Between Two Worlds

Kerry was on Letterman last night. A few observations: (1) Painfully unfunny. Which is really okay by me—we’re not electing someone to tell us jokes—especially in this post-9/11 world. But if you go on Letterman, you should at least be able to make us chuckle! (2) Bad on camera. I was surprised at this—Kerry is better looking and more charming the further you get away from him. Again, that’s okay—I’m not exactly the most telegenic person on the planet! But people have based their vote on stranger things. (3) Wonkish. As Jim Gerharty at the Kerry Spot notes, Kerry basically gave his stump speech to Letterman! I actually think this is a good thing. Kerry has been so mocked and pummelled lately that people rarely get to hear his actual ideas. So from the Kerry Campaign perspective, I thought going on the show and doing this was a smart move. Letterman asked the most mindless softball questions imaginable, and essentially let Kerry speak uninterrupted. Not a bad tactical move by Kerry’s camp. (4) The drone was gone. I’m sure his advisers have been working with him on this. Major improvement. To paraphrase Andrew Sullivan, my hand didn’t instinctively reach for the remote as soon as Kerry opened his mouth. (5) Made no sense on his votes for the war and against the funding. The reasoning just doesn’t work. Kerry said he voted not to go to war, but to authorize the war. In fact, he said: Most people think that voting to authorize a war is the same as voting to authorize it. Well, yes we do as a matter of fact! He spoke of all the additional things the US needs to be doing in the war: increased security, accelerated elections. But when Letterman asked him about his vote against funding the war, Kerry actually said he was proud of that vote and that it was the right decision. He then made an abrupt transition to say that now that money is being used for fraudulent paybacks to Halliburton! Biggest applause line of the night. But, for the life of me, I can’t see how middle-of-the-road America is going to be impressed with this demagogury and flip-floppedness.