Well, He LOOKS Like a Horse

In between your bouts of convulsive sobbing over the polls and compulsive binging on Rocky Road, please pay a little attention to this John-Kerry-as-Seabiscuit analysis in today's NYTimes:

"...a candidate who runs best from behind, a political Seabiscuit who pulls ahead after anxiety-producing slow starts .... when he realizes, 'I could lose this if I don't do something more forceful,' then he comes to life and is able to finish off an opponent .... As Mr. Kerry approaches this campaign's home stretch, with the first debate tomorrow night, there is much in his past to suggest that he believes elections are won in the endgame, that he holds back on purpose and begins concentrating intently on the race only when he believes the voters are, too .... Many of Mr. Kerry's oldest friends express exasperation at his willingness to drift at times in his campaigns. His tendency to focus best in the crunch is a longtime habit, dating at least to his days as a champion debater at Yale, and one that cannot be explained as a result of mere procrastination or inattention .... 'When his back is up against the wall, the adrenaline starts flowing and he just does phenomenal things. It's a last-minute, rush-type operation.' "

Well, shoot! You mean we could've been canning beans and tomatoes since July, instead of working our butts off, and easily relaxed until Mr. Kerry decided his back was up against the wall? Who knew?