The desperation in the Kerry camp
Boston Herald Editorial:
Boston Herald Editorial:
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Of course Cleland knew he wasn't going to be able to wheel right up to the ranch and hand-deliver his letter to the president, but that wasn't the point. The point was the TV cameras which swarmed the scene and gave Cleland and Kerry their 60 seconds on the nightly news.The schlocky stunt looked as desperate as it surely was, and actually underscored Kerry's Purple Heart dilemma. Cleland himself didn't even earn a Purple Heart in Vietnam because his wounds weren't sustained by enemy fire.
The longer Vietnam dominates the campaign, the harder it will be for Kerry to get traction on issues that could sway voters to his side. This is a different dynamic for Kerry, whose service and anti-war record have always been a political plus. But this is the big leagues, and Kerry had better come up with something to change the subject. A phony photo op ain't going to do it.
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