't seem to matter. If there's one thing to learn from the past few months, it's that any lie spun correctly can morph into the truth.
It was so easy to burst Kerry's balloon, because Kerry sunk to Bush's level of picture book politics. Bush is nothing more than someone who is playing protector-in-chief, but Kerry is a much better candidate than just portraying himself as a good Commander-in-Chief.
Winnowing down your rhetoric to an image of saluting the flag is not enough -- the image has been easily effaced. Kerry has more experience, more intelligence, more political credibility than Bush, but that has been swept away in the tides of campaign propoganda.
And in the frenzy, Kerry has lost the votes that are rightfully his. It is time, Kerry, to redefine your image and reevaluate not only what it means to be anti-Bush, but also what it means to be pro-diplomacy, pro-transparency, and pro-America: pro-Kerry.
The fault line between general anti-Bush sentiment and actually liking Kerry is a dangerous crack that many voters have fallen through. Your most fervent supporters, like myself, are angry. And, undoubtedly, so are you.
The votes can be gained back, but it takes rising above the web of lies. Bring back the ideals of the Democratic Party, and define yourself beyond being kind to small animals. Make it so the average mop-haired college student who may not wear "Anti-Bush" on his lapel will still know better than to vote for him.
