Senator Kerry's Latest Position on Iraq
| Published 10/08/04

Graphic by: Doni Neel

Massachusetts Senator/Democratic-presidential candidate John Kerry has recently reformed his position on Iraq, again. The Kerry campaign's new strategy is to label the Iraq War as a failure. This strategy is in response to the Senator's recent falling poll numbers. Due to his inability to gain ground with inconclusive and often self-contradicting plans for reform in Iraq, the Democratic nominee has decided to scrap reform and brand the war as a total blunder.

In a Sept. 17th Gallup Poll, the President lead Senator Kerry by 13 points. According to Fox News polls, 48 percent of voters continue to feel President Bush would do a better job handling the situation in Iraq compared to 37 percent who do not. He also holds the advantage on executing the war on terrorism, 51 percent to 36 percent. With his most recent approval rating above 50 percent, the President is gaining momentum and support -- rather than being chipped away as many analysts had expected.

These polls were conducted nearly a month after the GOP convention and are still well out of the margin of error. Although many strategists and analysts, including myself, expected to see the President's post-convention 11 point lead dissipate, it has instead increased. These results are a reflection of the President's unwavering message. Whether popular or not, he has remained on message with one simple plan as opposed to Senator Kerry who clearly changes his message as the campaign progresses.

The phrase that best explains these poll numbers is "self-inflicted." After beating the Senator's truly courageous and honorable service in Vietnam like a dead horse and attacking the President's experience in the Air National Guard, the Kerry campaign has made the constituency restless. People have already made up their minds about who they feel can best conduct the War on Terror. They have already concluded both candidates' military service to be a wash. An attack on either candidate's military record will hurt the attacker's popularity more than the victim.

The remainder of this Presidential race will only be positive for Senator Kerry if he calls the President out on issues where Kerry leads. The economy and social issues are important, but in the end, they will take a back seat to the War on Terror and the American people's sense of security at home.