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Members of the Media on the John Kerry Bio

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John Kerry wants to be the next U.S. president and his background reads like a blueprint for U.S. presidents. He is tall, good-looking, and rich. He is a decorated Vietnam veteran who became an antiwar protester. For the past 20 years, he has served as the junior senator from Massachusetts and made a name for himself in foreign policy.

But who is John Kerry? "Liberal," "flipflopper," "aloof," "uncharismatic," "solid," and "the real-deal" are just a few of  the ways he has been described by the public and media. With less than a hundred days to the November presidential election, John Kerry remains a mystery.

Boston Globe columnist Joan Vennochi discusses why the Globe has been so tough on Kerry, and what she thinks is missing in Kerry's biography.

Kerry biographer Douglas Brinkley helps fill some gaps in the John Kerry story, and discusses whether or not the brave war hero bio is enough to trump Kerry's voting record.

Newsweek's Richard Wolffe talks about why he thinks the Republicans have been successful at framing Kerry as a "flip-flopper."

Tune in to hear what the media and voters are saying about Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

Guests:

Joan Vennochi, op-ed columnist, The Boston Globe

Douglas Brinkley, author of the Kerry biography "Tour of Duty"

Richard Wolffe, covering the Kerry campaign for Newsweek magazine

Jack Beatty, On Point News Analyst and a senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly.

This program aired on July 27, 2004.

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