GOP's 'Pucker Factor'

Townhall ^ | 2/02/04 | Novak

[NotchJohnson]

WASHINGTON -- The Republican high command ought to be ecstatic over John Kerry's ascent toward the Democratic presidential nomination. His political profile should reassure George W. Bush's supporters: Massachusetts upper class, Vietnam antiwar protester, Mike Dukakis's lieutenant governor, Teddy Kennedy's protege, 95 percent liberal voter. Yet, ever since Kerry won in New Hampshire, Republican concern about President Bush's re-election has grown.

"I can see the pucker factor," said one GOP operative, using the old military slang term for an attack of gut-clenching fear. What he implies is that he and his colleagues are confronting the possibility of another Bush becoming a one-term president. Predictably, Republicans reacted to Sen. Kerry's success by pasting the liberal label on him. Why, then, the pucker factor?

First, because Kerry is an elusive target. Dukakis's old running mate showed in the hours after he was declared the New Hampshire winner that he is no Dukakis. Second, because Bush may be facing the bane of incumbent presidents: lack of credibility. That malady caused Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson not to seek another term and helped defeat Jimmy Carter and the senior George Bush for re-election.

All four of those one-term presidents were plagued by primary election opposition in their own party, a burden that George W. Bush does not bear. No 20th-century president unopposed for renomination was denied another term. Nevertheless, Bush is reeling from a double blow to his credibility.

Failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, a political accident waiting to happen, became the first punch last week when resigned weapons inspector David Kay testified to Congress. The follow-up blow was the White House revelation that the new Medicare plan will cost one-third more than the president predicted (just as conservatives warned).

These setbacks for Bush followed the most ineffective State of the Union address in recent years by a president whose previous efforts were able to utilize that event. He submitted to the bureaucratic methods that turned the speech into a laundry list. His staff permitted the former baseball team owner to further clutter the speech with an irrelevant discourse about players using steroids. In the two weeks since then, the president has not seemed energized on the campaign trail.

Since nobody wants to say the emperor wears no clothes, worried Republican operatives talk not about raising up Bush but bringing down Kerry. Republican National Chairman Ed Gillespie, given the assignment of rolling out Kerry's liberal record, has come under private criticism by his GOP colleagues. They knock Gillespie, not for trying, but for failing to clearly expose Kerry as a compulsive liberal.

It's not easy. A few minutes after the television networks declared Kerry the New Hampshire winner, the senator said: "I've been a hunter all my life, and I'm a gun owner, and I've never thought of going hunting with an AK-47. I believe in the Second Amendment." When I told a Bush activist about these pro-gun comments, he wondered whether Kerry ever would say that publicly. In fact, he did make that statement publicly over CNN.

Kerry was answering a question by Judy Woodruff about his 20-year liberal voting record in the Senate. "We're going to have a heck of a good debate in this country," he said, adding to his gun comments, "and look, if balancing the budget is called liberal in America, let's go."

Most worrisome to Republicans is Kerry's war hero image while, in the words of one prominent Bush supporter, "our guy was drinking beer in Alabama" (where actually he was working on a losing Senate Republican campaign in 1972). Republicans are trying to negate Kerry's heroism with his postwar peace activism, but that approach is not working. In an interview with Kerry in New Hampshire, I asked if he ever regretted throwing away his medals (Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart). There was no regret, but he hastened to add: "I threw away my ribbons, not my medals."

This may be a case where the liberal is a sufficiently agile dodger to blur his past, and the Republicans must rely on George W. Bush. On Friday, White House spokesman Scott McClellan bridled at the thought of the president suffering a deficiency in credibility. But that in truth is the biggest problem he faces today.

[NotchJohnson]

He threw the ribbons not the medals, and it was someone elses medals.

[TheGeezer]

This is precisely the kind of critique needed to prevent a sleepy campaign. The danger is grave, but not insurmountable. Calling into question GWB's credibility is precisely the strategy the DemocRats have been planning for months, if not years. I am sure Rove and Co. have prepared for it.

The secret weapon remains: Hildabeast. What on earth can she do if Kerry is president when she wants to run in 2008? Moreover, if Kerry becomes president and subverts the national defense to other nations, tinges all foreign policy with guilt and self-doubt, and permits the nation's enemies to attack us on our own soil (as Clinton's failures did), what will become of a Democrat in 2008?

[CasearianDaoist]

He does not need the south: the coasts, the rust belt and acouple of midwestern states and he is in. Bush has a horse race on his hand. One thing I do not get was the business of his SOTU address being "ineffective" I do not see that nor do I remember when SOTU speeches are deciding factors in elections.

[Jack Black]

What are the ribbons for? The ribbons that hold the medals to the uniform, or smaller awards for things done in the Army. Can someone please explain.

[oyez]

Kerry is unelectable as he ran with the likes of Jane Fonda back in the '70's.

[hobson]

I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that said "Vietnam Vets will forgive Jane Fonda when the Jews forgive Hitler". We may be seeing those with "Kerry" inserted over "Fonda".

[corlorde]

The ribbons are representations of the medals themselves. A Silver Star has a matching ribbon for example. Ribbons are usually worn on the Dress Greens. Medals are displayed/awarded and can be worn on the Dress Blues in the Army.

[aynrandfreak]

I think that on some level, Novak wants Bush to lose.

[TheGeezer]

The relics of saints are placed into the altar. They are placed there as a remembrance of masses celebrated in secrecy in the catacombs when the early Church was persecuted by Rome. They lend themselves to a sense of the sacred. But they are not worshipped.

Worship and adoration are reserved for God alone.

[plain talk]

The secret weapon remains: Hildabeast. What on earth can she do if Kerry is president when she wants to run in 2008?

I've heard numerous people say this but I don't buy it. Seems she could just wait til 2012. Leftists like Hillary want dems to win, period. They're socialists and want to keep moving the ball (and chain) forward.

[TheGeezer]

Will she be young enough still to appeal to voters?

[CasearianDaoist]

That is funny. I do not think that Edwards can do it by himself. A Kerry/Edwards ticket is scary. I hope the GOP has something up it's sleeve as this is starting to get serious. They need a major breakthrough on both the enconmy and the WOT to divert opinion. They do not need to find WMD in Iraq, it could be somewhere else.

I also think that he needs to find away to get all of this pandering behind him, it is so transparent.

It is like the Bush family as a gene for one term preidencies.

Why they cannot make the point that without Iraq Libyia would not have happened is beyond me.

I do not think I have seen such an dangerous election ever.

[GeronL]

OK mr. Novak.... Conservatives are concerned that Bush has gone over the big government cliff.... John Kerry plays NO part in why some are concerned about the president.

[plain talk]

I suppose. She would be 65. It might even help her chances to try and appear as a seasoned adult. But I'll offer the following as PROOF that she could run in 2012. I stumbled on it doing a google search for her age. http://www.isarastrology.com/articles/senator.html :-) enjoy!

SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON?
By Marguerite dar Boggia
Printed in The International Astrologer, Winter 1999-2000, Volume XXVIII #4

"Who would have thought almost eight years ago in 1992 that Hillary's progressed Sun opposing natal Uranus would mean that she would have a new career! At that time, I thought it just meant a change of residence OUT of the White House. The transits and secondary progressions for her election in 2001 and reelection in 2007 as Senator from New York or whatever State she chooses, are so favorable that she could even possibly run for President in 2013. Being in the White House again would be a familiar place, but she would NOT be reelected as President in 2017. If she opted NOT to run for President she would easily be reelected as Senator in 2013, and again in 2019. Astrologers are indebted to Marion March, Lois M. Rodden and Michael Erlewine's ACT mailing list (act@thenewage.com) for providing us with information as to the source of the birth data for Hillary Clinton which is October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. Hillary gave her time of birth as 8:00 PM, but her Mother indicated that she was born in the morning. The time of 8:02 A.M. works very well and it gives her an ascendant of 22:07 Scorpio. (Rodden rating DD) In November 1992 when Bill Clinton was elected as President, transiting Pluto was on her ascendant."

[q_an_a]

mc cain loving Novak does a hit piece on the presidnet and makes it look like kerry is tough. then he makes this look like he is for the president by saying nice things about winning. novak should retire. he is a gass bag.

[7thson]

If they - Bill and Hill - want Dems to win, they would work like the devil to get their fellow dems elected. They have not. Since their rise to political prominence in America, they have done more to cause the Dems to lose power than to gain. They are in it only for themselves.

I believe she is going to attempt an end run this year. 2008 will be too late for her. Whatever looks she has - it ain't much - will be gone. Plus, Americans have gotten use to seeing "slim" people as their President.

[FlipWilson]

Not to mention the far left factor. Kerry is going to try and hide what he really stands for ala AlGore. In doing so, will he come off as a "Republican Light?" Now that Dean is fading, perhaps Ralph Nader might change his mind and run on the Green Party ticket.

[oyez]

I spent some time with some hacked up VN vets in Newport Naval Hospital and the Local VA Hospital. Some had a lot of disagreement over the way the war was fought but we all hated the Fonda crowd.