"Undecided to the end"

Jonah Goldberg summarizes Kerry's campaign after the DNC closes. Goldburg takes on Kerry's perchant for the flip-flop and the implications towards the Democrat's approach to national security.

Kerry is running during a war that some consider vital, some see as confusing and others dismiss as unnecessary. Kerry wants to win over all three groups by agreeing with all of them. He does this by talking in paragraphs of boring logical-loop-the-loop sentences that seem to be written in vanishing ink. But he's also trying to downplay the importance of the war. Kerry wants to "handle" the war on terrorism, not dedicate himself to it.

. . .

The world may be consumed by the maelstrom, but Kerry will guarantee that America remains in the eye of the storm. He'll do this by conjuring chimerical "strong alliances" and negotiating in "good faith" with sycophantic foreign leaders around long tables festooned with bottled water and clever cheese. Never mind that these are impossible promises — much like Neville Chamberlain's "peace in our time." Indeed, impossible promises are often the ones voters want to hear most.

It's easier to be the challenger than the incumbant. The challenger can promise the world without having to demonstrate any ability until it's too late; the incumbant must not only promise the world, but do so under a burden of proof garnered by past performances. "Talk is cheap."