There’s something wrong with this argument

Via Glenn Reynolds, I see that James Lileks has a Jewish World Reviiew essay on John Kerry’s ambition. Here’s the key part of Lileks’ thesis: So why does Kerry want to be president? The reason is almost tautological: John Kerry wants to be president because he is John Kerry, and John Kerry is supposed to ...

By , a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast.

Via Glenn Reynolds, I see that James Lileks has a Jewish World Reviiew essay on John Kerry's ambition. Here's the key part of Lileks' thesis:

Via Glenn Reynolds, I see that James Lileks has a Jewish World Reviiew essay on John Kerry’s ambition. Here’s the key part of Lileks’ thesis:

So why does Kerry want to be president? The reason is almost tautological: John Kerry wants to be president because he is John Kerry, and John Kerry is supposed to be president. Hence his campaign’s flummoxed and tone-deaf response to the swift boat vets. Ban the books, sue the stations, retreat, attack. Underneath it all you can sense the confusion. How dare they attack Kerry? He’s supposed to be president. It’s almost treason in advance.

There’s something bothering me about this line of argument — namely, that it applies with equal force to George H.W. Bush. Before he got elected in 1988, Bush Sr. was widely viewed as a resume looking for a position to fill. And he was a mighty fine president in my book. I’m not saying that John Kerry is George H.W. Bush. I’m just saying that Lileks ain’t persuading me. UPDATE: Before adding a comment to this post, re-read it very carefully — yes, that’s right, I’m comparing Kerry to Bush 41, not to Bush 43.

Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner

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