Only the Strong Will Survive
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5569818/site/newsweek/
Kerry's challenge in Boston was to define strength more broadly, to
persuade voters to appreciate him for 'seeing the complexities'
By Jonathan Alter
Newsweek
Aug. 9 issue - We know what "strength" means to Lance Armstrong, the
cancer survivor who won the Tour de France for a record sixth time
last month. He's selling 5 million yellow bracelets for $1 apiece with
the words LIVE STRONG to raise money for other survivors. For
Armstrong, it's not about the bike but the head: staying positive and
resourceful—living strong in a dangerous time—is the best defense
against those sleeper cells.
Cancer and terrorism, war and politics—whatever the metaphor, the
definition of "strength" will determine this year's presidential
election. Polls show that undecided voters mostly agree with John
Kerry on the issues but they are only now focusing on whether he would
be a strong leader. President Bush—whatever one thinks of him—is
widely seen as resolute, steadfast and therefore "strong," as
conventionally defined. Kerry's challenge in his acceptance speech was
not just to project strength but to define it more broadly, to
persuade voters to appreciate him for "seeing the complexities"—and to
show, as Bill Clinton told the convention, that "strength and wisdom
are not opposing values."
Jonathan Alter
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