(thats better)
Posted on 06/13/2004 10:48:51 PM PDT by RWR8189
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush's reelection campaign, in a tacit acknowledgment it is having trouble getting its message through, said on Sunday it would step up efforts to convince voters the economy and handover plans for Iraq are on track.
The two-week drive will be spearheaded by Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and first lady Laura Bush, and will include an expanded television advertising campaign focused on the economy in 19 battleground states.
The campaign's goal is to shift voters' attention from grim news about prisoner abuses and targeted assassinations in Iraq that have overshadowed the formation of a new interim government and a U.N. Security Council resolution.
Administration officials are particularly concerned that strong job growth at home has not translated -- as yet -- into higher approval ratings for Bush.
The campaign said it would push harder to break through.
"There has been a lot of news that has been competing for the nation's attention," Bush campaign spokesman Scott Stanzel said. "Our campaign will work to highlight all the progress ... that has been made that has not received the attention that maybe it would receive during another time."
The effort will kick off on Monday with a speech in Orlando, Florida, by Cheney that will focus on what aides called signs of progress in Iraq, including the interim government.
It could be a tough sell coming just 24 hours after a suicide car bomber killed up to 12 Iraqis near a U.S.-Iraqi base in Baghdad and gunmen killed a senior Iraqi civil servant in a new spate of assassinations.
Also over the weekend, gunmen in a car killed a senior Foreign Ministry official, another sign insurgents are stepping up attacks before and after the U.S.-led occupation formally ends on June 30 to disrupt the handover and discredit Iraq's new government.
Later this week, Cheney will make campaign stops in Ohio and Colorado to promote the improving economy. The administration was cheered when U.S. employers added a larger-than-expected 248,000 jobs in May, and the campaign's official Web site trumpets 1.4 million jobs since August.
But Bush has yet to get the boost that many had expected, and officials hope the new campaign push will help turn that around. Last week, a Los Angeles Times poll found that Democratic presidential rival John Kerry has a solid lead over Bush among voters nationwide, while 53 percent of Americans said it had not been worth going to war in Iraq.
In the poll, majorities disapproved of Bush's handling of the economy and of Iraq, despite encouraging news on both recently. Fifty-six percent of respondents said America "needs to move in a new direction" because Bush's policies have not improved the country.
This week, Bush plans to convene a meeting with members of his economic team, and he will present new state job growth figures during a visit to Reno, Nevada on Friday.
As part of the two-week push, the campaign plans to double the airing of a television ad touting 10 straight months of economic growth.
The campaign said it will reach out to congressional Republicans in Washington, and ask governors to hold job growth-related events in their states.
In addition to Bush and Cheney, the first lady will stump in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Minnesota, the campaign said.
Also over the weekend, gunmen in a car killed a senior Foreign Ministry official, another sign . . .
They just can't let up, can they?!!
Wow, still going with the fraudulent LA Times poll? They need to be called on it.
This is what we are up against. Kerry doesn't need to campaign at all the press will do it for him.
Rooters must be ignoring the fact that the LA Times poll has been dis-credited. Watch Chrissy Matthews announce that poll monday as if it is gospel truth.
How many times have we heard the Bush Campaign say this? True, the media has been on a non-stop Bush bash fest, but the counter-attacks by Team Bush have been horrible and this sounds like more of the same.
Bush should have fired some of his PR people last year starting with the White House Spokemen.
"In the poll, majorities disapproved of Bush's handling of the economy and of Iraq, despite encouraging news on both recently."
This is inexcusable.
They/we can't blame the media for this.
Two or three times a week I get a request for money from one or another GOP organization; the economy has added one million plus jobs; and the only place the GOP talks about it is on their stupid website where no one but a party worker would bother to go.
What the hell is up, they can't air a few "Morning in America" commercials based on the good news? They seem to have plenty of money to show smirk-faced anti-Kerry ads. I enjoy them but hey, I'm a sure thing and not one of the ones they have to reach.
They know they can't count on getting soundbites on the news, or decent news coverage. As Rush says, "the media is biased. So deal with it." GOP "professionals" will have no one to blame but themselves, but the whole country will suffer for their obtuseness.
I think they were waiting for some better economic news and new jobs numbers to come in before creating and launching their ads. Its only been a week since the 1.4 million new jobs numbers were complete and the Reagan funeral sucked the air out of campaign advertising all of last week.
it's Reuters. they couldn't possibly be any more anti-american.
God Bless W and hope Rove and Guillespie wake up tomorrow. They seem to be asleep at the switch.
(thats better)
It will be fun to see these new ads!
Go W!
You know, it's amazing to me how in '92 the Dims campaign cry was: "It's the economy stupid". Now, the economy is doing well and getting better and the pundits are saying this election will turn on how the war is going in Iraq. I think that the American culture of consumption will still vote their pocketbook.
I meet returned soldiers every week, it seems. The 1st Cav comes home in July, IIRC. These guys uniformly have told us that they support GWB and they think we are winning in Iraq.
In the Heartland, people know soldiers and they are hearing the truth. So, I think the Iraq issue will be a plus for us.
If we were at 3.9% unemployment, count on the media to headline it:
Inflation Fueled by Worker Shortage; Bush's Fault.
Mondale was up 17 points at this stage of the campaign. Without Perot we do not have Clinton. Gore tried to steal Florida.
Why are you all worried?
Well, I am the one who is usually telling folks the sky is not falling.
However, the media, the 527s, and the constant drumbeat meant to supress the Republican vote has people skittish. Perception is everything and the overt perception is Bush will lose.
We have no way to counter the press in the last 2 months of the campaign unless the truth is so overwhelming on the economy and Iraq that the electorate disregards the media.
If you can put those fears to rest, I think it will help some of those who are very nervous.
Everyone keeps bringing up the Mondale and Dukakis races... Here's one fact. Since '54, according to Gallup, a President running for re-election has NEVER been behind this late in the game. NEVER.
You are assuming that Bush is behind.
Yhe past two weeks have been pretty good for the President. Its time to start rolling out the commercials detailing how well the economy is doing, job creation, and the acheivements concerning the war on terror.
And I'm glod Laura Bush will be front and center. Beneath that smile is a very tough lady from Texas.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.