The American Mind

What? Sen. John Kerry won’t run for President in 2008? No, say it ain’t so! I won’t have another election viewing classic shots of Kerry windsurfing, skiing (and bitching at a Secret Service agent), and playing football (while flubbing a landmark stadium’s name). I almost think he fears the House of Ketchup.

In remarks on the Senate floor Kerry said he wanted to work in the Senate to fix the Iraq problem. He also couldn’t resist mentioning how he served in Vietnam. UGH! Even when he isn’t running he thinks it’s the cornerstone of his existence.

His botched Iraq joke and big money supporters flocking to other candidates is a more pragmatic reason Kerry declined to run again.

Matthew Yglesias doesn’t mind Kerry not running–he would “spare himself the humiliation”–then declares he has “dramatically more experience in governing” than Sens. Clinton and Obama and his 2004 running mate John Edwards. Kerry certainly has more legislative experience, but I wouldn’t necessarily call that “governing.” When I think of governing I think of being in charge and having executive responsibility. Kerry had management duties as a Massachusetts assistant district attorney and as Lieutenant Governor, but the guy’s core role for the last 21 years has been a legislator. That’s more than the other candidates except actual Governors Vilsack and Richardson.

I agree with Yglesias when he ends his post:

Obviously, though, very little about our presidential nomination process is designed to generate nominees who are likely to make good presidents.

The process is about winning elections. We’re at the point where governing takes a backseat to the perpetual campaign. I’d say term limits was the answer but the biggest culprit of the endless campaign are those that practically waited until the day after last November’s election to say they were running for President in 2008.

“Kerry Won’t Run for President in ‘08″