I keep thinking about the mis-match between the campaign Mr. Kerry is running and his strengths. I’m envisioning it like one of those quizzes where you match the candidate to the campaign slogan:
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- William Jefferson Clinton
- Richard M. Nixon
- Ronald W. Reagan
- Walter Mondale
- “It’s the economy, stupid”
- “America Needs a Change”
- “I Like Ike”
- “Nixon’s the One”
- “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
The answers are, of course: A-3, B-1, C-4, D-5, E-2.
Eisenhower ran an enormously positive campaign based on his military record. He had just retired as General of the Army. Just a few years earlier he had been victorious as one of the most successful military commanders in the history of the world. Clinton ran during a mild recession in which there were substantial worries about unemployment, not when the economy was growing despite the collapse of a bubble, the worst attack on our shores in the history of the Republic, and the nation being at war. Nor was unemployment rate at 5.4%.
Nixon ran on his substantial experience in government and, largely, his foreign policy experience. Reagan ran as an outsider—part of the solution not part of the problem. And, Mondale’s plea for change was not a change desired by the voters.
Mr. Kerry has run on each of these in turn. But he spent only 4 months in Viet Nam 30 years ago as a lieutenant. It’s a time of change but with low inflation and low unemployment the economy is not in substantively poor shape. He has experience in government but how much of it is relevant especially considering that Mr. Kerry is a distinct political insider. Can he run on an outsider’s slogan?
I’m not the only one thinking along similar lines. Boi from Troy wonders what the Democratic campaign would have been like if Mr. Gephardt were the nominee. And Hugh Hewitt believes that Mr. Kerry is just a poor candidate.
Hat tip: Glenn Reynolds.
He’s certainly having a hard time fitting a campaign to his strengths. Mr. Kerry appears to be left only with a plea for change. Perhaps it will work better than it did for Mr. Mondale.
UPDATE: Linked to Beltway Traffic Jam.