A day late and a dollar short

I've long said that the biggest mistake the Democrats make is to always assume that the American people are "too smart" to fall for the lies and swiftboating that are an integral part of Republican campaign tactics. They aren't. They fall for it every time.

And now they have buyer's remorse:

The outcome of the 2004 United States presidential election would be different if a new ballot took place this year, according to a poll by Bloomberg and the Los Angeles Times. 47 per cent of respondents would vote for Democrat John Kerry, while 40 per cent would support Republican George W. Bush.

In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the U.S. Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2004, Bush earned a second term after securing 286 electoral votes from 31 states. Kerry received 252 electoral votes from 19 states and the District of Columbia. As far as the popular vote is concerned, Bush garnered 51.03 per cent of all cast ballots, with Kerry getting 48.04 per cent.

I'm not one to defend John Kerry. He ran an awful campaign, he refused to articulate any kind of concrete ideas, he phumphered questions on his Iraq war vote -- and still came within a hair's breadth (and some voter suppression in Ohio and Florida) of winning.

But for people to decide NOW that he would have been a better choice than Bush is more than a little disingenuous. After all, all the ineptitude, all the arrogance, all the dictatorial "my way or the highway" petulance that Bush exhibits today was on open display in 2004 for anyone who actually looked. Those who regret voting for Bush now? Tough luck. I have no sympathy for them. And I have no confidence that when they go to the polls this November, they won't be carrying in their heads the now-proven lie that only Republicans can keep them safe, and only Republicans care about their concerns.