JFK and LBJ

Matthew Hoy
By Matthew Hoy on October 24, 2004

Beldar has a couple of related posts on what exactly would happen if Sen. John Kerry becomes president. The first post compares a hypothetical Kerry presidency to what LBJ faced when he considered a run for a second term.

My question to you, my thoughtful, principled friend of the center-left, is this: How is John Kerry going to be able to resolve his fundamental dilemma if he's elected?

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"What fundamental dilemma?" you ask. Well, look at your fellow Kerry voters. Look at the Democratic Party; look at its congressmen and senators; look at its policy wonks and think-tankers and fundraisers and likely appointees to key posts, on both domestic and foreign/military policy positions. We've established already that you're not a barking moonbat yourself. Surely, though, you can see them around you in the Kerry queue, can't you?

Then in your best-case scenario, my friend, you'll be electing another man who'll be immediately thrust into the position Lyndon Johnson was in as of January 1968 — a man who from the first day of his presidency will be faced by incredible pressures from within his own party, from many of his own advisers and fundraisers and legislators, to do exactly the opposite of what you are counting on Kerry to do.

If John Kerry keeps his promises to "fight for this country" — if he keeps his promise not to cut and run in Iraq, for instance — then he's going to seriously piss off, indeed to completely alienate, somewhere between a quarter and half of the people who've voted for him, and probably a much larger percentage of his intelligensia, fundraisers, and activists. If we're not out of Iraq come next July, there's going to be a boom market in "Dean '08" bumper stickers. Because just like you're working on the assumption that when elected, Kerry will indeed take the fight to the enemy, they're working on the assumption that when elected, Kerry's going to get us out of the "wrong war at the wrong place at the wrong time." You and the moonbats can't both be right about what Kerry will do. Can we agree on that much, surely? Can we agree that the straddle that might succeed in getting Kerry into the White House can't last once he's there?

I too would be interested in hearing an answer to this question. It seems to me that despite some of his campaign promises, Kerry would cut and run from Iraq -- little else can satisfy his base.

Beldar's second post asks the question, exactly how many of the Democrat Party and Kerry voters are completely wacko?

Also be sure to read slarrow's comment to the latter post which contains a plausible scenario that would demonstrate how much of a danger a Kerry presidency would be to you and me.

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