Hi George,

I read Rey Barry's letter and I can see the basis for his prediction, and because of it, his frame of mind. I saw Kerry on television last night and his hoarse voice added a physical dimension to the Republican claims that he is a weak, vacillating, "flip-flop" individual.

I think that a lot will happen between now and the time we vote that can still make Kerry the winner. But assuming that strong leadership is something the electorate is seeking for psychological reasons as much as anything else, those of us who believe Kerry is and will be a stronger leader than his current image imagines , must continue to work for his election. The "leadership" issue is certainly a key aspect. But I think the pro-Kerry forces should define the nature of leadership, rather than accept the Bush notion of action, however wrong, and steadfastness in purpose , no matter what.

Leadership has several dimensions and phases, and the most important is intelligent consideration of the consequences of important decisions. I have always been struck by Abraham Lincoln's long gestation and his "flip-flops" on the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln was faced with an extremely difficult choice, in spite of his moral abhorrence of slavery. He needed to keep the border states (with some slavery in those states) on the Union side, he needed to have the battlefield standing to make such a proclamation appear more than a vain and self-serving political gesture, and he had to respect the Constitutional dimension of Executive powers. But Lincoln's "flip-flopping" prior to the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation was a signature of leadership. It consisted of a probing consideration of the consequences of his actions, and not making a decision to act until he had thought them through. I think Kerry's flip flops represent those aspects of leadership that would have led him not to follow the Bush path into Iraq; he would have thought of the consequences and would not have got us in this horrible situation.

But now that the U.S. is in Iraq, the question of what to do should have all Americans doing a "flip-flop" no matter how strong the psychological need for firm "stay the course" "Bring it on" let's roll" mentality. The public display of doubt and uncertainty that has been exploited by the Bush campaign is really a desirable and necessary aspect of Lincolnian leadership. It was the lack of leadership that got us into Iraq, and it was a lack of leadership that leaves us with no easy options in Iraq now. I think the American people recognize that leadership includes consultation, respect for the views of other nations, and most of all, a realistic assessment of consequences, and not some sort of rah-rah, simplistic optimism parading as leadership.

Rich Collins (electronic mail, September 23, 2004)