politics

A Pro Steps Up

September 15, 2004

Even as John Kerry adds more manpower to hone his message, he (and his handlers) would be well-advised to clip out a column by USA Today’s political writer Walter Shapiro that ran today.

Shapiro delivers a dispassionate analysis noteworthy for its impressive substance and crisp style. His message to Kerry: Be Kerry.

If the Democrats have made a tactical misstep in this campaign, it probably was in the smile-button blandness of the Boston convention that failed to draw sharp distinctions with the Bush administration. Such a nice-to-a-fault style is not Kerry.

After watching Kerry in action in Ohio and Wisconsin, Shapiro writes:

… Kerry, who has become a crisper candidate in recent weeks, still can exasperate his supporters. Probably the most common phrase uttered by prominent Democrats this month has been “Kerry needs to …” The remedies vary widely, and the level of candor depends on whether the speaker is inside the campaign. But the persistence of George W. Bush’s lead in the polls since the Republican convention has easily-panicked Democrats hearing the ominous theme from Jaws.

With three decades of political coverage under his belt, Shapiro offers a perspective sorely lacking in much of this season’s reporting:

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The seven weeks until the election can have the sweep of an epic novel. And there is no evidence that Bush is immune from the forces of gravity that can deflate a lead after a convention’s glow fades. But an examination of the Gallup Polls in years with presidential debates indicates that the horse race does not gyrate much between Labor Day and the first presidential faceoff [on Sept. 30].

The Kerry camp isn’t the only group that should post the column and refer to it frequently. Readers should too. And, come to think of it, it might not be a bad idea for Shapiro’s colleagues in the campaign press to do so as well.

–Susan Q. Stranahan

Susan Q. Stranahan wrote for CJR.