It takes a big man to say he’s sorry. And given how exploitable Bush’s inability to apologize for anything is, Kerry’s gaffe identifying Mary Cheney as someone who is likely biologically gay could have been his opportunity to lead by example and shame the Bushies.
Mike McCurry, Clinton’s former Press Secretary, who recently started helping run the Kerry campaign, and who has political instincts like Vince Lombardi had sports instincts, knew right away what to do: “Say you’re sorry,” he told Kerry. Show what a real man does. Take the issue away from them. Unfortunately, Mary Beth and the rest demurred, and so the Republicans managed to get their post-debate distraction issue from an unlikely place: righteous indignation at insulting a person of the gay persuasion. You can’t say these guys don’t appreciate irony.
Kerry could have said: “If I hurt Mary Cheney’s feelings, I’m sorry.” He could have continued: “Believe me, I have no desire to discuss people’s sexual orientation on TV. But this would not even be an issue if the Republicans weren’t trying to legislate morality. I’m only bringing it up because there is a little hypocrisy on their side. And they themselves made an issue of the Vice President’s daughter. But sometimes people get used in this process in a way that I don’t believe in, and I inadvertently participated in that the other night. I’m sorry. Any other questions.”
Think of what the media spin would have been: Is he a woosie for saying he’s sorry? The answer would have ended up being, no, he’s the kind of role model I want in the Oval Office. How many parents teach their children that character is about owning your mistakes?
Time and time again, history shows us that if a politician steps up to the plate and just apologizes, the public forgives him. It even worked for Jimmy Swaggart, and it worked for Clinton the first time. And when Clinton didn’t do it the second time, it almost sunk him. McCurry saw this carnage first hand, and the Kerry team should have listened to him.
