A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....08-05-04....Take this Bounce and Shove it!

JohnHuang2;Dutchess;Billie | JohnHuang2

[dutchess]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

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Take this Bounce and Shove it!

by JohnHuang2

Regarding Kerry's convention speech last week (you know, the one where he said he defended America in Vietnam after those 19 Vietcong hijackers crashed jets into . . . oops, never mind), Washington Post reporter David Broder wrote in a column Sunday that "preliminary indications are that it worked well, not just inside the FleetCenter and here in his hometown (in Boston), but with many in the national audience. The first feedback I heard was almost uniformly positive." (The feedback consisted of, 'Wow, he finally broke his silence about serving in Vietnam!)

Richard Cohen, another Post columnist, columnized Sunday that Kerry presented "a package that can only be called presidential. He came across as thoughtful and smart and experienced and, critically important, personally compelling." (No wonder the delegates loved his lengthy speech so much. You should've seen the standing ovation Kerry got when he said, "In closing . . . ")

Los Angeles Times reporter, Ronald Brownstein, declared the speech a terrific success, noting that Kerry, sounding "confident and combative," had "signaled his determination to fight the fall campaign on terrain that the White House has long assumed would belong to President Bush: Strength, integrity, values and the prosecution of the war on terror." Indeed, at the convention, Democrats packed the stage with retired generals and admirals, and, to show they're really strong on defense, not once did delegates call them 'War Pigs!' nor 'Baby Killers!' It was a remarkable show of restraint. (And, speak of restraint, did you see Teresa on Tuesday night? Pundits called her "warm," "spectacular," "likable," "sexy." For John Kerry, no doubt Teresa was love at first Billion.)

In his speech, Kerry vowed to "bring back this nation's time-honored tradition" that the U.S. "never goes to war because we want to, we only go to war because we have to," like Kerry did regarding Iraq. Kerry voted for war, not because he wanted to, but because he had to -- he had to avoid looking like Dukakis. Then he changed his mind and voted against it -- the funding, anyway. (Democrats want Bush to confess that taking down Saddam was a mistake, a crime of passion and plead temporary insanity to avoid impeachment.)

Doyle McManus, another L.A. Times reporter, declared Kerry's speech a terrific success. TV "ratings for his acceptance speech" were "strong"; Kerry got a "wave of generally positive news coverage" and the speech conveyed "a message that a Kerry administration would be strong on defense in the struggle against terrorism." (Kerry would be so strong against terror, al-Qaeda plans to disrupt our elections just to get that warmonger from Massachusetts elected to liven things up.) With the speech, "Kerry largely succeeded at the tasks he set for himself at the convention," wrote McManus.

Kerry so largely succeeded, he largely succeeded in giving Bush a 5 point bounce, a new USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup poll shows. (Gallup is deemed "the historic standard" in tracking convention bounces, noted Deborah Orin of the New York Post Monday.) Bush now leads Kerry among likely voters, 51%-47%. Kerry led Bush by 2 points before Kerry 'largely succeeded' in Boston last week. Kerry's speech was effective -- it improved voters' opinion of Bush as President, boosting their willingness to vote for Bush. Millions of voters were moved by Kerry's speech to vote for Bush. The convention gave Bush the biggest lift he could have hoped from a Democrat convention that 'largely succeeded.' Kerry emerged from his 'largely successful' convention with the party unified -- the Republican Party. According to Gallup, "a relatively high proportion of Americans (gave) Kerry's acceptance speech stellar reviews," which all but assured Bush's support would go up. Kerry's speech did seem to bring voters closer together -- closer together against Kerry. (Maybe they should've delayed Kerry's speech to 2 a.m. to limit viewer-ship -- just a hunch.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

USA Today reports that "pollsters and strategists are puzzling over Kerry's failure" to produce any bounce for himself after "a convention that even critics acknowledge went almost precisely as planned." (Indeed, for example, Nielsen ratings showed high viewer-ship during the first half of Kerry's speech, though the high viewer-ship fell asleep during the second half.) Keen observers and campaign watchers have no idea why, after a week of Jimmy Carter, Al Sharton, Howard Dean and Ted Kennedy on primetime TV, no Bounce for Kerry has been found. Search crews have scoured polls for days but have failed to turn up any Bounce, the main rationale behind the convention. Experts insist that conventions have always had plenty of Bounce and urged patience. Eventually the Bounce will be found. Yet, questions continue to be raised: Did John Kerry lead his party into Boston based on lies that a Bounce will be found? Did Democrats go to convention on a false pretense? Or could the Bounce have been hidden? With Kerry's credibility at risk in the search for a Bounce, again, some hold out hope that a Bounce might yet be found.

John Harwood of the Wall Street Journal told Meet The Press Sunday that the reason Kerry didn't get the usual 6-7 point bounce is because voters have already made up their minds, and, anyway, these polls were taken "before the historical peak of these bounces," usually during the weekend, when "low information voters start "absorbing this information" (Honey, playback that convention tape one more time. That balloon-drop looked quite compelling), so expect Kerry to get the usual 6-7 point bounce. In other words, Kerry got no bounce because there aren't enough persuadable voters but, by Monday, Kerry will get a bounce because there are enough persuadable voters. It's not more complicated than that.

So, you'd think Bush would be basking in the glow of his post-convention bounce, resting on his laurels, right? Not a chance. Instead, he went right to work, on Monday endorsing creation of a post of National Intelligence Director and counterterrorism operations center, a move immediately denounced by Kerry as too little, too late. Kerry says he can fight a more effective war on terrorism because he served in Vietnam for four months. (In Vietnam, Kerry says he fought the war on communism and lost. So, to fight the war on terror and win -- who you gonna call? Trust me -- I'm your guy!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Monday, Kerry and the media angrily blasted Bush for not taking the threat of terror seriously enough, of not acting with sufficient urgency. More can be done, and must be done -- now! Call the Congress back and get the job done -- now! Ports, bridges, ships, buildings, infrastructure -- all should be secured . . . now! Hire more FBI -- now! The time to act is now, not later!

Frankly, I question the timing of this fearmongering by Kerry. I'm concerned that every time something happens that's not good for Kerry, he plays his 'trump card', which is fearmongering, and then out comes Howard Dean.

Kerry crowed that he endorsed the 9/11 Commission report as written before it was written. (Bush is a slowpoke! Bush is a slowpoke! Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyahhhh, nyah!)

Later on Monday, Democrats and the media angrily blasted Bush for exaggerating the threat of terror, of pushing fear for political gain, of acting as if there was some sort of urgency when there wasn't. The Department of Homeland Security on Sunday raised the threat alert level for financial centers in New York, New Jersey and the nation's capital, a move condemned as political by Democrats. Howard Dean told CNN he questioned the timing, accusing Bush of holding back the new information behind the heightened alert in order to blunt Kerry's post-convention Bounce that hasn't been found, when the right thing to do was to share the information as soon as it was uncovered -- in mid-July -- so that Dean could then accuse Bush of trying to blunt Kerry's pre-convention Bounce that had also never been found. (Notice how we're not talking about Kerry's warm, charming personality nor about the very shy, very quiet Teresa? hmmmmmm?)

Kerry, campaigning in Michigan, told CNN that, by moving so fast and not "reaching out to other countries" in fighting terrorism, "Bush is actually encouraging the recruitment of terrorists." (Bush, in 30-second recruitment ad, with thick Texas twang, says: 'Join al-Qaeda, See the World.') So, lemme get this straight: By killing and capturing so many al-Qaeda, Bush has forced al-Qaeda to recruit more al-Qaeda, in order to replenish al-Qaeda that Bush has killed or captured, or risk running out of al-Qaeda, and Kerry says this is something we should worry about. (I'm melting in fear like marshmallows.) And just think how safe we would be today if only Bush had retaliated more gently after 9/11. (I bet you thought Democrats were Blame-America-Firsters, didn't ya?)

Dean says he's "concerned that every time something happens that's not good for President Bush, he plays his trump card, which is terrorism, and then out comes Tom Ridge" and Condi Rice and Colin Powell and Dick Cheney . . . Yeeeaaaarggggh! Dean's remark should do wonders to reinforce his image as even-tempered, always thoughtful and self-controlled.

Question: Why does Dean say these things? Only a CAT scan of the head can answer.

;-)

Anyway, that's...

My two cents

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 08-02-04...Military Monday 08-03-04...Luvya, Dubya! (Countering the Baddest and Ugliest) 08-04-04...Blue Angels

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[Pippin]

((((Dutchess)))

(((Darks)))!

Why is Darks hiding?

[lonestar]

Actually, that came from Weinie and I forgot to give her credit. Now she's on the warpath! What's a body to do?

[LadyX]

Loved your post, Dubya.
Here's one received yesterday from my longtime friend Terry in Florida:

DON'T WE ALL
Sent By: Ruth Benson


I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money.

There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "don't want to be bothered times."

"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought.

He didn't.

He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.

After a few minutes he spoke.

"That's a very pretty car," he said.

He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly blond beard keep more than his face warm.

I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true to the inner voice.

"Do you need any help?" I asked.

He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments. I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me.

"Don't we all?" he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun.

Don't we all?

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help. Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that.

You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all. They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.

Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe he was more than that. Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.

Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, "go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help."

Don't we all?

-- Author Unknown

---

(Indeed we do!)

[LadyX]

"I think the Dem convention would have had a more spectacular ending if they had dropped, instead of balloons, several thousands of Kerry's Vietnam medals."

How blessed we are to have Weinie's Perspectives from Rainbow Bridge..:))

Keep 'em comin,' O Spirited One - -

[Aquamarine]

I think the Dem convention would have had a more spectacular ending if they had dropped, instead of balloons, several thousands of Kerry's Vietnam medals. LOL...that creates such a visual...where's aqua's graphic of kerry tossing his medal when we need it :O)

Here it is. :)
Didn't think I was ever gonna get here today, have been out burning the roads up.
Another great read and presentation today. The picture of Kerry in the tank with his special blue suit was a riot!

[Dubya]

Yes we all do need help. Nice one. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[GailA]

Voter turn out is low 25% is projected. It was light at the station I was at. Chuck is a good Christian man, pro-life, pro 2A, pro traditional marriage and anti-income tax.

[Texagirl4W]

Very moving. Thanks for sharing.

[firewalk]

Thank you (-:

[lonestar]

You get the picture!

Weinie

[Mama_Bear]

Another 'nail on the head' essay, John. And great illustrations once again, dutchess. I like that bouncing ball. Thank you both for all you do.

Dutchess, we're sure going to miss you. Have a wonderful and relaxing vacation.

(((((((((JH2/Dutchess)))))))))))

[JohnHuang2]

dutchess -- SUPERB WORK! The pics were fantastic -- what a perfect match :-)

LadyX, thank you, and

(((((((((((((((((Billie; Aquamarine; dansangel; dutchess; Mama_Bear;WVNan;Pippin;Calpernia;ST.LOUIE1;Ladyx;GailA;dixie sass;Libertina;Lakeside;deadhead;JustAmy;DollyCali;kayak))))))))))))))))))) hugs to y'all!

[Mama_Bear]

Wow! I love those group hugs. :-)

Good morning, (((((((((John))))))))).

[JohnHuang2]

Wow! I love those group hugs.

And I love givin' 'em! ;-)

A harty Good Morning backyatya, my friend :-)

[Kitty Mittens]

FredtheCat is still in hiding.

Hopefully, she'll venture out soon, especially since she will have the whole house to herself for awhile! She will eventually realize she can trust her new friend. :)

[Kitty Mittens]

That was a Good post, Dubya! :)

[Kitty Mittens]

That was wonderful, kind Lady. :)

[DollyCali]

Most excellent work you two.. been off line for weeks it seems.. just a quick email check now & then.

Always great to read your "stuff" john.. and Dutchess fine presentations.

[Calpernia]

Bump!

Bump!

Bump!

Great job Dutchess and JohnHuang!

Morning to all!

[Billie]

Morning, Cal - long time. Good to see you again. :)

TGIF at the Finest