Shrum-a-thon, Cont'd

I had to deal with someone else whose casual offer to pitch in was welcomed by Kerry, the fashion designer Kenneth Cole. He's famous for clever riffs that push his products by reaching beyond them--for example, for shoes: "What you stand for is more important than what you stand in." Find out if he has some great ideas, Kerry said, and even if he doesn't, talk to him. Cole was a contributor to our campaign, and Mario Cuomo's son-in-law. His stream of consciousness poured in day after day, e-mail after e-mail, phone call after phone call. But were we really going to run an ad--better in print, Cole suggested--that said: "There is only one man that can Kerry us forward"? Or use the slogan: KERRY. ON. IN '04? Nor were we going to proclaim, "All work and low pay makes every Johnny part of our middle class."... The high point was a "joke" in August as Kerry was under fierce attack: "As many of you heard, I did take a few days off from the campaign last week and yes I did wind-surf. It was very interesting, in case you heard. I saw following me 'The Swift Boat Surfing Veterans for Truth.'... On a board that I think was bought for them by a company called Halliburton something." Cole cared. He was indefatigable. But by the fall, I just didn't have any more time to keep him happy.