WP: Kerry Can Be Slow to Decide But Quick to Act

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4468121/

By Laura Blumenfeld

... Conventional wisdom has tried to reconcile the apparent contradiction with words such as "complex." But a closer examination of his style, based on dozens of interviews, shows that he makes decisions with simple consistency. He researches and analyzes aggressively before choosing. He always deliberates, even if only for a second. What differs in each case is how close he is to the ground.

"It's the deadline thing," said Cameron Kerry, his brother. "He's not going to act when he doesn't need to. He's incredibly decisive when he needs to be."

(snip)

Kerry's supporters say his approach is nuanced and thorough, better for tackling complicated issues such as the economy and the war on terrorism. Far from paralyzing, they say, it is what makes his argument compelling.

"George Bush is, 'I know what's right, and I know what's wrong,' regardless of the nature of reality," said Jonathan Winer, Kerry's counsel from 1983 to 1994. "John takes the opposite approach: 'Don't assume you know where I am. Don't assume I know what I think. We'll talk it through.' It's a deliberate suspension."

Kerry is a man who studies the menu at restaurants, even when he knows what he's going to order. Entering a room, he pauses and looks around, as if to weigh his options. He is so fond of the phrase "tough choices" that Senate staffers routinely inserted it in his speeches because they knew he would say it anyway...


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A very good article, showing that Kerry will be an excellent President who will truly work to understand an issue ala Clinton and unlike Bush, who just does things on impulses.

:kick:

...John Forbes Kerry:kick: :dem: :bounce: :toast: :party: