A "Kerry" moment

I'm having a "Kerry" moment. What is a "Kerry" moment? It is a moment, during which you are able to be authentic, to be yourself and to speak from you heart and yet, it doesn't help you achieve your biggest dream because your chance to achieve it has passed. The thing to do when you are having one of those moments is to tell yourself that later is better than never.

John Kerry introduced an amendment with Russ Feingold (Senator from Wisconsin), Barbara Boxer (Senator from California) and Patrick Leahy (Senator from Vermont) that would set a deadline of July 1, 2007  to redeploy US troops from Iraq to somewhere else in the Middle East. He also had what I thought was an inspiring speech even though I am not sure if  the amendment he was proposing was a good solution to improve things in Iraq. My point that for if Kerry had been Kerry during the last election and has chosen to have his moment during the campaign then the charge that he was a flip flopper would not have stuck. John McCain has also a persuasive speech in which he argued that it was up to America to fix Iraq. However, the  big question is still unanswered: can America fix Iraq? Kerry's amendment was soundly defeated 86 to 13.

Comments

[Jack Yan]

You have identied the very problem that held Sen. Kerry back in 2004. These leading candidates are marketed to such an extent that they are inauthentic, and they lose people as a result. While I may not necessarily agree with Sen. Kerry on numerous issues, I do feel that both he, and the President, were mere actors, with no chance to show their true passions on the campaign trail. That can only be fatal to their chances; no wonder voter turnout is low if their cynicism is being added to with each candidate’s appearance.

[Kiki]

I agree with you. I love politics, but I think that the reason why so many people are turned off by it is precisely that unauthenticity that results from the fact that politicians are afraid to be themselves and have forgotten that leadership is about precisely authenticity and about convincing people who do not agree with you.