My Aisling

The Village Voice Says Kerry Must Go

Ut oh!! Cereal time!!! First Peter Jennings hoists Bullwinkle over the quick sand, then The Village Voice stirs up the mixture. The latter is so weepingly "Where's a democratic Howard Baker when you need him?" I just have to print it in its entirety.

John Kerry Must Go
Note to Democrats: it's not too late to draft someone—anyone—else
April 27th, 2004 11:45 AM
by James Ridgeway

WASHINGTON, D.C.— "With the air gushing out of John Kerry's balloon, it may be only a matter of time until political insiders in Washington face the dread reality that the junior senator from Massachusetts doesn't have what it takes to win and has got to go. As arrogant and out of it as the Democratic political establishment is, even these pols know the party's got to have someone to run against George Bush. They can't exactly expect the president to self-destruct into thin air.

"With growing issues over his wealth (which makes fellow plutocrat Bush seem a charity case by comparison), the miasma over his medals and ribbons (or ribbons and medals), his uninspiring record in the Senate (yes war, no war), and wishy-washy efforts to mimic Bill Clinton's triangulation gimmickry (the protractor factor), Kerry sinks day by day. The pros all know that the candidate who starts each morning by having to explain himself is a goner.

"What to do? Look for the Dem biggies, whoever they are these days, to sit down with the rich and arrogant presumptive nominee and try to persuade him to take a hike. Then they can return to business as usual—resurrecting John Edwards, who is still hanging around, or staging an open convention in Boston, or both.

"If things proceed as they are, the dim-bulb Dem leaders are going to be very sorry they screwed Howard Dean."

Kerry's problem is that he doesn't recognize that the best thing to do in quicksand is stay still ... very still. Then try to float on the surface ... but don't just accept my word on it.

Next step: Bill Clinton is the dems Howard Baker.