November 3rd is the Beginning, Not the End

Al Giordano has a good, if long post about the implications of a Kerry victory in November. Short version: Kerry, if victorious, will be a good man in a bad situation. Globalization limits the ability of one individual to effect change (and, my own opinion is that he might NOT want to effect much change to begin with). Still, he's the small bit of hope--or, in Giordano's words, "uncertainty," versus the "certain doom" of a Bush victory. Also, Al takes a small swipe at Ralph Nader ("Beautiful Loser").

Furthermore, if/when Kerry wins--and Giordano thinks he could win decisively (more on that below*)--it is incumbent (no pun intended) on the public to keep pressuring him. James Wolcott noted that a number of people he knows are hoping they can tune out of politics in the event of a Democratic victory next month.

That's exactly the WRONG tack. It will be necessary to CONSTANTLY pressure a Kerry administration to do the right thing--on Iraq, on the economy, on education, on the environment--you name it. A Kerry victory won't cause the right to roll over and die--they'll continue to pressure him to "reach across the aisle" (just like Clinton did with the bogus and harmful "welfare reform," for instance AND the appointment of GOP'er Cohen to head DOD). True Progressives need to lobby from our side--because we're right. And Kerry will need to be constantly reminded of this.

*--Last winter, when Kerry had been written off by everyone (including me--not that I really matter, but my own comment was that he "talked a lot but never really said anything, i.e., a typical Senator), Giordano explicitly stated that Kerry would win the nomination handily. As that's pretty much what ended up happening, I'll pay careful attention to and strongly consider Al's arguments, as they've been proven to have some merit.