Editorial: Kerry speech will energize his campaign

Friday, July 30, 2004 | 5:09 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

July 31 - Aug. 1, 2004

John Kerry's speech before the Democratic National Convention was patterned much like his campaign to become president of the United States. In the primaries, his early, placid approach kept him in contention but well out of the lead. But when the real test arrived -- the voting, not the polling -- Kerry surged ahead and stayed ahead. Thursday night he began his speech by lolling along pleasantly, paying tribute to his parents for the upbringing they provided, in which his core values were formed.

Suddenly, his tone and topic shifted.

"I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war," Kerry said. The statement signaled that he was now going to talk about what voters most need to know about him. He built momentum as he looped all of his campaign themes together in one, cohesive speech. He succeeded in defining himself in ways that starkly contrast with President George W. Bush.

Once again Kerry talked of his Navy days, 1966-1970, and of his combat service in Vietnam. The theme was not self-glorification. Kerry's frequent reference to his Navy service, of the war he fought, of veterans in general, makes a larger point. He understands the military because he served. His theme here is one of a greater national commitment to veterans, and of sending them into harm's way only after all other options have been exhausted. "On my first day in office, I will send a message to every man and woman in our armed forces: You will never be asked to fight a war without a plan to win the peace," Kerry promised.

The contrast between Kerry and Bush on the use of military force was just one of several themes struck by the Democratic candidate. A recurrent theme for Kerry is trust, which he says is lacking in the current administration. "I will restore trust and credibility in the White House," he said, taking a shot at Bush, as the president campaigned on that theme in 2000. "I will have a vice president who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws," he said, referring to Vice President Dick Cheney's secret meetings with executives of private power companies while drafting the nation's energy policy.

Kerry devoted much of his speech to jobs and the nation's overall economy, once again contrasting his views with those of President Bush. He vowed to end tax breaks for companies that send jobs out of the country and to reinvigorate the middle class, which Bush has overlooked while favoring the wealthy. He talked about making health care affordable and accessible to everyone, and ending the Bush vision of prescription drugs as a means to windfall profits for the manufacturers.

Early in his speech Kerry talked of how he makes decisions, which remained an important theme as he went on to talk of his plans for senior citizens, children, education, energy, homeland security, world diplomacy, the fight against terrorism and other domestic and foreign policies. "As president I will ask hard questions and demand hard evidence," Kerry said, acknowledging that issues facing the president are not simple and drawing a contrast with Bush, whose decisions seem made by fiat.

By the end of his speech, Kerry had covered most of the essential issues in the way best suited for the occasion -- by outlining his broad, conceptual differences with Bush. We were impressed by how his speech gained force as it progressed. As with his primary victory, as with his speech, we see his campaign, as well, gaining force over the next few months.