Reply #43: I fear that is as close as he will get.

[carpetbagger]

Bush had baggage. He had a bare majority of Americans supporting his own war on the eve of the election. He was completely incoherent during the debates.

I have no doubt Kerry would beat Bush in 2008. However, we won't have it as easy. How does Kerry beat Owens, or Hagel? He's demonstrated an inability to run a campaign. I think his blabbering off to a magazine about the Massachusetts Dem platform shows he's learned nothing. He should be able to dodge opportunities to bash his party and state. If he can't get around that, there's no way he gets a free pass from a candidate who actually knows how to get on the TV and campaign in the media. Remember, Bush had the disadvantage of idiocy, so they had to keep him locked up in closed, prepared events.

Unless Kerry can show some ability to change, or the media suddenly starts reporting news on its own (see entry for pigs, winged), there are several GOP nominees who would run circles around him, setting the agenda, and having Kerry answering the question "so how often do you beat your wife".