I am trying to get across to my children what "cool" really means. They think "cool" is something to aspire to. Most of what is considered cool, though, is affected, disinterested, and nihilistic. I wish we could retrain our kids to only think achievement or innocent fun were cool (skateboard tricks, winning spelling bees, fishing, etc.).
Kerry is definitely pandering to the loudest negative foreign buzz, and the countries liberals think are "cool" want to be left alone when they are doing well and bailed the heck out when in trouble.
So true, but I would add insolent and belligerant to today's definition of cool.