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Hear me out here: Junior is the patron saint of the stupid, and as such, is a perfect fit in the anti-intellectual commonness of this country. His claim that "even a C-student can become President" swamps us with the inherent lie that he wasn't propped up and coddled by the aristocracy to be where he is, but to others, he is a shining beacon of averageness. Forrest Gump won Best Picture, and Reagan was elected twice; that's just about all you need to know about presidential politics. (The rest is charisma and good hair.)
To all the dim who've been taunted all their lives, Junior is proof that their true hearts is what's of greatest import. Never slag his stupidity if you want to change minds. As such, the stupid vote will tend a bit toward him. All is not lost, though, for these reasons: many of the simple arguments work well for Democrats: the economy, social programs, crazy imperialism and even to a small degree the environment.
The big ace in the hole for Kerry is his awkwardness. He could be the patron saint of the clunky and wooden just as Junior is to the stupid. I'm not joking about this: many people dislike the slick and beautiful, and want to think that the goodness of heart that they possess is given short shrift by whatever flaw drives their awkwardness. Kerry could be the non-slick hero, and this may be a great asset. The problem is getting people to see it.
Kerry has a sad, world-weary look, yet an optimistic and tough presentation. This just smacks of integrity, and no matter how he's derided for various things, there's something palpably real about the man, for all his "aloofness" or "awkwardness". His smile is a fabulous contrast to his otherwise hangdog look, and it shows that he's a man who rolls up his sleeves and works. The fact that he admits his privilege should also play well, and will contrast with the fact that Junior distances himself from his.
Play the awkwardness, and many will feel a kindred soul.
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