Kerry's Speech Disappoints Liberal Newspapers
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Morning Editor
July 30, 2004

(CNSNews.com) - Sen. John F. Kerry's speech to the Democratic National Convention Thursday night was a "missed opportunity" and a "disappointment," the Washington Post said in a Friday editorial.

USA Today and The New York Times were kinder to the candidate, but those newspapers also faulted Kerry's speech for failing to clarify how he would lead the nation.

Kerry "sought above all to make the case that he could be trusted to lead a nation at war, and rightly so," the Washington Post editorial said. "But on that basis, though Mr. Kerry spoke confidently and eloquently, his speech was in many respects a disappointment."

According to the Washington Post, Kerry did not say anything about freeing the Afghan or Iraqi people, or helping either nation toward democracy; he didn't define "the job" still to be done in Iraq; and he didn't say that troops will be needed in Iraq for a long time.

"Instead, he chose words that seemed designed to give the impression that he could engineer a quick and painless exit," the Washington Post editorial said.

The newspaper also says Kerry missed an opportunity for "straight talk" on economics as well as national security. "His promises to stop the outsourcing of jobs and end dependence on Middle East oil are not grounded in reality," the Washington Post said.

'No clear vision'

Kerry's "best moments came on the attack," the New York Times said in its Friday editorial, which was entitled simply, "John Kerry Speaks."

According to the New York Times, America --by Thursday night --"was already pretty well aware that it is not going to fall in love with him."

The New York Times suggested that Kerry may be overplaying his "few months in service overseas" at the expense of ignoring other elements of his resume.

The newspaper said Kerry "did a good job of explaining how he'd fight the war on terror," but, the editorial added, "He did not provide a clear vision on Iraq."

The New York Times wants Kerry to tell voters, "that he understands, in retrospect, that his vote to give President Bush Congressional support to invade was a mistake."

The New York Times editorial called Kerry's promise to cut middle-class taxes "pure pandering, given his new spending proposals and commitment to balanced budgets."

USA Today opined that Sen. Kerry is leaving Boston "still not having formed in voters' minds an image of where he'd take the nation on its most urgent issues: the war on terrorism and resolving the mess that is the U.S. situation in Iraq."

His policies sound a lot like those of President Bush, the newspaper said.

According to USA Today, "the real question is what creative options Kerry sees both for stabilizing Iraq and for pursuing the broader confrontation with Islamic nationalism and its terrorist advocates."

The USA Today editorial concluded: "The nation is clearly open to new ideas. Kerry must show not only that he is a leader for a time of crisis, but tell us more about where he proposes to lead.""