Posted on 10/08/2004 3:18:39 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
WAUSAU - In his eighth trip to the Badger State since spring, President Bush asked thousands of his faithful supporters at Marathon Park on Thursday for Wisconsin's help as Election Day nears.
Bush's Boeing 757 airplane landed around 2:40 p.m. at Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee, and with surgical precision, the president greeted local Republicans, including Jim Jacobson of Horizon Development Group and Gerald Whitburn, president and chief executive officer of Church Mutual Insurance Co. in Merrill, before jumping in an armored limousine for the 15-minute drive to Wausau along a deserted Highway 51. Accompanying the president was National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. The frontage roads along Highway 51 were dotted with people hoping for a glimpse of Bush's motorcade, which was about 20 vehicles long. Some held signs and American flags, others waved. At about 3:30 p.m., Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Michels introduced Bush to a roaring crowd of about 10,000 people, almost all of whom chanted "four more years" while holding "W's" adorned in Green Bay Packers green and gold.
Bush stressed his plans for all of the campaign's major issues including education, national security and health care throughout his speech, giving attendees a preview of his message before today's second debate with Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry. Bush spent about half of the speech criticizing Kerry's "flip flops" and voting record, and Bush questioned Kerry's foreign-policy doctrine that would create a global test before the United States entered a war.
"Under this test, America would not be able to act quickly against threats because we'd be sitting around waiting for a grade from other nations," Bush said. "I have a different view. America will always work with our allies for security and peace. But the president's job is not to pass an international test. The president's job is to protect the American people." Bush's record on defense is the main reason Kesh Pillai, 35, of Merrill came out to show support for the president. Pillai, a father of three, said Bush needs to continue leading the country through the war on terrorism to keep America safe.
"He's a strong leader who gets things done," Pillai said.
Terry Schlag drove down from Arbor Vitae with his wife, Joan. The couple, both 54, said they can't imagine the next four years without Bush in the White House.
"He's the one to finish the job," said Terry Schlag, a Vietnam veteran.
Bush's visit to Wausau came on the same day a new USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll showed his edge over Kerry among likely Wisconsin voters has narrowed to 3 percentage points following their first televised debate.
The Bush campaign has targeted the Badger State as the Democratic state most likely to vote Republican on Nov. 2. Wisconsin has been a presidential battleground since Al Gore took the state in 2000 by one of the county's narrowest margins - fewer than 6,000 votes out of a total of 2.6 million cast. In Marathon County, 58,374 residents voted in 2000, with 28,883 votes going to Bush and 26,546 for Gore.
Voter interest in the presidential election also is increasing. The survey showed that the percentage of registered Wisconsin voters who have paid quite a lot or some attention to the election has risen from 79 percent in late August to 89 percent this month.
The latest poll shows Bush and Kerry tied at 48 percent among likely Wisconsin voters in regard to who would better handle the economy.
But Bush holds a 54 percent to 41 percent edge on how he would handle terrorism and a 53 percent to 44 percent lead on addressing the situation in Iraq.
YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWW!!! Forget the polls - I know Bush has the hearts of The Badger Folks!
Interesting strategeries and political misunderestimating.
“On Wisconsin! On Wisconsin!
Grand old badger state!
We, thy loyal sons and daughters,
Hail thee, good and great.
On Wisconsin! On Wisconsin!
Champion of the right,
"Forward," our motto
God will give thee might!”
That's because their base would vote for a ham sandwich as long as it wasn't Bush. And heck Kerry's nothing but a ham with alot of bread.
If Kerry is drawing in huge crowds, I've failed to see their glum faces. Oh that's right, the photographer is too busy taking closeups of scarey Kerry from below or in dorkey football, baseball or soccer ball poses....hahaha
That little nasty ditty Kerry gave yesterday with mountains in the background, was done before a row of reporters - Fox News panned the crowd and it was just media.
Kerry's supporters can't stand him.
Bump!
yeah I rarely see a Kerry crowd picture
IF these rallies are any indication then Dubya will be re-elected. sKerry's rally's don't draw even half of GW's.
Awwwwwww!
Excellent!
Did he switch planes on me?
Keep in mind that Dubya also routinely outdrew Gore.
If the media say it is 10,000 in an article, that means it was at least 15,000!
Probably switched to a 757 as they are quite a bit cheaper to fly than the 747. But, then what does he do for communications, etc? I know Boeing outfitted two (maybe three?) 747s to serve as Air Force One aircraft, but I don't they did any 757s to the same level. There are 757s in the government/Air Force stable, but I didn't think they were outfitted to be Air Force One command post aircraft......
Have you noticed that many/most of Fn's public appearances are billed as "Town Hall Style" meetings and are held in small venues like high schools.
Whereas for President Bush they truly are Rallies and are held at large venues that become SRO.
These are the "numbers" that are believable as opposed to the polls. I like President Bush's chances...alot!
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