John Kerry, the IWR, and the movie Fargo: a short analogy [View All]

[ProfessorPlum]

this is something I posted to P&C many months ago, but in light of recent events, it needs a replay.

Ok, let me premise this by saying that I think John Kerry is a good Democratic candidate and would make a pretty good (though not very dynamic) nominee, and I also think he would make a good president. He has the experience, the liberal bona fides, and the overarching vision to do a lot of good for the US.

One big issue I have, and a lot of people have, with him as a candidate is his vote on the IWR. We've been over this ground dozens of times, obviously, and I think his actions leading up to the vote were well intentioned and as ameliorating as they could be. In the end, he voted "yes" on the resolution, but his vote wouldn't have changed anything. I think that vote was a mistake, and I think Kerry should recognize it as one, apologize as quickly as possible, and move on.

However, he keeps defending his vote, and I think I've finally thought of a fair analogy for his rationale for the vote and how it points out why it was a mistake:

In the movie Fargo, car salesman Jerry Lundegaard wants to extort money from his rich father-in-law. So he authorizes a couple of shady characters to kidnap his wife and hold her for ransom. But his father-in-law won't play ball, and in the ensuing misadventures, the two ex-convicts end up killing his wife. It's sort of clear that Jerry didn't plan to get his wife killed, only to threaten her to get what he wanted. But things in life often go awry, especially when you are dealing with unpredictable characters like his father-in-law and ex-convicts.

In the build up to Gulf War II, Democratic senator John Kerry wants to extort a safer world from Saddam Hussein. So he authorizes the Bush administration to threaten Hussein's regime until he allows full weapons inspections. But Saddam won't play ball (well, he will, but the Bushies don't care), and in the ensuing misadventures, the regime ends up invading, ending Hussein's regime, and killing thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians and hundreds of American and British troops. It's sort of clear that Kerry didn't plan to get all of those innocent people killed, only to threaten them and the regime to get what he wanted. But things in life often go awry, especially when you are dealing with unpredictable characters like Saddam Hussein and the soon-to-be-convicts in the Bush administration.

At the end of the movie, how do we feel about Lundegaard? He's a bit of a coward, and can't take responsibility for how his whole plan has turned to shit. But the biggest impression he makes is that his plan, relying on ex-convicts to show restraint and accomplish the extortion without hurting anyone, is stupid with a capital STOO.

Please, John Kerry, do not become Jerry Lundegaard on this issue - renounce your IWR vote and move forward.