Reply #7: The strawman is the notion that I don't want Kerry to hit back

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on the issues. I don't see much value though in the endless tit for tat about service in Vietnam, at least not by Kerry himself. He can use his campaign and its surrogates to do the attacking, if necessary, but he should not allow his positive message of hope and opportunity to be diverted into a mudfest. He should stay focused on the issues and concerns that most affect Americans and leave the muckraking to others.

BTW, I am one who doesn't accept the grousing that Kerry hasn't been tough. He hasn't managed to get all of the instances that he has shown backbone reported on and repeated like the media does every dribble from the lips of Busco, but he has been hitting back hard. If you follow my posts, I have repeatedly produced hundreds of instances where he has hit the Bush administration hard and even more from his campaign and surrogates. I don't agree with the notion that his efforts have been weak and ineffective. To poll even with an incumbent 'wartime' president up to the convention, as he will shortly after the buzz dies down, is a remarkable achievement for a new face, notwithstanding the intense dislike for Bush out there.

We will see the campaign gaining ground as more voters tune in and register their opinions after Labor Day. Up until now the only ones watching the race this closely are DUers and political junkies like me. I see no reason to get panicked into a campaign of dirt thrown. I don't care who throws first. We need an adult in the White House who won't be diverted from our needs and concerns everytime someone is critical of him. If he does find himself responding to every dribble then he will show Bush and others that he can be easily diverted. That is a position of weakness that I am concerned about.