Kerry claims he was talking about the president, but that is not the case. He was giving advice to the students to study hard. Then he made his remark.
When I was a kid, my parents always told me if that I studied hard, I could one day be President. Now basically, according to Kerry's explanation, he said study hard, or else you will end up being President.
Kerry's channeling Vietnam where guys with college exemption studied like crazy to avoid the draft. Going to 'Nam was thought of like getting a Go To Jail card in a game of Monopoly. But that is not at all the dynamic now. I'm so proud of this generation in the service, doing the heavy lifting.