No Laughing Matter

Kerry using humor as political tool

Since Alan Keyes won't oblige us with a funny quote this afternoon, we'll have to make do with John Kerry's newfound foray into the world of humor. Everyone keeps saying he's a great closer, that he can turn it on in the final weeks of a campaign and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. If he's going to do that, this joking manner could be the start. For instance, I actually laughed out loud this morning when I read what he said about Bush's request that the debate podiums be far apart to shift attention away from the difference in height between the two men. Referring to Bush's don't-change-horses-in-midstream notion, Kerry said, "When your horse is headed down to the waterfalls, or when your horse is drowning, it's a good time to change horses in midstream, folks." He followed this with: "May I also suggest that we need a taller horse? You can get through deeper waters that way."

Kerry's height advantage could be another turning point if he is willing to think outside the box. Thursday night, all he has to do is stride across the stage before the debate begins, or as it ends, to shake Bush's hand. It's the polite thing to do, right? So what if it's not in the 700-page volume of rules the Bush campaign demanded before agreeing to participate in the debates. What's Bush going to do--walk out? I'm sure Karl Rove has an explanation prepared for even that possibility, but I doubt even Karl can find a way to get running away from a handshake to play well with middle America. Kerry will look magnanimous, showing that even after being treated with such incivility during the campaign--remember, Zell Miller said he would use spitballs to defend America, and Bush's Swift Boat pals called him a liar about his record as a war hero--he's willing to be the bigger man. And he really IS the bigger man, a fact that will make Bush look, physically, like the small man many people already suspect he is mentally. Kerry can bring all of Bush's negatives, which exist somewhere in the minds of most voters, to the forefront of their consciousness without saying a word. And if this election is about whether Bush has been a competent leader whose policies have made America stronger not only in his fantasy world but in reality, Kerry wins.