Kerry Is Our Hope

I'm not going to quote statistics today or cite some link to back up what I'm going to say. I'm just going to speak from the gut. I was there when John Kerry visited Portsmouth, VA, on a hot Memorial Day last month. I got his autograph. My husband shook his hand. Kerry was very gracious and generous with his time. He was genuine. He had good rapport with the hundreds of people who clamored to get to him. He did not seem to be there for the adulation of the crowd. I think he was there to connect with us who are part of America. And, unlike George who whined last week about how hot he was standing at the microphone in the Rose Garden, John Kerry simply removed his coat, drank some water, and carried on. This is all subjective, of course, but it is my feeling about Kerry. I have watched 2 or 3 of his speeches and an interview on C-Span videos also. Especially in the interview, Kerry was relaxed and did not seem anxious. He had good eye contact which is important to me. His body language was good. I do not observe these healthy traits when I watch Bush, far from it. He is a study in deception and ego. Watching Bush and listening to his words is literally painful. With Kerry I see hope. I hear hope in his voice. I believe he wants to lead America in a new direction. I don't have any illusions about him I don't think. But that is hard to know for sure! I do like the fact that John Kerry can read, that he can think, and that he can listen. The incumbent can do very little of any of those three things. Our soon-to-be defeated president has even bragged about the fact that he doesn't do much reading. That definitely worries me.

I also like Teresa very much. She is smart. She speaks several languages fluently. She seems to be genuinely concerned about America. I think she would make a fantastic First Lady. She is her own person. I admire that.

I will be posting more about John Kerry in the future as we all get to know him better. Some have criticized Kerry for not being right out there in everyone's face. I don't think this is the time for that. I do think that, once he is the official nominee in a few weeks, he will blossom into an awesome candidate. And when it comes time for the debates, hang on to your hats!