On Tuesday, I mentioned how much I liked John Kerry’s new bio ads, which are coming to a TV near you. In particular, I noted how well the ads dealt with the issue of Kerry’s background and how Kerry’s wealth drove him to want to give something back to his country.
In this week Correspondents’ Corner, however, Carpetbagger regular Joe Fitzpatrick noted an even more important benefit to the new Kerry ads.
Last night I found myself briefly watching Fox News (I sometimes find myself stopping there while channel surfing, much the way one involuntarily slows down and gawks at a horrific traffic accident). Some talking head was spouting commentary about how Kerry’s 50% support is fueled largely by anti-Bush backlash and that Kerry needs to find some reason for people to support him, instead of simply opposing Bush.
This is not just a right-wing toady message. Many liberal bloggers have written that they will support Kerry but that he is far from being their first choice. This is understandable. After John Ashcroft’s disgraceful and, I believe, willfully dishonest appearance before the 9/11 commission, I was so angry that I told a friend that I would gladly support a jar of Sea Monkeys(tm) if the Dems nominated it, because at least brine shrimp would be a step up the evolutionary ladder from the pond scum in charge now.
But with all the lamenting about wanting a candidate with “passion”, the “CW” crowd talking about Dems making choices based on perceived “electability” instead of legitimate support, the heartfelt outrage of some over the President’s policies, and even my own willingness to support invertebrates, something gets missed. The Kerry ads may be “masterful,” but if they are effective it will be for one simple reason: they are true.
John Kerry made a legitimate choice to serve his country. Whether we admit it or not, most of us have little difficulty believing that Bush used connections to get into the National Guard and gladly shirked duty and chased skirts because that is a choice that many of us could, deep down, see ourselves making. Kerry made the tough choice and served with honor, courage, and distinction.
When push comes to shove, I think that this is the single most important quality that a President could have. Seriously, is it more important to have a President who claims to share one’s views on every issue, or a President who has the capacity to put the needs of the country first, even when it costs him or her something? I am sure that even our current President tells himself that he is acting in our country’s best interest. After all, humans are great at self rationalization. But do even the President’s most ardent supporters truly believe that the administration’s policy in Iraq is being pursued with no thought to Mr. Bush’s own electoral interests in November? If 9/11 could not divert Bush from his own agenda and no head ever rolls for the poor decision chain that led to the current situation in Iraq, it seems legitimate to wonder if our current President even has the capacity for self sacrifice.
Chances are, I would rather drink beer and watch a ball game with GW. If nothing else, watching someone pass out from eating pretzels would be amusing. But I think that John Kerry has already demonstrated that he has core quality necessary to truly “serve” in the office of President. Because of that, there will be nothing begrudging or half hearted about my support of him from now on.