James Zogby: Does Kerry have 'what it takes'?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Writing in Jordan Times, Tuesday, February 10 ,2004

One decade ago, a great American journalist, Richard Ben Cramer, wrote a wonderful book on presidential politics called `What it Takes'. In it, he describes the gruelling enterprise of presidential campaign politics and observes that the candidates who succeed are those who have “what it takes”, that is those who in the face of adversity bounce back, fight and win as if their very lives depended on victory.

From his days as a decorated war hero in Vietnam, when he returned to the United States to help lead the opposition to that war, Kerry has shown himself to be, when pressed, a man who has “what it takes”.

He showed the same grit and determination in Iowa. During the next few weeks, he will face still greater tests, which will determine whether or not he has “what it takes” to win.

While early on Democrats debated the war, taxes and healthcare, polls now show that the principal concern of Democratic voters is beating President George W. Bush. A significant number of those who voted for Kerry did so because they view him as “more electable” than his competitors. This issue, winning in November, is what this primary contest is about. While the Democrats may attack each other, they know that this intramural fight is but a warm-up for what will be a brutal November election. And Democrats want a nominee who will withstand the assault and show that he has “what it takes to win.”

http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20editorials/2004%20opinions/Feb/10o/Does%20Kerry%20have%20what%20it%20takes%20James%20J%20Zogby.htm