But first . . .

YELLOW WATERMELON

Let me say this about yellow watermelon: there are improvements we need to make in the world before we start changing the color of watermelon.

LASER-GUIDED IRIDIUM-PLATED FERMAT-THEORIZED NANOROBOTIC TRIPLE-BLADE MACH 3 GILLETTE RAZORS

Gerard:  “I saw your post on buying Sensor Blades cheap on eBay. I just thought that I should point out that expensive drugstore commodities are popular items for organized theft rings to steal and re-sell. I’m not saying that the eBay sellers are thieves, but the provenance of the goods is something to think about, as with all on-line sales.”

FREE SPEECH ZONES

The President tells us he doesn’t read the newspaper.  And we know that protestors are kept far from his sight.  One wonders whether he’s getting the full picture.

Steve Holmes offers this snippet from a CNN transcript: 

PRESIDENT BUSH: “When I travel the country, and I've been traveling a lot, there are thousands of people who come out and wave, and they are -- you know, they respect the presidency. Sometimes they like the president, but I have this -- I don't have a sense that there's a lot of anger.”

THE MEDIA

Doug Jones: “Thanks for [yesterday’s Paul Krugman] column [about how the media reports on hairstyles but not giant health care proposals].  Disgustingly, this is the FIRST I've really heard about Kerry's health care plan here in conservative Spokane.  He had my vote anyhow, but now I can start saying useful things to the doubters.”

F So Krugman is right.  Bright people like Doug who are open-minded and keep up with the news can be unaware of really important things.  I don’t think this was quite as much the case when I was growing up.  Be that as it may, everyone should subscribe to the New York Times.  Or read it for free, on-line. 

And now . . .

Kathryn Lance: “You say, It’s going to work out.  We’re going to win.  Really? Do you truly think so? I'm so depressed at all the negativity and lies about Kerry, and all the scary stuff about untraceable ballots, that I feel sure that they will steal the election again. And if they do, I truly wonder if this country, or indeed the world, will survive another four years.  Why do you think we will win?”

F Because of turnout. 

In October of 2000, voters were asked whether they were “unusually excited” about the upcoming election.  And now, in 2004, they've been asked again:  Are they unusually excited about THIS upcoming election?

Among Republicans, the number is up – 51% are “unusually excited” versus 48% last time. 

Among Democrats, the number is up from 36% to 68%.

That is not a typo.

When we were complacent and unexcited last time, we won by 537,000 votes.  Now we are wide awake, fighting mad, and determined to win. 

You can see the energy in the massive primary turnout this past winter.  You can see it in the huge crowds Kerry and Edwards attract.  You can see it in the jaw-dropping response to our tens of millions of pieces of direct mail – like nothing direct mail marketers have ever seen before. People recognize this is not business as usual.

But if the rank and file on the other side is only marginally more energized than before, up from 48% to 51% (could some of them, in their heart of hearts, be disappointed that we’ve turned massive surpluses into massive deficits? had a net job loss for the first time since Herbert Hoover? advantaged the rich at the expense of everyone else? turned much of the world, which was so ready to be with us after September 11, against us?) . . . the leadership of their party – the guys orchestrating the campaign – are hugely motivated to keep, indeed to extend, their control over all three branches of government (and, increasingly, the press). 

So we're going to win, but it’s going to be a very, very tough fight.  And speaking to those of you who want to see it happen (and I know not all of you do, and am particularly grateful and impressed that you come to listen anyway) – please spend the next 76 days making sure that it does.  Visit JohnKerry.com for ways to help.

Why are going to win?  Here’s the blah-blah-blah answer – and I completely believe it:

We’re going to win because John Kerry’s domestic policies favor the vast majority of voters, who are not rich and powerful.  And because people sense we need to rejoin the world if we are to succeed in our war on terror, as we unquestionably must.

Help is on the way.