Ambivalence is a good word. I looked it up and the definition is: "The coexistence of contradictory emotions, attitudes, ideas, or desires with respect to a particular person, object, or situation." This perfectly describes my feeling for the junior senator from Massachusetts, our own John Kerry. On Saturday, two friends and I took him up on a recent invitation to hear him speak about dissent at Boston's Faneuil Hall. It was an interesting and invigorating speech - my hands hurt afterwards from all the applause.
So, where does the ambivalence come from? On one hand, I backed him enough to become a volunteer for one of his senatorial reelection campaigns back in the 1990s. Yet I couldn't bring myself to support him in the Democratic primary in 2004 when he ran against others in his party.
On the other hand, during the 2004 campaign I thought he did a hell of a job during the debates...make the Chimp look as small-minded and ignorant as any incumbent president could possibly look. Yet his overall campaign was rather lackluster. Do I want him to run again for President? Nah, probably not, but I'll be very happy to continue voting for him as Massachusetts' senator.
So while his speech yesterday was quite good...it came on the 35th anniversary of his Senate testimony as a young Navy veteran ("How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"), it was also a bit of too little, too late.
My friend Julie thinks that the speech "won't change a thing." In reality, it probably won't. If nothing else, it reminds everyone about the hubris of administrations that continue to send young people to die in a war that is clearly a mistake. Do I wish Kerry had made this speech 4 years ago? Undoubtedly. Will I take it now? By all means.
So will it change anything? As Julie says, probably not.
1 comment:
Heard him interviewed on the radio today, thought about you being there on Saturday. He sounded better than he did during the campaign, maybe less pressure??
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