John Kerry and his media allies are mad that the swift boat vets messed up his image. They see the Bush National Guard records as tit for the vets' tattling, yet they don't understand that a candidate of the pivotal moment like President Bush receives different treatment from the public than a candidate like too-good-to-be-true Kerry.

 The irony of CBS's rush to accept forged documents is that even if the documents were real they wouldn't have made much difference. Is that unfair? Is Kerry being held to a higher standard? Maybe so, but he set that bar himself.

 A bit of his problem is the pomposity he can't seem to escape, even by windsurfing. Maybe he has an excuse: He could say, "Some call me pompous, but in Massachusetts we call that talking." (Hey, I grew up there and cheer for the Red Sox.)

 The crucial difference, though, is a pivotal moment. George Bush's came when he stopped drinking and came to Christ. I obviously have no knowledge of the state of John Kerry's soul, but I've looked over the evidence concerning his beliefs -- his own statements and the statements of those who know him -- and can't find anything that parallels the Bush experience of and emphasis on God's grace.

That experience and emphasis makes sense to lots of voters around the country, since so many of us have had similar experiences. If those with immaculate lives vote for Kerry and those who messed up but are now doing better vote for Bush, it will be a GOP landslide.