MICKEY KAUS on the non-Internet-ready Kerry campaign:

Let’s assume that a certain amount of hype is standard procedure in military write-ups, especially when medals are involved. The problem is that Kerry is running for president on this official hype of a more-than-honorable record (one reason he’s constantly referring reporters to his official medal citations). He’s not only running on the hype but pushing it to the limit, milking it for all it’s worth. That’s dangerous in, yes, the Internet era! Obsessive fact-checkers can smoke out the exaggerations and get them past the ex-gatekeepers.** Unfortunately, it’s more or less all Kerry’s got. It wouldn’t be so important if Kerry had a) a discernable ideology; b) a political message; c) a record of achievement; or d) an appealing personality!

As Ann Althouse notes, below, somebody should have thought this through. I wonder how many of the problems in this timeline of woe stemmed from not taking the Internet seriously? It’s not too late to hire Joe Trippi!

UPDATE: ANOTHER BACK-PEDAL? “Kerry’s campaign has said it is possible his first Purple Heart was awarded for an unintentionally self-inflicted wound.” It’s that dang Internet striking again!