The Jessica Journals:

My journal entry focusing on the subtleties of the Kerry/Edwards campaign received more feedback than most of the entries do. One comment, made by my brother Paul, does, I believe, deserve to be answered in an entry of it's own.

Paul asks: "Wouldn’t Democrats be more inclined to not show off their sexual prowess and masculinity since they are all for women's empowerment and gay rights? Just a thought.”

That is a very good question and one that requires a very large, comfortable, overstuffed lazy boy for me to recline in as I engage in some armchair psychology.

First off, I want to make it clear I used the term “masculine” only in the context of sexuality. It is impossible for John Kerry to ever be truly manly because gigolos are, pretty much by definition, prevented from being everything that men ought to be. Now, having gotten that obligatory and clichéd cheap shot in we can continue....

I think the thing to remember is that we aren’t dealing with a normal person, we’re dealing with a politician, and politicians are by nature two-faced, back-stabbing weasels. They may put on a show of possessing “principles”, but, when it comes down do it, they only have One Principle: Get Into Office and Stay In Office By Any Means Necessary (and give myself a fat pay-raise when no one is looking). As a result, the things politicians claim to believe don’t matter because they say anything that will make them appear attractive to whatever group of voters they happen to be in contact with at any given moment.

Even the best of politicians possess this fundamental flaw, and John Kerry is far from belonging to the “best” category or even the “somewhat tolerable” group. Add to this the fact that our current culture is obsessed with youth, good-looks, and sex and that the Democrat Party is the party of Hollywood and the young, and you have a recipe for disaster.

To most young people and to all of Hollywood, looks, personality, and (most importantly) fashionability are far more important than intelligence or truth. Therefore, it only makes sense that Kerry would feel compelled to make himself appear as hip as he possibly can. So what if feminists claim they want to be treated like men? And so what if the principled thing would be to talk to them about the issues just like you would with a man? If pretending he’s all sexy and romantic in a Humphrey Bogart way will get him votes then of course John Kerry will do that.

So what if Kerry married an empty-headed, rather plain, but very rich widow? If advising men to search for a woman “who loves being a woman. Who wears her womanhood. Who knows how to flirt and have fun. Smart. Confident....And obviously sexy and saucy and challenging,” will get him votes then, of course, he’ll tell men to do that.

So what if George Bush has better hair? If claiming he [Kerry] has better hair will get him votes then John Kerry will claim he has better hair.

So what if he voted for the war in Iraq? If claiming he’s against it will get him votes them of course John Kerry will claim he’s against it.

So what if John Kerry claims to be against the war in Iraq? If claiming that he would not change his pro-war vote (even knowing what he knows now) will get him votes then, of course, John Kerry will do that.

So what if...but you get the picture.

Kerry is being principled, but the Principle is: Himself.

[I suppose I ought to add that Democrats are not the only ones who fall prey to this weakness. Alan Keyes preformed an hilarious rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" that was both painfully embarrassing to listen to while being oddly compelling as he feebly attempted to appear hip. Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, has not only gotten plastic surgery but has now resorted to wearing a bandana and a loose, white, unbuttoned shirt like he's freaking Mel Gibson in "The Bounty". And, of course, George W. refuses to do anything about the rampant illegal immigration that is going on simply because he's afraid of losing the vote of the 10 hispanics who are in this country lawfully. But, he looks cute in a flight suit, so I suppose I can let it pass.]