I just read an interesting column from Ellen Goodman in which she decries the optimism assault during the political campaign. Apparently it's hard to get elected unless everybody thinks you are optimistic. I think personally that goes back to having a vision of what American could be and articulating that vision.
With his mouth President George W. Bush hasn't been able to articulate that vision very well, but with his actions he's done a little better (it involves manliness, stump removal, and no books). Kerry's got the opposite problem, he's good at talking about what his vision is (his current campaign theme "Let America be America again" is brilliant) but he doesn't project that vision as well. Edwards joining the campaign, however, should help with this a bit. Which, of course, is why the Bush camp is in such a hurry to discredit him.
I do think, however, the closing words of her article are pretty dead-on accurate.
"In my book, any politician who thinks he can beat the odds and become president of the United States qualifies automatically as an optimist. With the possible exception of Ralph Nader. But I am not willing to concede that a candidate's optimism is the political trump card. Attitude is no substitute for sober judgment. A cheerleader is not always a leader.
Some of our greatest accomplishments and some of our greatest disasters were all begun with optimism. The "can-do spirit" is fine and Yankee Doodle Dandy. But a leader needs to know the difference between what we can do and what we should do, and what we'd better not do.
That would give me reason for optimism."
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