Here is part of the interview between Paula Zahn and former Governor/Senator Bob Kerrey. (courtesy of the CNN website)
KERREY: President Clinton never faced an opponent as tough as George W. Bush. His father wasn't as tough and Bob Dole wasn't as tough. George W. Bush is a very tough campaigner. He is an intuitive politician. He's an incumbent president. And he was an exceptionally difficult person for John Kerry under the best of circumstances.
ZAHN: Was John Kerry an intuitive campaigner?
KERREY: He's not as intuitive a politician as George Bush is. I mean, George W. Bush's father isn't as intuitive. I'm not as intuitive.George Bush knows when to kiss the baby. And that's a hard thing to teach. In fact, it's an impossible thing to teach. He's very good on the street and he's good with the message. His message was, I will keep you safe, and the other guy won't.
To do the now paraphrasing of James Carville: "It's the charisma stupid". The question for Canadian conservatives is can MP Harper bridge the charisma gap. It seems to me that he may be the same time of policy wonk that Senator Kerry was (is).
