People Have Eyes: Americans dislike Bush's enemies more than they dislike Bush.

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Thursday, April 22, 2004 | Peggy Noonan

[jcb8199]

I do not know precisely why President Bush's popularity continues high despite a month of the most relentless pounding from partisans, the press, the 9/11 commission and history itself (Fallujah, etc.) No one else knows either. Professionals will read the polls through the prism of their own expertise. Media people will say it's the cumulative effect of Mr. Bush's stirring ads. Those who agree with the president's stand on Iraq will say it's Iraq. Others may argue it's because he put tax cuts at the heart of his economic policy and the economy has begun to rebound. There is probably some truth in all of this. But my guess would be something else.

I think Mr. Bush is admired and liked after three years of war, terror, strife and recession because people have eyes.

They look at him, listen to him, and watch him every day. They can tell that George W. Bush is looking out for America. They can tell he means it. They can see his sincerity. They can tell he is doing his best. They understand his thinking because he tells them his thinking. They think he may be right. They're not sure, but at least they understand his thinking.

They are not shocked that our intelligence system wasn't working very well before 9/11. They would like our intelligence system to be first-rate and the best in the world, and they like to say they expect it to be best in the world. But they also think it comes from Washington, it's government, and so by definition flawed. Mr. Bush has survived not finding of the weapons of mass destruction for two reasons. One is that Americans have come to be sure that Saddam was an unusually bad man and a threat to whatever stability the Mideast enjoys. The other is that Americans believe Mr. Bush himself honestly believed Saddam was a threat. If Bill Clinton, who thought Iraq had WMDs, had invaded Iraq post-9/11 and not found them, he would have been thrown out of office. That's because no one ever believed what Mr. Clinton said, and they wouldn't have believed his explanations. They assumed most of what he did had a cynical and self-serving basis. Mr. Bush doesn't have that problem, because regular people don't think he's a habitual liar. (This is why in presidential elections character trumps everything. It's not some abstraction, it has practical and daily presidential applications.)

Americans do not think Mr. Bush has a persona to dazzle history, they think he is the average American man, but the average American man as they understand the term: straight shooter, hard worker, decent, America-loving, God-loving.

[jcb8199]

Great article...felt a little swelling of pride in W. and America as I read it...

[AlbertWang]

America is smarter than the press.


When we get to know JFK, a rich , self serving gigalo, the tide will turn.


Don't beleive the current polls. Bush is headed to a 45 state blow out.

[cripplecreek]

I can't help but like our president. He's the kind of man you could expect to find in my garage on poker nights or having a bull session around the bonfire. Thats why i like him but it still isnt reason to vote for him.

I will vote for Bush based allmost entirely on a couple of issues. First is the fact that he has recognized the greatest threat that mankind has ever known and chosen to confront it head on rather that ignore it hoping it goes away. the second is the fact that he seems to know that I pay too much in taxes.

[Voltage]

The Democrat primaries were all about who hated Bush the most. One would think the issue would be settled, but no. Kerry continues with the 'hate Bush' campaign.

It's sickening, and making the electorate sick...sick of Kerry.

[Flux Capacitor]

Yep. Somebody should tell ol' Ketchup Boy that the primaries are over -- he's now running ads accusing Bush of ruining our air and water, the kind of ads his base will lap up but that the independent voters he needs will recognize as total lunacy.

-Dan

[Bonesaw]

haha i c ur all Pro Bush, if i lived in US id just flip a coin, they are both from the upper class of society. They were both in a secret society called Skull 'n' Bones. I would hate to have to choose, in Aus ur lucky cuz the voting has a preference system, so if u vote for a third party and it gets knocked out of the round ur vote goes to the next preference. NOT SAYING I WOULD VOTE FOR GREENS this year, damn that would be a real shame.

[MizSterious]

I pray she is right. Yet, like yesterday, chatting with a well-dressed woman reading Time magazine in the doctor's waiting room, I keep hearing people parroting what they just heard on the network news or possibly in Time magazine. "He lied." "He misled us." "He just wanted to help his oil buddies make more money." (Implying, at the same time, that I must be somehow gullible or stupid for thinking otherwise.) Discouraging, to hear it so often.

[cripplecreek]

time to dust off the ole "Hardball" transcript of the interview with James Hoffa where Hoffa states that John Kerry promised to open up all of ANWAR for drilling and "we're going to drill like never before".

[Flux Capacitor]

----Don't beleive the current polls. Bush is headed to a 45 state blow out.----

He may well be -- assuming Kerry is in fact his opposition. But John F'in is such a disaster as a candidate, and the Democrats are so consumed with the reacquisition of power no matter what they have to do, that I will not be surprised if they pull a Frank Lautenberg before (or even after) their convention.

-Dan

[Overtaxed]

Hmmmm....last time I heard ladies chatting about politics (I was waiting at the airport) it was how Hillary was a b*tch and no way in hell would they vote for her. :)

[#3Fan]

If Bill Clinton, who thought Iraq had WMDs, had invaded Iraq post-9/11 and not found them, he would have been thrown out of office.

Good article but on this item no way. About the only time I praised Clinton was in '98 when I thought he was going to kill Saddam. WMD would've made no difference to me had Clinton gone through with his threats but of course he backed off. He only kills people like Brown and Foster I guess who have no real power. Should've known.

[Mr. Bird]

If Bill Clinton, who thought Iraq had WMDs, had invaded Iraq post-9/11 and not found them, he would have been thrown out of office. That's because no one ever believed what Mr. Clinton said, and they wouldn't have believed his explanations.

Precisely. Bill Clinton, in fact, went on national TV with his SecState and declared a War on Terror, and named Bin Laden as public enemy number one. I watched it. I didn't believe him.

[MizSterious]

"they are both from the upper class of society"

So, you're saying that people from money and/or good families can't possible govern well? Seems to me a lot of America's best came from both sides of the tracks, and some well-off officials were spectacular leaders, as were some who didn't have such helpful ties.

One of the worst I've ever seen came from the wrong side of the tracks, and stayed there. Bill Clinton had no ethics, no morals, and certainly no leadership. If not for his bumbling, we might have put the 9/11 terrorists in jail before they struck.

[MizSterious]

Oh, I'd love to meet the people you talk with! I hope your experiences outnumber mine!

[cripplecreek]

"Hmmmm....last time I heard ladies chatting about politics (I was waiting at the airport) it was how Hillary was a b*tch and no way in hell would they vote for her. :)"


However she is more man than John Kerry will ever be.

[Owen]

I disagree with Peggy in only one instance. Character doesn't trump everything. GHW Bush asserted that it did in his campaign against Clinton and it didn't trump a weak economy.

Nothing trumps everything. The people add things together, subtract some things, and then change their minds about what is important at any one time. That's why April is real early in a campaign.

[Pylot]

About every other time I read a Peggy Noonan article I get the same emotional reaction that I got from Reagans speeches. Peggy wrote many or most of Reagans speeches.

For a conservative, she works closer to the emotional side of issues than any other I know. And she does it surprisingly effectively.

This was a good read.

[jwalburg]

Beautiful description of Bush being like the guy calmly putting out the fire and continuing with his narrative. That's him. I do disagree with the statement on Clinton. If taking illegal campaign contributions from people connected with the Chinese army didn't get him thrown out of office, nothing would have.

[Oberon]

haha i c ur all Pro Bush, if i lived in US id just flip a coin, they are both from the upper class of society.

The ruling class, you mean. Some of us little-L libertarians get it, but we're only tolerated here at FreeRepublic. The Bushbots rule the roost.

I prefer George Bush to his competition, but I recognize him for what he is...the latest scion of a two-party system that has played good-cop/bad-cop with the electorate for years. The real political dividing line in this country isn't between left and right...it's between top and bottom.

[Overtaxed]

Hehehe. Don't know who those people were....one was a black...er...African American lady. I just overheard them talking in the airport.