Worth a Bit of Concern?

Now, I'll admit - as I have many times - that I'm not warm and fuzzy over John Kerry. Nor do I have to be. I just have to feel he's the best choice of the candidates who will be on the ballot in November (and considering the incumbent... ahem).

But here's something that happened today that bothered me at first, I tried to dismiss it, yet it keeps coming back.

I happened to see someone I know in the grocery store, and as I came closer, I figured I would say hi. But then I noticed she was mostly turned away now and speaking with another woman. No biggie.

That's not the point of concern. It's what I overheard the woman say. Not sure what the exact topic was, but she said, "Isn't that funny? I can't think of the other fellow's name who's running. The Democrat."

Now, I know the woman just well enough to know that she's pretty smart and certainly pays attention to the national and world news more than most. I also know from previous conversations with her that she seems to be rather progressive.

I found it incredibly worrisome that she couldn't name John Kerry. Sure, we all draw a blank on something we know occasionally. But we're awfully close to an election and the stakes this time are pretty high.

It's also not the first time I've run into this situation, where people simply had a hard time naming Kerry. Granted, this was true of Clinton at this stage in the 1992 election as well. And granted, I doubt anyone who really feels Bush is doing a bad job will accidentally forget and vote for him (again).

But if the country is so divided - will polls pretty close to even on a score of major points, not just whether Bush or Kerry should win - why is it the opposing candidate isn't better remembered now?

There are days when I have to go looking for any mention of him. What he says isn't always that memorable either. In fact, I hear stronger rhetoric from Ted Kennedy, and a few others (including John McCain) than I hear from Kerry. And Bush is running ad after ad after ad. I can't tell you when I last saw a Kerry ad (but I'm in Vermont, and nobody is apt to mistake Vermont for a red state this election). It doesn't even seem to matter that the Bush ads are so flagrantly untrue on various points.