We can NOT win an election against Bush (and continue to keep the White House in the future) without a seasoned candidate and one who has the guts and stamina AND A COOL HEAD UNDER PRESSURE to take on the vicious political machine of the GOP elites. This will be a brutal and bloody campaign for the White House (Bush has tons of money and corporate pals willing to put huge amounts of money out for attack ads at a moment's notice. McCain knows from those six "energy pals" of Bush's that funded the attack ad against him in the NY Primary). After winning an election, our candidate must be able to smoothly and EFFECTIVELY take over the reins of government. KERRY IS THE ONLY MAN THAT CAN DO THIS.


Op/Ed - Richard Reeves

WHY I AM AGAINST HOWARD DEAN -- AND JOHN EDWARDS, TOO

Thu Jul 10, 8:01 PM ET

By Richard Reeves

WASHINGTON -- Hooray for Howard Dean, I say. The former governor of Vermont, which I didn't know needed all that governing, is the new hottie in the crowded field of Democrats panting after the party's 2004 nomination for president. He made his media mark last week when it was reported that he raised more money than all his opponents between April and June -- collecting $10.1 million from 59,000 donors, many of whom he found with the help of the Internet.

So, at least for now, he has replaced John Edwards, who got hot when he raised the most money in the first quarter of this year, a great deal of it from fellow trial lawyers.

Leaving aside the sad fact that begging skills are so central to the process of becoming president, there is something to be said for ambitious and attractive unknowns getting the chance to tell their stories. I have never met Governor Dean, but I agree with him on many issues and like the idea of someone willing to admit he is a liberal these days. Senator Edwards, from South Carolina, has something to say, too: The Democratic candidate has to have some appeal in Southern states to win back the White House.

But I am against both these fine men. They are both unwitting examples of what went wrong with the Democratic Party and American liberalism in general. I don't think either of them is experienced enough or capable enough to effectively govern the vast enterprise that is the United States of America....





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