Classical Values ::

On Hannity and Colmes yesterday, Dick Morris predicted that John Kerry would select Hillary Clinton as his running mate.

While I consider Morris a largely unrecognized genius, those who do not want Hillary Clinton to be a bullet away from the presidency might take heart by reading his prediction about John Kerry just three weeks ago:

John Kerry's misguided campaign will probably come to an end in New Hampshire. With former Gen. Wesley Clark gaining on him, he might even suffer the indignity of coming in third in his next-door state.

Kerry's problem, indeed, his epitaph, is that he tried to move to the center before he secured the left.

Dick Morris's thinking is sound, but his conclusion forgets a basic principle of his own triangulation strategy: steal your opponent's issues so he has nothing to run on. Howard Dean had not secured the left. Far from it. And Dean never had the center, and failed to soften his tone. Kerry, meanwhile, stole the center while became the best anti-war candidate, the one experienced in war plus the one who could win. After Dean's numerous gaffes, Kerry offered the "responsible" versus the irresponsible.

Tonight, watching Dan Rather sycophantic toadying up to Kerry (along with the usual smarmy smearing of Dean), I realized it's a done deal. Kerry is already annointed.

Just listen to him. He's running against Bush.