Posted on 12/14/2003 1:40:20 PM PST by .cnI redruM
As a Presidential Primary slogs on, the dynamics of the nominating race will change, as candidates run out of money and luck. Usually, this involves declared candidates. Politicians vying to win their party over to their nuance of that organization's view of the world.
Previous elections, coinciding with wars, have offered the opposition party the temptation to use enemy achievements as talking points. Contra the foreign policy of the party in power. In 1972, George McGovern made a principled opposition to America's participation, in The Vietnam War, his gravaman athwart Richard Nixon's bid for reelection.
In the 2004 pre-primaries, Howard Dean has grabbed the swag and the momentum by pumping himself up as a George McGovern on steroids. He has gone so far as to hitch his chariot to that dimming star of The Orient, Saddam Hussein al Tikriti. Dean has made Hussein his unacknowledged VP Candidate. Quite possibly, neither man's ambitions succeed without the other's.
The 4th Infantry Division may be digitized, but they forgot to log on to Dean.Com. They launched Operation Red Dawn against Hussein and dragged the brutal coward out of his spider hole and took him for a frog march. Howard Dean now needs a new shadow running mate.
The cynical, like myself for example, may now speculate how this changes the Presidential Race. The winners abound and George W. Bush leads the victory lap. The leading Democrat's banner issue now looks ridiculous. Let's see what theories Howard Dean espouses next week.
However, Bush shouldn't gloat. The tidal wave has risen, temporarily swamped Howard Dean, and lifted the boats of his primary opposition. Lieberman and Gephardt look prescient, rather than servile.
Clark's bizarre War On Terror spin may have turned his buggy around and finally headed in an intelligent direction. Now Wesley Clarke's theories that the US military needs to get more serious in Afghanistan now look far more interesting than Howard Dean's X-Files script. The one involving pre-9/11 intelligence, regarding the attacks.
The more credible Democrats will now turn loose the hounds on Howard Dean. He may still get the nomination, but it won't be because he's more anti-war than Holy Joe Lieberman.
Bush should see approval ratings that mask a lot the mistakes he's made as a first-term president. These numbers may last a few months, but they won't still hover in the stratosphere unless the Dems impale themselves on the lance of deracinated radicalism.
Bush, like the 4th Infantry Division, has won a battle. The war rages on with one fewer prime mover in The Democratic Primary. Saddam Hussein now has more pressing engagements.
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