Reasons Behind Kerry's Impending Defeat

Going To The Wire!
One week from today, Senator John Kerry will go down to electoral defeat. Oh, we here at the 'Wonks are fairly certain that there will be quite a bit of litigation, charges of fraud, tearing of hair, gnashing of teeth, and maybe even a little garden variety brutality.

But in the end, Kerry is gonna lose. The Big Question is: Why?

The Education Wonks believe that some of the reasons for Kerry's impending defeat are: (in no particular order)

• Kerry did not develop an effective strategy for answering those devastating ads broadcast by "Swiftboat Veterans For Truth."
• He took an entire month off from campaigning in order to vacation on swanky Nantucket Island. (Someone forgot to tell Kerry that is what one does after the election is won.) Karl Rove could not have staged more damaging images than those of Kerry windsurfing near his beach-front estate.
• Teresa. She is probably the first candidate's spouse to actually cost a candidate votes. Her demeanor and utterances continue to be damaging to a Democratic Nominee that is attempting to foster an image as a "man of the people."
• Wide publicity of the Kerry's five large homes.
• Kerry allowed his opponent (Bush) to define the issues, and, against all conventional campaign strategy, allowed the incumbent President to make the challenger's record an issue.
• Kerry did not fully exploit Bush's weaknesses regarding Osama Bin Ladin. (a fatal error)
• Kerry's idiotic response to the question: "Knowing what you know now, would you have voted to support the war?" When Kerry answered in the affirmative, he effectively alienated whatever anti-war vote (or sentiment) that is out there.
• Kerry has yet to annunciate in a convincing manner any alternatives to Bush's plan (or lack thereof) for escaping from the quagmire that the Iraq War has become.
• The Democrats never could "stay on message" long enough to gain any traction with voters in the key "Battleground States."
• Kerry was caught lying several times. For example, after stating that he owned no gas guzzling SUVs, it was then pointed out that there were several parked in various garages on different Heinz-Kerry estates. Kerry awkwardly responded, "Those belong to the family."
• That incredibly ill-advised remark about Vice President Cheney's daughter during the debate.
• Kerry has allowed Bush (and his operatives) to label him a "Tax And Spend Massachusetts Liberal."
• People just do not like John Kerry.

Without a doubt, Mr. Kerry will get a large number of votes, especially in liberal strongholds like California and New York. Will it be a plurality of the popular vote? Probably not, but because it is the vote of the Electoral College that chooses the President, it will not matter.

And the world will continue to be Safe From Teresa, who can then happily use her Gulfstream 5 Jet, The Flying Squirrel (EdWonk still finds that name side-splittingly funny.) to return to the make-believe world of her and her limousine liberal buddies.

As you may or may not already be aware, members of the Watcher's Council hold a vote every week on what they consider to be the most link-worthy pieces of writing around... per the Watcher's instructions, I am submitting one of my own posts for consideration in the upcoming nominations process.

Here is the most recent winning council post, here is the most recent winning non-council post, here is the list of results for the latest vote, and here is the initial posting of all the nominees that were voted on.