In an unsigned editorial this morning, the Chronicle praises John Kerry’s speech last night. Kerry’s promises were especially appealing:
Whatever shortcomings Kerry’s well-crafted speech might have had, it contained no shortage of promises. Fulfilling even one — providing universal and affordable health care — would make Kerry a success where Bill and Hillary Clinton failed.
Promises are easy to make in an election year, but Kerry’s made almost no attempt to explain how he’s going to fulfill these promises. The promise to reduce dependency on foreign oil? Although he might be able to spur research into alternative fuels (something Bush is already doing), the possibility of a useful alternative during a presidency is slim. We’re still a decade away, maybe more.
He *could* promise to drill in ANWR which would reduce dependency immediately, but he can’t do that without alienating his base.
Providing universal and affordable healthcare? Another easy promise – it’s not free, so his 3/4 of a trillion dollar proposal could only be paid by taxes. Since he’s also promising to balance the budget, he must also be promising to hike taxes through the roof.
Promise to add more and higher paying jobs? How exactly would the US government do that? How is he going to fight terrorism without going to war? How is he going to provide cleaner air? How, how, how? He might as well promise we’re all going to be taller and lose weight, too.
The Chronicle’s bias is readily apparent with this:
In a dig at the Bush family’s ties to Saudi Arabia, Kerry promised to invest in alternative energy forms to replace dependence on foreign oil.
What family ties? I think the Chronicle has drunk the Kool-Aid and watched Michael Moore’s convoluted attempt at showing somehow the Bush family and the bin Laden family are somehow related via the Carlyle Group.
I remain unimpressed by John Kerry’s promises. The Chronicle has attempted to paint Kerry as somebody real, that not only has positions of his own but isn’t just some “Anybody But Bush”. But all the Chronicle can do is parrot the impossible, empty promises.
I wrote this for Chronically Biased this morning, but Anne beat me to the punch. I’m going to have to get up earlier.
Chasing the Wind 
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