Geoff Metcalf -- An Imperfect Storm

AN IMPERFECT STORM

By Geoff Metcalf

February 16, 2004

NewsWithViews.com

Politics is a blood sport. Evidence documenting that axiom is piling up quicker than brass from a minigun.

Specious fictions about President Bush�s military service.
Rumors of Senator John Kerry�s philandering.
A proposed chat room jihad to foment false rumors about Bush and a bogus claim of his paying for a girlfriend�s abortion.

And the dust and the mud and the blood and the guts is just starting�Garth Brooks calls it �Rodeo��we call it Presidential politics. Republican chairman Ed Gillespie claims Democrats are plotting "the dirtiest campaign in modern presidential politics." Gosh-oh-gee-golly! Go figure� Kerry told Don Imus, "These guys will want to try to do everything to change the subject.� The implication is the recent developing philandering charge was republican dirty tricks.

The reality is, in all probability, it is Democrat dirty tricks. Several insiders suggest the �Kerry and the girl� story has Chris Lehane (democratic opposition research operative) written all over it.

1 Wes Clark is the only candidate to have been quoted on the story prior to the Drudge splash.
2 Lehane worked for Clark after leaving Kerry (allegedly in a snit).
3 Lehane also worked for Al Gore and the �Kerry/Philander� factor allegedly was key to Gore rejecting Kerry as a Veep prospect.

Back in September of last year I wrote �And Machiavelli Smiled� In which I suggested a possible brokered DNC convention with Hillary grabbing the brass ring.

Since then every expert, pundit, and insider with more experience, insight and smarts than me have told me, �No way Geoff!� Suddenly, I�m not so sure they are right.

1 Howard Dean is history.
2 Joe Lieberman is history.
3 Wes Clark is history.
4 Kucinich and Sharpton don�t count.
5 Edwards hangs in there.
6 Kerry is getting picked at over an alleged intern issue, veteran groups are now questioning his daring-do exploits� and opponents haven�t even started analyzing his voting record (which will more yield more negative consequences than getting caught in bed with an underage handicapped boy).

IF (and it is still a big honking �if�) Kerry doesn�t lock up sufficient delegates for a first ballot win�the excrement WILL hit the fan.

Delegates are required to vote for their candidate on the first ballot. However, 15% of each state�s delegates are �party operatives� and may or may not be committed to whoever won their state (I�m still trying to get a straight answer on that one).

IF the first ballot doesn�t bless John Kerry, the gloves are OFF�.

THEN, in Boston (although all the leg work will already have been accomplished), the Hillary Factor could emerge. The �perception� will be that Hillary Clinton is DRAFTED as the unifying candidate to mount her white horse and ride to the rescue of her party.

Jeff Jacoby wrote, �Equivocating politicians are sometimes accused of trying to be "all things to all people," but few have taken the practice of expedience and shifty opportunism to Kerry's level. Massachusetts�s residents have known this about their junior senator for a long time. Now the rest of the country is going to find out.�

Don Feder (another Massachusetts journalist) wrote, �I�m a citizen of Massachusetts. (God help me.) For going on 30 years now, I�ve watched John Kerry�s career with a mixture of fascination, revulsion and amusement.� However, Feder claims there IS a constant in the Kerry political career: �He�s an opportunistic, back-stabber who never met a commie he didn�t like. He also has chutzpah to spare.�

Expect hyperbole and innuendo to rule the spin game.

Kerry supporter and Pop star Moby, "expressed hope of dampening Republican turnout in November by spreading anti-Bush gossip on the Internet," the Washington Times reports.

Moby told the Daily News: "For example, you can go on all the pro-life chat rooms and say you're an outraged right-wing voter and that you know that George Bush drove an ex-girlfriend to an abortion clinic and paid for her to get an abortion."

As the Wall Street Journal observed, Kerry took to the Senate floor more than a decade ago to defend Bill Clinton, who protested against America while he dodged the Vietnam War in England, from attacks by rival candidate Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska and insisted that military service should be no consideration in running for office.

Despite the dirty tricks launched by himself and Democrat slug Terry McAuliffe, Kerry tried to blame the GOP. Hey, perception is more important than truth.

However even facts sneak into the great chaos. The London Sun quotes the parents of Kerry�s alleged paramour confirming their daughter met Kerry and he wanted her to join his Senate campaign. She didn�t.

Although the father of the suspect young woman denies an affair, he did call Kerry a �sleazeball�� He is not the Lone Ranger. Meanwhile, 27-year-old Alexandra Polier refuses to confirm or deny anything.

P.J. O'Rourke once said, "Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys."

Democrats structured the primary process so as to give their guy more time to slug it out with the incumbent president. Talk about being careful what you wish for��

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"Geoff Metcalf is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host for TALK AMERICA and a veteran media performer. He has had an eclectic professional background covering a wide spectrum of radio, television, magazine, and newspapers. A former Green Beret and retired Army officer he is in great demand as a speaker. Visit Geoff's Web Site: www.geoffmetcalf.com. While you're at it - pick up a copy of Geoff's latest book! E-mail: geoff@geoffmetcalf.com

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