Would FDR Run Those 9/11 Ads?

Washington Post ^ | 3/11/04 | David S. Broder

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

It's no mystery why President Bush and his campaign aides have fought so hard to establish the legitimacy of their TV ads that include scenes from the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center.

When the commercials came under criticism from survivors of some of those killed by the terrorists and also from some members of the firefighters union, Republicans rushed to insist that the visual references were well justified by the significance of that day for the country -- and for the Bush presidency...

But is it, as supporters of John Kerry and other critics suggest, wrong for Republicans to convert the emotions of that national tragedy into grist for a political campaign?

To answer that question, I went back, with help from Washington Post researcher Brian Faler, to 1944, when Franklin D. Roosevelt, almost three years after Pearl Harbor, was running for reelection. What you learn from such an exercise is that Bush is a piker compared with FDR when it comes to wrapping himself in the mantle of commander in chief. ...

If you accept President Bush's premise that this nation is at war with terrorism, then you have to applaud the restraint his campaign has shown so far in exploiting the attack that began that war. ...

[dirtboy]

If you accept President Bush's premise that this nation is at war with terrorism, then you have to applaud the restraint his campaign has shown so far in exploiting the attack that began that war. ...

Dang, Broder. Didn't think you had this kind of honest left in you.

[evad]

But is it, as supporters of John Kerry and other critics suggest, wrong for Republicans to convert the emotions of that national tragedy into grist for a political campaign?

Jf'nK doesn't have a clue as to why it is absolutely imperative that we keep reminding people of our nation's worst attack.

Ask the jews why they find it necessary to keep reminding people about the holocaust.

I can't wait to see his sorry butt soundly defeated.

Bring it on..Nov 7.

[heleny]

Bring it on..Nov 7.

You meant: November 2.

[GulliverSwift]

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

[liberallarry]

Nice font you've chosen. I've never seen anyone do that on FR (probably didn't notice). Which one is it?

[GraniteStateConservative]

What's the FR login info for WaPost? Do we have such?

[GraniteStateConservative]

tahoma, verdana, arial (depending on what fonts you have on your system)

[evad]

You meant: November 2.

Thanks for the correction ;-)

[Redbob]

"Sen. Samuel Jackson... was moved to ask: "How many battleships would a Democratic defeat be worth to Tojo? How many Nazi legions would it be worth to Hitler? . . . We must not allow the American ballot box to be made Hitler's secret weapon."

Now THAT's partisan!
But what's wrong with it?
We once called it "Free speech."

[OldFriend]

I'm not thanking Broder without reading the entire article and I'm not registering at the comPost either!

[an amused spectator]

Do me a favor and pop that Freepmail back to me & OldFriend, cantcha? :-)

[Semi Civil Servant]

Has the WashPost hired another David S. Broder? This doesn't sound like the regular one.

[an amused spectator]

Hey, all I know is this:

"the Democrat Party . . . had no program, in the dangerous years preceding 9/11, to prevent an Islamic attack or to meet it if it came. Most of the Democrat members of the national Congress fought every constructive move designed to prepare our country in case of an Islamic terror attack."

and this:

"How many fanatical new converts would a Republican defeat be worth to the Islamic jihad? How many Islamofascist legions would it be worth to Osama? . . . We must not allow the American ballot box to be made Osama's secret weapon."

[CGVet58]

agreed. to borrow from Darryl Worley's song, "Have you Forgotten?"... if it was up to me, I'd show it every day".

CGVet58

[weegee]

Any garbage will do to log in (it just asks for sex, birth date, and zipcode). You can even just enter the examples shown in the login screen.

Unless they've added a password like the LAtimes and NTtimes.

[Bob]

A couple of minor corrections:

When the commercials came under criticism from anti-war/anti-Bush activists who happen to be survivors of some of those killed by the terrorists and also from some members anti-Bush leaders of the firefighters union,...

[My2Cents]

I'm a big tahoma fan.