Kerry does not shrink from being cast as a 1960s figure. He welcomes it. But note also that Kerry's 1960s are defined not by the despair that took hold at the end of the decade, as the Vietnam War was grinding on to its dispiriting end, but by the optimism of early and mid-decade. This was the 1960s of John F. Kennedy -- and, yes, of Lyndon B. Johnson before his presidency was ensnared in Southeast Asia. It was an era in which idealism forged genuine achievements that the nation does not wish to roll back. Kerry is insisting that in so many ways, the 1960s were good for our nation.
It is not surprising that the man who would be the first Vietnam veteran in the White House has taken on the task of binding the wounds inflicted by that war. Kerry, a product of the 1960s, insists on an understanding of that era that would allow the nation to pick up on the best of the decade's legacy while leaving aside the rancor with which it closed.
Is there a political purpose to all this? Of course. In the short run, Kerry's Vietnam service allows him to stand apart not only from the incumbent he is trying to defeat but also from Bill Clinton, whose decision to avoid the draft gave conservatives ample opportunity to keep alive the divisions created during the '60s. And, yes, the military testimonials will make it hard for Republicans to label Kerry a wimp whenever the terror alerts are sounded.
For the longer haul, Kerry is sending a signal that he is tired of seeing his party walk away from the best parts of its inheritance. Conservatives revere their own tradition, and good for them. It's about time that liberals did the same.
Emphasis added, for, well, emphasis.
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