Posted on: Friday, July 30, 2004

EDITORIAL
Kerry's acceptance: strength and caring

In a strong speech that surely was the most crucial of his political career, Sen. John Kerry last night accepted the Democratic nomination for president, first and foremost, by making a point of showing up.

Mounting the podium almost with a military assault, Kerry rendered a smart salute to his party faithful and said he was "reporting for duty" — a clear jibe at President Bush's failure to explain where he was the last year of his National Guard duty during the same war in which Kerry received three Purple Hearts.

Kerry's acceptance speech had two fundamental goals: to counter Republican charges he's been weak and vacillating, and to assure voters he's not a stiff patrician but a core-values Democrat who cares.

He did best, perhaps, toward the latter goal:

Kerry glossed over some important considerations: congressional projections suggest that raising taxes to the rich won't begin to cover the cost of the new programs he promises. And he verges on demagoguing the globalization issue by saying he'll protect American jobs, but put world trade on a "fair playing field."

On the key issue of the Iraq War, Kerry continues to try to have it both ways: to complain that Bush got us into the war by misleading Americans, including Congress; but neglecting to explain what he might have done differently given the information that Bush possessed.

Bush still insists that he was right to invade, that the war was justified.

We need to know whether Kerry agrees.

Kerry is clear that he intends to pursue the endgame in Iraq by restoring relations with allies that he hopes will enthusiastically join in bringing democracy to that torn land. He needs to be more convincing on this score, as well.

Clearly Bush has mismanaged the occupation of Iraq. It is the most important issue for Kerry to exploit, but on this issue, he must not waffle.