PEER PRESSURE
Jacob Levy claims geeky fashion sense and a messy office as a defense against my suggestion that his Kerry infatuation is a sign of trying to be cool. Sorry, Jacob (whom I like very much). Bad aesthetics is no excuse. Artists aren't the only ones who fashionably hate George W. So do academics.
Vote for Kerry if you must, folks. But don't pretend you're doing it because Bush's economic policies are insufficiently free market or fiscally responsible. Kerry wouldn't be any better on economics. He'd be worse.
Update: Robert Tagorda is pessimistic about the Kerry-Edwards trade stance. On trade, Edwards is just a more photogenic version of Dick Gephardt--a new Dem but not a New Dem. He sounds more like Pat Buchanan than Bill Clinton.