JFKs in the clutch.

For all of you who are disturbed by the success of Bush's lies and the ineptitude of the Kerry campaign in dealing with them, take heart from Kerry's ability to come through in the clutch. We saw it in Iowa, and again in the other primaries that clinched the nomination. We saw it again at the Democratic convention where he gave his best speech ever.

In the 1960 West Virginia primary, Kennedy was so far behind that even that "35" in Logan County wasn't going to produce a statewide victory. To achieve that, Kennedy needed to reach the voters who couldn't be bought. In the last two weeks of the campaign, he rose in the challenge, making his best speeches, even beating Hubert Humphrey in a debate when Humphrey was widely considered the party's ablest and most articulate debater. If Kerry can come through in the same way and win at least two of the three debates, I think he'll be elected.

My friend Mickey Kaus dismisses Kerry's potential for coming through in the clutch by saying that he's only done it in a general election in the largely Democratic state of Massachusetts. But, Mickey, the same could have been said of Jack Kennedy in 1960.