The 2004 Presidential Election

And now to the election campaign. . . yes, I saw the hefty "bounce" George W. Bush got in the polls from the Republican convention, though it's hard to figure out why he got it. Judging from the stories out of the convention, Bush himself talked in platitudes and vagueness, offering no clue as to how his second term would be different from his first. And the convention speakers were as vicious and nasty toward John Kerry as could possibly be, from Rudolph Guiliani's belittling of Kerry's defense record to California governor Anrold What's-his-schwartz attacking men of reason for lacking masculinity. Add to that the bandages delegates wore to mock Kerry's Purple Hearts from Vietnam and Zell Miller's mere presence on the podium, and you have yourself a nasty show.

And I haven't even gotten to Dick Cheney. . . .

It's kind of depressing that all this meanness of spirit helped Bush, which says more about the brutes in this country who vote regularly than the neanderthals who are seeking their votes. But Kerry is beginning to fight back; with his fresh attacks on Bush's handling of Iraq, the economy, and foreign policy, he should be in pretty decent shape once Dub the Shrub's bounce evaporates.

Kerry still has a way to go, though, and he's going to have to win this election by himself. I mean that. Former President Bill Clinton was to campaign for Kerry, which would have been a big boost for the Democrats. But with Clinton sidelined by his heart bypass operation, it looks like the charismatically challenged Kerry is going to have to drum up excitement for the Democratic ticket on his own.

Kerry does have more charisma than Al Gore, but then so does a cigar store Indian. Can Barack Obama possibly help out here? :-O