Ooooh, what majestic "leadership" skills that one must have...
< /mocking >
5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
Posted on 08/14/2004 6:16:31 AM PDT by veronica
AMERICA was reintroduced this week to one of its most charming, gifted, relaxed, wily, plainspoken and ruthless politicians: George W Bush, the candidate.
If the US president loses his re-election bid on November 2 - a fate that is a real possibility - it will not be because he lacks the skills needed on the stump. Love him or loathe him, the past ten days have reminded voters and political journalists just what an effective campaigner Mr Bush is.
As he and John Kerry, his Democratic opponent, have engaged in the first intensive round of election-year combat, sparring with each other as they criss-crossed the country's battleground states, even Senator John Kerry's friends admit that Mr Bush has run rings around him.
At the same time, Mr Bush has donned a persona with crowds that has proved disarmingly effective all his political life: funny, down to earth, slightly humble, with an artfully simple message delivered in skilfully crafted short sentences. It is an image that deliberately hides a man with formidable political gifts and instinct.
Just 11 weeks before polling day, Mr Bush does not have the strongest of electoral hands. His job-approval rating remains stuck below 50pc, a perilous position for an incumbent president.
More than half the country is now unhappy with events in Iraq. Last week delivered disappointing employment figures, with only 32,000 jobs created in July.
Yet Mr Kerry's messages on the economy and Iraq were drowned out by a president who, helped by Vice President Dick Cheney and his attack-dog-in-chief, outsmarted and out-joked him.
Mr Kerry's problems began when Mr Bush challenged him for a yes-or-no answer on a critical campaign issue: if he knew last year before the invasion that no weapons of mass destruction would be found in Iraq, would he still have voted for the war?
Mr Bush, whose own answer is an unequivocal yes, knew that Mr Kerry's position on Iraq is by necessity more complicated, not least because he voted against Mr Bush's later request for $87bn (€70bn) in post-war reconstruction funds, at a time when he needed to appease the anti-war tide dominating the Democratic primary race.
In a sign that Mr Kerry is still struggling to crystalise a clear message on Iraq that convinces a majority of voters, he had to debate with his aides on how to respond to Mr Bush.
On Monday, he declared that he still would have voted for the war, but handled the lead-up to war and the post-combat phase differently. Then Mr Kerry surprised aides by declaring that he could begin to reduce US troops in Iraq significantly within the first six months of his presidency.
On Tuesday, at a rally in Florida, Mr Bush pounced: "My opponent has found a new nuance. He now agrees it was the right decision to go into Iraq. But just remember, there are 83 days left in the campaign, time enough to change his mind again."
Over troop reduction, he accused Mr Kerry of sending "mixed signals" on Iraq and giving succour to Iraqi militants. The senator's aides were forced to issue "clarifications".
Jo Biden, the veteran Democrat senator, conceded that the first round went to Mr Bush, despite the renewed insurgency in Iraq and poor job figures, which abruptly forced Mr Bush to drop the claim that the US was "turning the corner" on the economy.
On Thursday, Mr Cheney ridiculed Mr Kerry for saying that he would fight a "more sensitive" War on Terror, ignoring the fact that Mr Bush used similar language last year.
Yesterday, as he ended his 15-day, 22-state cross-country tour in Oregon, Mr Kerry began what his aides said would be a two-week offensive on the economy. But that message was overshadowed largely by Mr Bush's success in focusing on Mr Kerry's position on Iraq and terrorism.
Mr Bush is in the fight of his political life. He is running neck-and-neck with Mr Kerry, himself a veteran campaigner.The President is largely at the mercy of events in Iraq, and on the economy.
I hope you did not remain quiet with that comment! There is plenty of info on FR to prove your friend wrong! We Bush supporters cannot remain silent anymore while the RAT voters are fighting for every vote they can get. Playing nice does not work! I am working on some people right now and hope to have them converted by election day. Good luck to you, too!
I was being flip. Obviously, God can help us no matter how bad the situation is.
Of course I didn't remain silent, but it doesn't make any difference with these "ANYONE BUT BUSH" people. Their minds are made up, so I just tell him that history will prove him wrong and hope he sits home on election day, because although he hates Bush, he doesn't like Kerry.
Nothing "donned". That's how he really is.
I'm so glad to hear that you didn't remain silent. I see so many freepers post that they had to "bite their tongue" and I'm glad you're not one of them. This is war and freepers better realize that. I check out the RAT chat sites and they are out there fighting to change the minds of Republican and Independent voters. Every time they change a mind, they post to brag about it. We must do the same. Congratulations!!!
You know the fact he loves the Lord AND being a cowboy, makes him all the more electable.
On top of all the other charactor related issues he is known for...business accumem, truth telling, a beautiful wife that is also a Lady, great parents and family,
...making decisions and STICKING to them, and this is paramount in being the President!!!
.... and a long line of patriotic service to our Country, that the world has been seeing over these last 3 + years.
He will be re-elected because we love righteousness and steadiness in our White House. Americans love and want this in our President!
So there's no reason to change, if anyone had a mind to!
God Bless George W. Bush. I love him!
LOL. I probably shouldn't have left off the sarcasm tag. I'm just repeating some of the contradictory and bizarre things the Dems keep saying about Bush.
Damn if Tereza doesn't look just like Jill Clayburgh in queen biatch mode.
"After all they reelect a murderer time after time."
Amen to that. I blame the Irish-Americans for that. And Mr. (not actually) Irish (not the real) JFK fits right into their preferences.
I do , too! Big time. And I love Vice President Richard Cheney, as well.
And as long as these men don't run out for Botox injections, don't fly hairdressers around at exorbitant costs, don't, as it were, go in for style over substance but rather stay the course, I'm just a smug, very happy republican camper!
It's his judges/justices we might not survive. Can we afford any more ginsbergs and kennedy's? hanoi john would be there 4 years, but his judges/justices are for LIFE...30-40+ years each. They will legislate from the bench. Stroke of the Pen..Law of the Land.......
I love Dick Cheney too. I love him as a backup to our President!
Lord, God, Father in Glory...........please cover Your men in our government, with favor and protection!
I wasn't sure if you were serious or not, but I've been fighting a lot of discouragement myself with these upcoming elections. So I've been praying more than I have in the last few years. Kerry must not win!
Ooooh, what majestic "leadership" skills that one must have...
< /mocking >
5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
A search was made on the word 'sensitive'. While W and VP Cheney have used the word, it was not used in the same context as by sKerry. It was on Fox, and I don't remember the examples that were given.
My knees are raw from so much praying.
President Bush is a real down to earth American. Jfk is an elitist with an attitude. One only has to ask himself this question? " Who would you trust to protect America and our way of life?" President Bush!!! Hell Yea!!!
Let us not forget that Kerry, if my info is correct, failed to get into grad school and he knew his draft number was coming up, that's why he 'volunteered' for military service. He has a lawyer's cunning about how to turn the rules to his favor, but not the deeper intellect needed of a true leader.
ROTFLOL!
This sentence surprised me .. " ... disarmingly effective all his political life: funny, down to earth, slightly humble, with an artfully simple message delivered in skilfully crafted short sentences"
My, my ..!
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