Ms. Kerry staffer and Miss America

Last night I got to enjoy two sides of female twenty-something accomplishment and attractiveness. First we went to a Kerry house party at Bill and Pat Dixon’s home in south Salem, the highlight of which was a spirited “Carry Oregon!” presentation by Kelsey.

Kelsey is a paid staffer for the Democratic Party in the mid-Willamette valley. She explained that because of campaign finance laws, their slogan says “Carry” rather than “Kerry.” So you don’t need to call in about the misspelling, though Kelsey said that many people do.

If she’s a typical Kerry/Democratic Party staffer, Bush and the Republicans have their work cut out for them. I was hugely impressed with Kelsey’s poise, intelligence, political savvy, energy, and enthusiasm. She enjoys a certain in-group honor, being one of not very many who got on board with the Kerry campaign early, before he won in Iowa.

At one point she commented that, compared to conservatives, liberals seem to be better able to see both sides of an issue. In the course of conversing with house party attendees I argued that this is both a good and a bad thing (guess I must be a liberal). It’s great to be open-minded and sensitive to nuances, but unfortunately most voters aren’t swayed by subtle arguments. As I’ve observed before, a bumper sticker sort of slogan is what persuades, and Kerry is notoriously poor at speaking so plainly.

I feel better about Kerry’s chances after listening to Kelsey. Still, it was rather disturbing to hear her answer to someone who asked what undecided voters can be told about Kerry’s Senate accomplishments. Good trooper that she is, Kelsey came up with three areas that I think were patient rights, environmental protection, and aid to small business. No “Wow. Kerry did that!” stuff here.

Another person admitted to what so many feel: “I’m down on Bush more than I’m up on Kerry.” My sentiments exactly. I see John Kerry as akin to a Un-Bush presidential puppet, something that walks and talks and you can vote for instead of the Evil One. Almost any other Democrat would have filled the role just as well. I don’t have any great admiration for Kerry. I’m not even sure he would be a good president. But I’m 100% confident that he is better for our country and the world than Bush, so my vote is solidly in Kerry’s corner.

I don’t know how people like Kelsey live and breathe politics for most of the day, every day. She said that on her day off from Democratic Party work she went to hear John Edwards speak in Oregon. That’s dedication. After a couple of hours of political conversation I was more than ready to get home and digital-video-recorder my way through the Miss American pageant. This is one of those traditional bits of Americana that I consider to be a patriotic duty to watch every year.

Especially since I had read that this year the swimsuit competition was going to be more revealing. Which it certainly was.

Undeniably the United States of America is headed in many wrong directions under the inept leadership of George W. Bush. It was reassuring, though, to see that 4-inch heels and bikinis have become the standard for the Miss America swimsuit competition. I’m still in recovery from the trauma of the year when the contestants walked barefoot in one-piece suits. This 2004 pageant has helped me heal.