“Kerry Team Seeks to Join Fight to Get Ohio County to Recount”, reads the header to an article in today’s (December 1, 2004) Washington Post. After reading the article, I can honestly say that the title is an accurate depiction of what the “Kerry Team” (0-1) is attempting to do in the Buckeye State. To the extent that John Kerry had control of his own destiny in the election, this was where he failed: he sought to join the fight, he never actually threw a punch. He did not want to become President of the United States. He wanted to play Hamlet. “To be or not to be” will always be trumped by “Stay the course”, no matter how stupid or evil that course may be.

When I participated in the Washington State Democratic Caucuses, I supported Dennis Kucinich. When urged by the other participants from my precinct to support either John Kerry or Howard Dean, I replied that I would support whomever emerged as the candidate at the national convention. The primary (or caucus in my state), however, is a place to vote your spirit. I should have added that the primary is the place to pick someone with spirit. John Kerry, clearly, lacks anything resembling spirit, élan, passion for winning or that little “engine of ambition” that Herndon, Lincoln’s law partner, used as the metaphor for America’s greatest president.

The Democratic Party is addicted to “the old college try”, and no one epitomized this attitude more than John Kerry. We will continue to do our best, of course, to get the correct count of ballots cast in Ohio. The participation of John Kerry would not only be invaluable, but is essential to the success of this process. But I refuse to get my hopes up, because in order for this recount effort to be a success, both in Ohio and across the nation, John Kerry must change his mindset from “the old college try” to “the old college win”. And in all honesty, I do not see that happening. John Kerry just does not have it in him.

Next time, let’s pick somebody with a pulse.