Empty Words, Toxic Rhetoric.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)

Sober Americans recalled that neither quality was well stocked in his administration. From that moment on, ridiculous rhetoric rocked and rolled in Boston.

Bad enough was the overplay of great American recordings. Convention planners should not be forgiven for nearly spoiling Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode." Reducing that anthem, among others, to a campaign tune masked fatal problems for John Kerry and John Edwards. Chief among them: unoriginality, shallow inconsistency and -- dare we say it? -- intellectual dishonesty.

From the start of Kerry's candidacy, organizers have reached for a memorable slogan. Until recently they settled on "The Real Deal," briefly replaced by "Bring It On!" -- first used by George W. Bush himself. Utterly unimaginative and cliched.

The slogan that darted electronically around the FleetCenter was "A Stronger America." The words, of course, are belied by Kerry's two-decade record of voting against nearly every effort to strengthen our military.

Edwards' speech was supposed to display shimmering eloquence. But he fell into plagiarism. Addressing terrorists, he warned: "You can run, but you cannot hide." Sounds brave, but Ronald Reagan said it first. Likewise his chant, "Hope is on the way!" That was Dick Cheney four years ago, vowing "Help is on the way!" to our unequipped military -- a promise Sens. Kerry and Edwards wouldn't help the administration keep. Then, in his own acceptance speech, Kerry squared and cubed the theft.

Edwards' logic also left something to be desired. The trial lawyer repeated his campaign theme of "two Americas" -- harping on a supposed division between the powerless and the powerful. At the same time, like Kerry, he promised the salvation of the middle class. Last time ...