“…If Cheney seems too-focused on state-sponsored terrorism, Kerry and Edwards at least seem too focused on what might be called the ‘Great Man Theory of Terrorism,’ placing much too much public emphasis on the capture of Osama bin Laden– as if that would make the al Qaeda network (and its future imitators) wither away. … P.S.: I don’t think Kerry really buys this theory–he also said, in Debate #1

‘I believe that a fresh start, new credibility, a president who can understand what we have to do to reach out to the Muslim world to make it clear that this is not, you know — Osama bin Laden uses the invasion of Iraq in order to go out to people and say that America has declared war on Islam.

We need to be smarter about now we wage a war on terror. We need to deny them the recruits.’

That’s why I’m for him. But the opportunistic public focus on bin Laden himself is off-putting. … ” — Mickey Kaus (Slate )