Kerry's Kommercials Feature Family But No Kiss?

Two ads that are part of John Kerry's record-breaking ad purchase can be viewed online here.

The text of them is available at this Slate page and Will Saletan's analysis is here.

Both ads hammer relentlessly what might be called the "John Kerry unlike George W. Bush actually fought in Vietnam even though he could have easily gotten out of it" line–a confusing theme given that Bush is currently waging a war and Kerry, despite supporting the original Iraq resolution and sending more troops (albeit under UN command) to the Middle East, is less bellicose than Bush. See how confusing it is just to set out for discussion?

And then there's all the medals/ribbons/sleeping on the Mall stuff that has further eroded Kerry's credibility on Vietnam. If there's more evidence the Democrats are heading toward minor-party status, it's that they pick a bona fide Vietnam vet as their candidate and they still somehow fuck up whatever selling point that's supposed to carry.

One of the commercials, "Heart," takes a page out of Al Gore's Faulkneresque family-gothic spectacle at the 2000 Democratic National Convention. You may recall cringingly (not a word but it should be) not only Tipper and Al's kiss but this tremendously important endorsement from Gore girl Karenna: "I would be supporting my dad for president even if he hadn?t raised, fed, clothed, taught, and loved me."

Kerry gets similar public endorsments from both his own wife and daughter (who in particular seems to be struggling to come up with anything to say about dear old dad). He thankfully gets no smooch from either in this ad, but there's always time to plan a floor show for the Boston convention, where no doubt other Kerry relatives will assure us that John is among their family favorites, too.