I had a thought about this whole Kerry/light thing: Isn't this just typical of that campaign? I think it is. In four different ways:
1. It is sneaky. Kerry and company have pulled sneaky stuff like this before. They have little respect for protocol. Remember after Bush's convention speech -- Kerry was so desperate to get into the news cycle that he broke a long-standing tradition over remaining silent during conventions. He did the same thing to Edwards when the latter won the South Carolina primary. Remember? Edwards was giving his speech -- which everybody said was very important, that he get onto the cable news networks as a victor. Kerry, who won another state or something, decided to speak earlier precisely so he could bump Edwards off the tv.
2. It is half-cocked and last minute. How many times has Kerry left important stuff like this to the very last minute? The word is that he was working on his convention speech until the very last day.
3. It is self-defeating. Kerry's goal today is to engender headlines tomorrow like: "Kerry did great!" Obviously, he wants to get rid of the lights because they will make him look long-winded, thus hurting the possibility of that storyline. But by removing the lights, he redirects the headlines *precisely toward* his long-windedness. Tomorrow, this little stunt is guaranteed to find its way into the papers.
4. Points 1 through 3 are obvious. It is not just that it is sneaky, half-cocked, and self-defeating. It LOOKS that way. This is the real cardinal sin of politics -- and one of the reasons Bush is already a leg-up in terms of this debate (six 1/2 hours before it begins!). Because it seems so stupid, petty and small -- it makes for perfect fodder for the Bush campaign. Can you imagine the chuckle lines Cheney can get over this?
The Kerry/Edwards campaign is simply incapable of controlling its image. This is the worst campaign in modern American history. I think it is worse than McGovern/Eagleton-Shriver. Never did a candidacy have as much potential as Kerry/Edwards in the beginning, and squandered it so foolishly and so thoroughly. Kerry might win more states than McGovern, but his campaign is much worse.
AMEN to what you said! The debate hasn't even started and he's becoming fodder for the late night comedians. He's becoming more of an ass to those who weren't quite convinced yet. And he's threatening those who live in sound-byte existence with long, drawn-out, exhaustive answers. I can't see this boding well at all for him.
Kerry's handlers probably know that Pre-Mature Kerry-Bloviation Shut-Downs, forced by the red light, will cause multiple debate-implosions that will cavitate everyones brain, harsh everyone's buzz and deposit Mr. Pumpkinhead right into the Pumpkin Patch instead of to the reins of unbridled world-power.
Personally I am hoping for a Deaniac Moment. That would get my serotonin flowing and a hearty cackle would no doubt follow 8-)