The Bush Brain
He makes one observation that the Kerry people ought to be concerned with. Bush may be less than brilliant, but he has so far succeeded (with Karl Rove's help, of course) to force Kerry on the defensive.
How has he done this?
He has baited Kerry on Iraq into saying things that are nuanced. Bush is decisive is the message. Kerry is nuanced. The American people naturally are drawn to the person who sounds decisive.
Bush is following a script from the 2000 campaign. In the presidential debates he was told by advisors* to bait Gore by playing to one of Gore's chief emotional needs ... the need to feel superior. Bush deliberately made statements that he knew Gore would find stupid or silly. Foolishly, Gore took the bait and came off arrogantly. The voter may have thought that Bush wasn't a rocket scientist, but they sure as hell preferred him to the arrogant-sounding Gore.
Fast forward 4 years. Bush is again baiting his opponent. Kerry can't stand a simple explanation if a more complicated one can be found. Like Gore he is taking the Bush bait.
If Kerry doesn't change his ways at the debates he will find that the C student from Yale has defeated the A student from Yale just as he earlier defeated the A student from Harvard.
*How do I know this? I have a source.