John Kerry lost the presidential election for several reasons. Perhaps his biggest mistake was in trying to sell the idea that he could fight the “wrong war” the right way. If the war is wrong, why fight it at all? Americans understand doing the right thing the wrong way. We’re used to government making mistakes. But we don’t understand claiming to have a plan for doing the wrong thing the right way.
President Bush believes wholeheartedly in the war, and therefore is able to fend off criticism that he’s knowingly doing the wrong thing. Kerry, on the other hand, openly criticized the president for fighting the “wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time,” but then followed with a better plan for fighting the wrong war in the wrong place, etc. Kerry lost many Americans with this line of thinking. If he opposes the war, then oppose it. You can’t win an election on the premise that you’re better at doing the wrong thing.
Chad Donohue
Snohomish
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