Finding a strategy for 2008

From the "the first meeting of the Kerry for President Committee 2008,'' we have this:

[Sen. Ted] Kennedy blamed the country's skittish mood of "overwhelming anxiety and fear'' in the wake of the 9/11 attacks for Kerry's loss. "It was just a difficult thing to kind of break through,'' the senator said.

Sounds like he is starting to get "it," namely that first and foremost any Democrat who plans to run for president needs to figure out a message that will reassure enough independents and other swing voters that he or she has what it takes to be trusted with the keys to U.S. national security. As someone who is pushing for Kerry to run again, that is where Kennedy's immediate priorities are going to be, right? Guess again - next paragraph.

Democrats must do a better job of conveying their values on issues such as health care and jobs if they want to take back Congress and the White House, Kennedy said.

No, no, no. Although I recognize that as the party out of power the most that the Democrats can actually achieve are some tactical victories on domestic issues, a strategy for a return to the White House that ain't. To mimic someone who Kennedy might actually listen to, the lesson in 2004 was that "it's national security, stupid," and it surely will be again in 2008. The sooner the would-be candidates in 2008 figure this out and start thinking accordingly the better, both for them and for independent hawks like me who voted against Kerry as much as we voted for Bush.

(Linked with OTB).