Random Thoughts From Marybeth

It's Not a Women Problem, It's a Candidate Problem

The NY Times article Kerry in a Struggle for a Democratic Base: Women begins with Kerry's recent efforts to connect with female voters.

These appearances are part of an energetic drive by the Kerry campaign to win back voters that Democrats think are rightfully theirs: women.

Them thar evil Republicans dun stole his wimmen-folk!

This is one of the (many) problems I have with his campaign. They believe they have a right to the votes of women and minority groups. It's all part of the bigger problem that the Democratic Party seems to have with confusing rights with privileges.

I also don't appreciate the implication that women decide whom to vote for based on emotion. It was not scenes from 9/11 that were shown at the RNC or the attack on a Beslan school nor was it "Kerry's failure to fight back against" Swift Boat Veterans' ads that decided my vote.

Do they really think I need to see photos from 9/11 or hear about terrorist attacks in the news to recognize the fact that we are vulnerable and will continue to be so as long as there is a group of people whose main goal is killing us?

I don't care if Kerry didn't fight back over the ads. I wouldn't really care what he did 30 years ago if there were some evidence that his opinions on America and her relations to other countries had changed since then. You know, I'm no more concerned about international opinion of us than I am about whether or not my neighbors think I'm a good parent. Either way you have to do what you think is right. The opinions of others may influence some of your decisions but they shouldn't dictate them.

One last penultimate note, Mark Mellman, a pollster for the Kerry campaign, said that the campaign was not especially disturbed by the reduced support from women. "I don't define it as a problem,'' Mr. Mellman said. "I define it as an opportunity.''

Motivational cliches aren't going to help you now. Some problems are opportunites for growth and discovery. This is not one of those. This is a problem for Kerry. Learn the difference.

Final note, Kerry has had one opportunity to improve voters' opinion of him and he has ignored it. He should apologize to veterans for the remarks he made before Congress during his 1971 testimony.