Kelly says the Dems' will have to go negative soon to win, that the "cultural surrogates" aren't enough. And he's right. But when it comes to advertising, I think this may be the first campaign where a candidate's own advertising never goes negative and never needs to.

Americans, despite responding more clearly to negative campaign ads, claim to despise them. And when you sling mud, you get your own hands dirty. Take this study from 1998, which concludes:

Because negative political advertising that identifies the sponsor and the target hurts both candidates, when a candidate uses such advertising, it would be better not to identify the sponsor. However, it is normally required that by law the sponsor be identified. Garramone also pointed this out and suggested that "independent political action committees sponsoring negative advertising offer the candidates they help this anonymity advantage. Independent sponsors may contribute the additional benefit of greater credibility." [Emphasis added.]

Kerry has released "I'm John Kerry and I approve this message" ads that laud his military service and his positive goals for you and me. In this respect, Kelly's right -- Kerry's building trust with undecided voters in battleground states, making the assertive words sure to come out of his mouth during the debates all that more credible.

With dropping approval ratings and increased criticism of wingnut media (normally the proxy negative campaigners of the GOP), Bush's TV advertising went negative almost from the get-go.

Up to the election, even, Kerry can still release all of the positive advertising he wants. With the Left having a great advantage over the Right by outnumbering their 527s, why would the Kerry campaign make a negative ad when MoveOn.org is happy to oblige?

What I'm saying is not a disagreement with Kelly but more of a corollary. Yes, the campaign will get more negative from the Left. Yes, Kerry will have to confront Bush with some incendiary accusations. But while you're peeing in the middle of CSI, Kerry will take 30 seconds to tell you what's great about this country and how he'll represent it. Kerry's hands stay clean. Then, while peeing again in the middle of Letterman, a 527 ad will remind you of prisoner abuses and increased property taxes and the dangers of living without health insurance.

Dubya's manure bombs will still be "approved" by him, leaving him smelling vaguely of shit.

Us "lib'rals" have had hoisted upon us a reputation for hating America. Kerry/Edwards 2004 is shaping up to be a campaign where the candidates can spend more time proclaiming their love for America.