is a blog about design, technology and culture written by Khoi Vinh, and has been more or less continuously published since December 2000 in New York City. Khoi is currently Principal Designer at Adobe. Previously, Khoi was co-founder and CEO of Mixel (acquired in 2013), Design Director of The New York Times Online, and co-founder of the design studio Behavior, LLC. He is the author of “How They Got There: Interviews with Digital Designers About Their Careers”and “Ordering Disorder: Grid Principles for Web Design,” and was named one of Fast Company’s “fifty most influential designers in America.” Khoi lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn with his wife and three children.
I know I sound pessimistic, but I’m trying not to get carried away with the increasingly shrill level of punditry to which voters will be subjected right up until the opening bell tomorrow night. The Republicans have set their incredibly disciplined and cutthroat spin machine to the task of raising the expectations for Kerry’s performance very high and, as is appropriate for the most incompetent president to hold the White House in the modern age, lowering the expectations for Bush as far below the median as possible. It’s just one of many gross distortions that the conservative influence has managed to effect this election season, all of them at the cost of an honest and truthful campaign dialogue.
Don’t Call It a Comeback
Setting all of that aside, I think there’s something inherently flawed with the idea that a Kerry comeback is possible. That’s partly because Bush-Cheney 2004 has done such a good job of frightening the public into the idea that electing Kerry is tantamount to inviting another horrific attack on our shores, as well as practically convincing them that Osama bin Laden is a Kerry-Edwards 2004 strategist.
But it’s also partly because the American public, in this climate of terrorist fear, may have a hard time buying the idea of a leader who only comes to life when his back is up against the wall. Bush and his handlers, through cunning and deceit, have successfully portrayed Kerry as weak and without conviction. I happen to believe that’s an incorrect assessment of Kerry’s worthiness as a leader — to me, there’s no question John Kerry has what it takes to keep this country safe, in far greater measures than Bush. It’s just that my cynical side can’t see an American public that bought into that false impression to begin with being open-minded enough to root for someone who only finds his fight at the very end. I absolutely hope I’m proven completely wrong after tomorrow night.
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One Comment
Richard
Kerry came across stronger than I thought he would in the debate, but he still failed to really say much about what he would do if he were president and instead focused on attacking the President’s policies and actions instead of offering plausible solutions. Not too compelling a reason to give up a vote if you ask me, but not bad for a campaign that’s sputtering and about out of gas. He was definitely better at shooting free throws and scoring a point here and there, but missing a lot of three pointers. Bush held is own against a more screwd and inteligent opponent, and had his share of awkward moments along with a few funny rebuttals to Kerry’s goofs. I’m certainly not a huge fan of Mr. Bush, but ya’ll better prepare yourself for another four years of “W” if this is the best Kerry can do. The first debate was a definitely a draw.
Kerry came across stronger than I thought he would in the debate, but he still failed to really say much about what he would do if he were president and instead focused on attacking the President’s policies and actions instead of offering plausible solutions. Not too compelling a reason to give up a vote if you ask me, but not bad for a campaign that’s sputtering and about out of gas. He was definitely better at shooting free throws and scoring a point here and there, but missing a lot of three pointers. Bush held is own against a more screwd and inteligent opponent, and had his share of awkward moments along with a few funny rebuttals to Kerry’s goofs. I’m certainly not a huge fan of Mr. Bush, but ya’ll better prepare yourself for another four years of “W” if this is the best Kerry can do. The first debate was a definitely a draw.