I think the tone-deafness of the Democrats is a reflection of the fact that they are operating in a big echo-chamber. Democrats (even political operatives) tend to associate only with others of their kind, and to reinforce each others’ position.
As a former Democrat myself, I know whereof I speak. I almost never had a social encounter in which someone disagreed with me politically. I wasn’t purposely avoiding non-Democrats; it was just the way it was, and I was unaware of it at the time. I only became aware of it after I started to think differently from the group. It was then, and only then, that I noticed the virtual unanimity of opinion among my acquaintances, friends, and relatives.
Even Democratic politicians, who should know better, probably only interact with others of their kind, so they are always preaching to the choir. So I think they lose sight of what appeals to the independents and undecideds.
That said, I think Kerry’s tone-deafness about politics and people comes from a different source: he actually is clueless about these things. I am struck by how the man so totally lacks an inner core. He is constitutionally and psychologically incapable of taking a stand, so one wonders why he even wants to become president, and I can only imagine that desire comes from his tremendous narcissism.
He can take the advice of advisors, but nothing, NOTHING, can hide the fact that, every time he opens his mouth, he emanates a sort of smarmy indecisiveness coupled with an off-putting arrogance. His Vietnam record is a perfect example of his back-and-forthness: against the war initially; enlists only because otherwise he’d be drafted; makes the most of every scratch he gets while serving there; arranges an early departure; in order to make himself a public figure, testifies against what he and his fellow-servicement did there; throws his medals over a fence but actually they are someone else’s medals; spends his nomination speech talking about events of 30 years ago which he had previously criticized, i.e. his Vietnam service–one could go on and on, but what’s the use? Every time he opens his mouth he has to negate what he just said. He can’t help himself, it’s his nature. So he is positioned to be the perfect Anybody But Bush candidate. He really has no positive characteristics of his own, so he is the perfect negation candidate.
