MSNBC - Newsweek: Boston Blog

MSNBC -: "Monday, July 26 4:45 p.m. ET

Richard Wolffe: What does John Kerry have to do in his Thursday hight speech (apart from accepting the nomination)? The conventional wisdom is that the senator needs to bond with the undecideds, convey something of his non-Senate life that makes voters feel they know him. Yet Kerry's advisers suggest that role is being played by other figures this week: family and Vietnam vets, for instance. While Kerry is likely to hit those notes, his advisers say he's aiming to do something bigger: to make the case for change. Kerry's aides point to the 9/11 commission's report as a guide. Instead of focusing on what went wrong or who is to blame, Kerry is likely to talk about what needs to change to make America safer. It might not be warm and fuzzy, but it's Kerry's best chance to give swing voters a reason to get off the fence."