Now Would Be a Good Time

[WilliamPitt]

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/100904Z.shtml

Now Would Be a Good Time
By Marc Ash
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Friday 08 October 2004

The position taken by John Kerry during the course of his campaign to unseat George W. Bush is that - unlike Mr. Bush - he can provide leadership.

Now would be a good time.

Proving to the nation that Mr. Bush lacks leadership qualities is a double edged sword. It may well diminish Mr. Bush in the eyes of the voters, but that case once made leaves an ominous void at the helm. If not Bush, who? If not now, when? Mr. Kerry is about to learn his first lesson on the bone crushing demands of the U.S. presidency. Not because he has yet achieved it, but merely because he draws near.

These are perilous times. Either by fate or by fault, perilous nonetheless. If Mr. Kerry is correct, then we find ourselves on a rather slippery slope. If, as he argues, our traditional allies are disengaged - or worse, truly offended by the Bush administration's dictatorial ways - then reassurance for them is urgently needed. If Mr. Kerry is correct that the security of the nation's transportation infrastructure is still woefully lacking, a jolt of guidance would be helpful. The same holds true on a wide range of pressing issues. From Al Qaeda to prescription drugs, from Baghdad to Main St., USA, Kerry's mantra of "We can do better" appears an increasingly safe bet. The question of what is to be done however hangs heavily in the air.

As Mr. Kerry begins to win the argument that Mr. Bush is at best inept, the larger question of immediate guidance becomes ever more pressing. Mr. Kerry pronounced during his first debate with Mr. Bush, "Help is on the way." Not to put too fine a point on it, but it might be expedient for him and for us, if help arrived.

In short, Mr. Kerry can help his campaign and the nation by providing guidance and insight on a wide range of issues right here right now. While he could not take any official actions, he could fill the leadership void that became so apparent during the September 30th debate with Mr. Bush. Mr. Kerry is most effective when he articulates his plan, his vision. At that point he literally moves his vision of leadership from the drawing board to tangible agenda items in the current time frame.

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[WilliamPitt]

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