For today's interview, I'm very pleased to present the musings of Diane, one of the bloggers at the Tough Enough site.  The purpose of Tough Enough, according to the blog's sidebar, is to cover national politics and the politics of New York and Massachusetts - and this is something Diane does very well.

Diane was recently able to see John Kerry speak on healthcare at Faneuil Hall, and when she sent me a message afterward to describe the Senator's choice of tie, I knew I had to know more about her.  I sent her a few questions about her political work and general Kerrylove, and here's what she has to say: 

w<3jk: I normally associate the phrase "Tough Enough" with 1.) a Stevie Ray Vaughn song and 2.) that book TheOutsiders  - although, if S.E. Hintonhad a blog it would probably be called "TuffEnuff.Org." What does being Tough Enough mean to you?

Diane: My blog partner named the blog, but to me being Tough Enough means it's not necessary to swagger around like John Wayne to get your point across.  Someone who's tough enough can fight hard when the occasion calls for it, but doesn't need overkill. When not engaged in battle, they can appreciatethe finer things in life, and even get silly on occasion.

w<3jk: You're the first blogger I've talked to who's part of a collaborative blog. How'd you get involved in Tough Enough, and what's it been like to be part of a team?

Diane: It's interesting. I got to know my blog partner through postings on the John Kerry forum and my comments on his previous blogs. Our viewpoints were reasonably compatible, and he was having trouble finding enough time to post regularly, so he invited me to join. He's had a few other people come and go, but they've mostly not kept it up. And I did. As you know, blogs that don't put up new material very regularly can lose their hard-earned readership.

There are a few things I have been hesitant to post on the blog because I feel they might not be things he'd want said in his name - our politics are similar, but not identical. I tend to be pretty nonconfrontational (though I make an exception for Republicans, as you might have noticed.) The situation requires mutual respect and some sensitivity, but mostly it works pretty smoothly.

w<3jk: You cover lots of political news, but it's clear from your posts that you have a soft spot for Senator Kerry. Why? Specifically, what, politically, convinces you he belongs in the White House?  And what, personally, motivates you to do what you do?

Diane: I was first smitten with John Kerry in 1971, when he made his fabled appearance in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. At the time my boyfriend, along with just about every guy my age, was running about a half step ahead of the draft. And there was Kerry, earnest, well-spoken, and passionate, speaking out for common sense and honor. Rhetoric about the war was hot, and he took mountains of crap for every word he said, but he was right, and you could tell by listening to him how deeply he believed what he was saying. 

My first vote for president was in 1972, for McGovern. I voted byMassachusetts absentee ballot from college. Ever since I became aware of politics I've longed for a president who believed in honor and had personal integrity - a president I could respect. Cllinton did a good job in some ways, but I never respected him. And of all the public figures who might try for the job, I believe John Kerry has those qualities in the greatest abundance, inaddition to the thoughtfulness, intelligence, and compassion that we've been sorely lacking in our national leadership. 

My greatest motivation is my children, to whom I feel a great responsibility to leave a better world and a better country than what we have now.

w<3jk: You're also pretty anti-Senator McCain. I can't say I blame you, but, to play devil's advocate, there are some Republican Senators who are WAY moreheinous. Why go after McCain and not, say, Rick Santorum or Tom Coburn or somebody?

Diane: McCain's political positions are extremely conservative, and yet he is touted far and wide for his "crossover appeal". The moderate McCain is a media creation, and it is my aim to help make sure that that false easygoing image is thoroughly debunked so that he becomes an unpalatable choice formoderate voters. Same for Mitt Romney. The thing about Santorum and Coburn is that they are so extreme and so dunderheaded that they undercut themselves every time they open their mouths. They don't require any assistance from me.

w<3jk: And finally, Diane: Do you love John Kerry?

Diane: I kind of think I gave that one away in my third answer, but, oh my god, yes. For something like 35 years now. Once I get started on the subject I can go on - I love the way he is with his daughters; I have a thing for men who are wonderful fathers, and I think he is one of the best. I loved that in spite of a lot of difficult years in his first marriage that he never said a negative word about his wife, and that she still supported him publicly in the campaign. I love the pride he shows in Teresa. These are all qualities that can't be faked, and show what a good man he is. And I love his snarky sense of humor.

I also have a personal story that I told regularly during the 2004 campaign, and that illustrated why the cold, aloof John Kerry the media described tothe public was a fiction.  I first met Kerry when he was running for Lt. Governor - a friend hosted acoffee for him, and I sat around with him and about ten people, all asking questions and sizing him up. I was impressed with his aura of command and his seriousness and intelligence.

And then about 10 years ago or so my family and I were strolling around downtown Boston on a Sunday afternoon, when a tall man passed us - I saw him out of the corner of my eye and did a double take - it was Senator Kerry,walking alone on Beacon Hill. He could easily have just walked by, but hesaw that I'd recognized him, and he gave me a sweet smile and said hi. I said hi back, and that was that. But that brief meeting showed me that John Kerry was a warm person, and very approachable - not the way the Boston papers have ever described him, or the national press, either. So when all
the negative spin showed up in the national media I had a personal basis for knowing it was all lies, and felt a responsibility to do what I could to counter those lies.