Bush on offensive as Kerry stumbles

Washington Times ^ | 3/18/04 | Bill Sammon

[kattracks]

President Bush's re-election campaign has kept Sen. John Kerry on the defensive for days by employing an aggressive communications strategy that was largely absent just weeks ago.

The hard-charging approach entails simultaneous attacks on Mr. Kerry by the Bush campaign team, the Republican National Committee, the White House and the president. An abundance of Bush surrogates and well-financed TV ads round out the strategy.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Taking advice from and siding with criminals and thugs has been Kerry's beast of burden ever since he left Vietnam.

[lainde]

Yes! BTW just read Vice President Cheney's speech on the WSJ Online...It was superb! Can't wait for him to debate the unlucky Rat VP candidate!

[GOPrincess]

Well, I do think the Bush team should have been more nimble handling the response to the 9/11 "commercials" protests, which took place after Kerry was the presumptive nominee...The commercials were *wonderful* but the response to the protest malarkey was too slow coming.

On the other hand, I am VERY pleased with what I'm seeing this week, especially V-P Cheney's speech. It caused me to think back to his convention speech when he said "Help is on the way!" He is such a great guy. My family went to see Cheney and Powell at a rally in CA two days before the 2000 election and it was a thrill to listen to the future V.P. and Secretary of State give speeches! :) (Of course, we never dreamed that Sunday how loooong it would take to know they were the V.P. and Secretary of State, LOL.)

[Capriole]

Within the United States, he has had the chance to meet with only one foreign leader since the beginning of last year, according to a review of Mr. Kerry's travel records by The Washington Times.

And which foreign leader would that be? Who has visited here in the past year? Tony Blair? Ariel Sharon? Vicente Fox? Vlad Putin? Who else? I can imagine the latter two musing that it might be nice to have the manipulable Kerry in office, but it's hard to envision Vicente Fox actually wanting such a thing since he is already able to make Bush dance to his tune. As for Putin--is it likely that he, an adult man, would say such an undiplomatic thing to such a foolish man? I think he is a better judge of character than that, even if he might wish Kerry to be the president.

And it is that which most bemuses me about Kerry's public confession. It's one thing for a little senator to speak nonsense; that's of no import, and the world pays no attention to something a minor political figure says. But Kerry is now in line to be the most powerful man in the world, and the world attends to what he says. A man who must lead the free peoples of the world should have some tact, discretion, self-control, and sense of diplomacy. He does not go around shooting his mouth off senselessly. George Bush, for all the accusations of bluster and unmeasured speech, has never once said anything inappropriate or undiplomatic. Kerry has regularly committed gaffes of this sort. This is not the behavior of a person of intelligence, a person suited to high office. The stress of a campaign is no excuse, since the stress of being president is much greater than the stress of campaigning.

I say this not as a Republican or Democrat (though of course I am a lifelong Republican) but as a political observer: I am now beginning to question Kerry's basic intelligence.

[Fledermaus]

If I was them, I'd never have even resonded to the whiners about the 9/11 ads. I'd have just said, "we stand by the ads, next question?"

[GOPrincess]

"To hear JFKerry speak after listening to Vice President Cheney was like hearing a voice of "dark" despair filled with bitterness and hate. Not one bit inspiring."

It's a stark contrast, and one I hope becomes abundantly clear to Mr. and Mrs. Sort-of-Uninvolved Voters as the year progresses.

As Rush pointed out today, when Kerry heckled the gentleman at the town hall meeting who wanted to know which foreign leaders, Kerry was showing he did NOT want to be President of all the people. Instead of using it as an opportunity to try to win a convert (and many more listening), Kerry delighted not only in harrassing the gentleman about his voting record and arrogantly claiming it wasn't a taxpayer or voter's business to know which foreign leaders endorsed him, Kerry also seemed to enjoy the crowd booing the guy. Based on what I heard on several radio shows over the last couple days (including Larry Elder's show), I think even some Democrats were left unsettled by this.

[Just mythoughts]

"If I was them, I'd never have even resonded to the whiners about the 9/11 ads. I'd have just said, "we stand by the ads, next question?""


One does have to wonder now if the Bush/Cheney campaign were aware that the whiners were paid political hacks by Mrs. Heinz, and that is why they responded as they did.

[tonyinv]

We all know that in the end, Kerry will be seen as a bigtime loser by the party faithful (only slightly less of loser than Gore is considered). And they will blame Karl Rove for somehow picking Kerry as the nominee of the party. They'll piss and moan about how unfair it was for the Bush camp not to show their hand before they got stuck with Kerry.

As for Hillary, dont believe that she couldn't muscle her way into being the nominee if she really thought she could beat President Bush. The dems dont care about well established election law, what makes you think they'll give a crap about the nomination process?

[Uncle Miltie]

When your enemy is intent on destroying himself (i.e. Democrat Primaries) do not interrupt him.

- Paraphrasing Sun Tzu

"Hold your fire until you see the whites of their eyes."

This day was coming, and the Bush team played it perfectly. The day Kerry became the presumptive nominee, the plan went into effect. Kerry may be destroyed by the end of March. You know there are hundreds of talking points lined up to spring a couple of real zingers every day from now 'til the election.

This is going to be fun. Pull up a chair and some popcorn!

[Just mythoughts]

"Based on what I heard on several radio shows over the last couple days (including Larry Elder's show), I think even some Democrats were left unsettled by this."


JFKerry does like to brag that he was a prosecutor and that is exactly how he treated "joe" citizen.

[GOPrincess]

I've seen a couple good articles here and there showing the adjectives used to describe Bush compared to Kerry. There is also obvious bias in situations such as CBS and the NYT trying to bury the news that their poll this week showed Bush ahead -- CBS wouldn't put the story on their news, and the NYT (per Brit Hume) buried Bush's lead in paragraph NINE.

The problem is conservatives hear about this stuff -- more all the time, thanks to the 'Net, talkradio, and blogs -- but is there a way to somehow get around the "mainstream media" to let the general not-so-interested-in-politics public know about mainstream media bias? Now there's a project! :)

[Fledermaus]

No way to know. I would have hoped it would make no difference.

[My2Cents]

I want the Left to be destroyed in this election.

I agree. "Ash heap of history" kind of destroyed.

[GOPrincess]

On the one hand, I see your point about not responding to the ads, because I agree with your basic premise. It was so *stupid* and in a way responding lets the morning news shows, etc., set the discussion agenda.

But on the other hand, since the talk agenda *is* set by others, I'd like to see some sort of response -- maybe a quick statement also incorporating your idea, saying succinctly just who the "protesters" were (a small liberal anti-war group, etc.) and then saying "We stand by the ads. Next question?" I was uncomfortable with the way the news cycle went on and on and on with something that was a non-issue, and wish there had been a way to turn the talk to something else more promptly...

[nopardons]

Because it would become THE cause celebre.

Even fringers would turn out in droves to vote for Bush. She knows this;unlike some FREEPERS who just enjoy scaring themselves to death. She does NOT want to run against Bush and she does NOT want to be V.P. either. The next election cycle is made for her, with Cheney not running and a form a circle and kill one's own Republican free for all.

[faithincowboys]

You're so right. I think a GOP C-SPAN is the way to go. FIx News is in full retreat. Guys like Major Garrett are providing "straight" news with a clear bias. O'Reilly is a coreless opportunist. Greta is a moderate Rat and Hannity has to split time with Colmes. I wish Fox had anybody as committed and effective as Chris Matthews. He is wrong, but I have to admit he pushes the Rat line with such skill.

[Fledermaus]

This type of attack and "repsond/don't respond" will go on for months.

It gets the point the issue is ignored because Dems lose on the issues.

[faithincowboys]

I think that is hoping for too much, but I think they need to be punished for their extreme anti-americanism.

[baseballmom]

Baron John F. Munchausen still can't tell the American people what foreign leaders he's met and he took the cowardly way out by mentioning he voted both FOR and AGAINST $87 billion worth of assistance to our troops in Iraq.

LOL Baron John F. Munchausen...

Dennis Miller skewered Kerry tonight by reminding him that Queen Latifah was NOT a world leader. LOL

[My2Cents]

I think Rush's point is on-target. Remember the turning point of Dean's campaign, when it all started going down-hill? It was when Dean attacked that one guy in the townhall meeting who said that Dean should lay off the negativity, and "love his neighbor," and Dean said "Bush isn't my neighbor." It started to unravel from that point.