It looks like everyone and their dog is commenting on Sen. John Kerry’s announcement that he’s running for President in 2004. Of course, the left is blaming Kerry’s poor reception on the VWRC. Said Atrios:
Actually, it isn’t important. The Washington press corps won’t like any Democratic candidate. What is important is that said candidate realizes that fact sooner and not later and stops trying to please them.
I’ll admit that for a few very brief moments in ’92 the press had a bit of a "Clinton Buzz" but that too was overwhelmed by their willingness to report any horseshit dished up to them about him. Dem candidates will always get a bum rap from the Alpha Girls. We can discuss why, but frankly it doesn’t really matter unless we can figure out how to change it. Fact is, the Spite Girls will knock whoever the the Dem candidate is. That’s the hand we’ve been dealt and it’s time to figure out how to deal with it.
Of course, this ignores the fact that the media is overwhelmingly Democratic in political affiliation and outlook. But furthermore, it is quite possible that maybe this isn’t a case of right-wing media bias and that Sen. Kerry just isn’t a very magnetic individual? Could it be that – gasp! – the reason his reaction is so universally negative is because Kerry really does have the mannerisms and demeanor of a Vulcan on qaaludes?
Nah – it’s gotta be that right-wing media bias…
If Kerry is going to have a shot in 2004, he’s gotta be a maverick. He has to, essentially, pull a John McCain on his party- champion some controversial issues, make a racket, paint Gore, Lieberman, Edwards, or whoever he’s running against as a boring also-ran. He’s gotta be a real Democrat
Or, in other words, a real jackass.