MAKE THE CASE . . .

New York Post ^ | 3/04/04 | JOHN PODHORETZ

[kattracks]

March 4, 2004 -- THE presidential race is on. For the first time in three months, George W. Bush is no longer playing political second fiddle to the Democratic primary. Impatient Republicans have been waiting for him to start fighting back, and they fear the Bush campaign's current plans for lots of positive TV ads won't do the trick.

[Texasforever]

Good analysis.

[texasflower]

He's right about the type of speeches he should give. He really gives outstanding speeches when he wants to.

Contrast that with Kerry's boring, mind-numbing speeches.

No contest.

I just bought the new book he wrote about Bush. Haven't read it yet though.

[MEG33]

I read Novak, then thank heavens for Podhoretz as an antidote.

[onyx]

Ditto Meg, you're right.

[MEG33]

I agree.His serious speeches are terrific,though his latest SOTU got him some bad reviews.I loved his speech to the Republican Governors dinner.

[texasflower]

Yeah, the SOTU wasn't his best. I would love to see him speak the way he did when he was in London.

He was strong, powerful and commanding.

[MEG33]

There are moments of high drama that do bring out the very best in a leader.I am going to pray a lot for our country and for President Bush.It's a long time til November.

God bless our armed forces and all their loved ones who wait at home.

[livius]

Good points all.

I read that there is "controversy" over a shot of the Twin Towers in one of the ads - that is because we have recovered so successfully, thanks to Bush, that many Americans have virtually forgotten that it ever happened. We need to be reminded of all that has been done.

And we need to focus on the future, especially since the Dems are going to be busy focusing on an event of 40 years ago.

[Fledermaus]

Podhoretz has one thing correct: good, long speeches. Especially in front of good crowds like the last one with the Governors.

Or the one at the Military College.

Forget the very large crowds. Forget the one on one with the reporter. He's just not good in that format. He could have ripped Russert to pieces.

The SOTU "sucked" only because everyone is in this flux...the war on terror is going so well that we are now looking for other things to whine about. I think his SOTU was looking beyond the war and that's when the speech failed.

Stick with the facts on the ground Mr. President - we are in a real war against a real enemy in a time so dangerous we don't even have fanatical communists to help us maintain peace as perverted as that seems.

Most of us have known this danger, and many others, for decades. Too many haven't. We then thought on 9/11 those who "didn't get it" would wake up. They did for about one week and now are supposedly "angry" at our insistence to not only defend ourselves but to engage the enemy on their front.

I've said it before and have been chastised and had posts pulled...but what's it going to take for these people? Another 3,000 in an attack? 30,000? 300,000? 3,000,000? More?

Sometimes I wonder if that would be a good thing...if the enemy hits us even harder to the point someone like John Kerry couldn't even exist in government with his ideals. It reminds me of many stories in books, movies and on TV. There was an old "Outer Limits" that starred Robert Culp as a soldier/volunteer. The "elite" scientists and thinkers, movers and shakers, decided the Earth needed to be united or else. And so they took the Culp character and went through a process of turning him into an alien. He would then be blasted off into orbit to head back in as a visitor and once he came out and the Earth saw there was other life (water on Mars?) they'd unite.

There are many of stories like these. So I don't think it's so horrible if sometimes, in my disgust of the ability of people to see the true danger, I think we are just going to have to suffer a bigger blow to get it into their heads.

Remember, Bush 41 had a 92% job approval rating a year before he lost to Clinton. Churchill was thrown out after WWII. I'm almost afraid the people, while whiny and talking about "two Americas" etc., are still so complacent and generally happy regardless of their venom toward Bush, feel they are safe enough to move Bush out.

Stephen King can't write horror like that!

[MEG33]

I would not wish any more 911s to awaken people...that is what we hope to prevent,after all.I have lived through real wars and a cold war .The cold war was dangerous business and required many compromises to counter the Soviet sphere of influence.

Many of the countries,though who the Soviets aided are the ones causing misery today.The coalition of Marxism and Islam is simply stunning as Communism is anti religion.

The same people who saw no harm really in other countries going communist(Kerry's dad , Kerry,liberals,the left,peaceniks)are apt to want to use only diplomacy ,aid and compromise on the Islamofacists and consider terror a law enforcement problem.

Others simply stick their heads in the sand..it's up to the grown ups to face reality.

[Fledermaus]

Don't misunderstand (a little Rush lingo there), I hear you. I just keep wondering what it will take for these idiots to either help or stay out of the way.

The thing that angers me the most is how hateful they are while living in the country that allows them to be rich enough to live in San Francisco. I was in SF for a few days in March 2003. They were having some anti-war protests, blocking streets, etc. Screws up your driving plans as a tourist (like they care).

[MEG33]

If only they ruled the world,income could be equitable,living conditions for third world countries improved and peace and love reign..or else.

There are those leading those peace rallies who would start a war to gain their ends...or better yet incite others to start a war.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Good read, thanks for posting.

[q_an_a]

two words to give your assurance...Karen Hughes. She had as much to do with the 2002 romp as anyone. Take heart. the failure right now is in the world of goood candidates to be elected with President Bush.

[Charlotte Corday]

It just so happens that advertising is a perfect vehicle to remind people about how every single person in the United States who pays taxes has benefited from the tax cuts.

This would be fine, except that we are reaching (or may already have reached) the point at which taxpayers are a minority of those eligible to vote.