Bad Advice

Brazile said Kerry is right to go on the offensive, but that he’s got to be careful when he does it. “It has to be a precision hit,” she said, because Bush is the president and because large numbers of Americans bonded with him the moment those planes hit the twin towers. Brazile offered the beginnings of one theme that could work: “On Sept. 11, he led us. On Sept. 12, he misled us.”

Precision? This is as precise as “I voted for the 87 billion before I voted against it.” Terrible.

First of all, we have it documented on film that Goat Boy couldn’t lead anybody out of a paper bag on September 11th. Second, this statement is deeply offensive to the base who knows better. Third, it is unbelievably stupid to utter the other side’s talking points. In a close race, the Republicans would NEVER say the words “he led us” about the opposition. Never.

Kerry’s biggest problem right now is too many cooks throwing fetid garbage into the soup. (If I were of any influence instead of a kibbitzer, I’d include myself as one of them.) For all that the Republicans are myopic, simplistic and overly controlled, we are the opposite. Democrats are embarrassingly undisciplined about this stuff and can’t keep our mouths shut, so this all plays itself out publicly.

At this point, it’s all about Kerry’s political instincts. There is no consensus on the right approach going into the stretch. The race is a nail biter and he’s got people all around him telling him different things. He has to sort out for himself what he thinks will work. It’s up to him.