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Dick Morris: Sometimes a strategist just has to sit back and gasp
Jewish World Review ^ | 9-3-04 | Dick Morris

Posted on 09/03/2004 5:08:34 AM PDT by SJackson

UNTIL President Bush began his speech on the final night of the Republican National Convention, the goal of the United States' anti-terror policy was perceived by a largely supportive public as a bid to assure safety. With a rhetorical flourish worthy of the great speeches of all time, George W. Bush has transformed the war into a battle for liberty.

In a speech that was at once eloquent and substantive, sensitive and dynamic, profound and familiar, Bush has risen to a level few presidents have ever reached.

Sometimes a strategist just has to sit back and gasp. Occasionally, a seasoned political observer needs to realize that he has seen something extraordinary. Tonight, Bush made me feel like that.

The speech satisfied every single political need. He contrasted with Kerry without appearing negative. He demonstrated emotion without pandering. He rose to a level of substantive specificity without becoming wonkish.

The Bush speech was akin to a State of the Union speech, surveying the landscape of American issues and articulating a proactive agenda for the next four years. But, like his stirring address to Congress in the aftermath of 9/11, he issued a ringing declaration for freedom, injecting the historic concept of freedom into the center stage in the 2004 election.

(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 229; acceptancespeech; dickmorris; gwb2004; rncconvention
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To: SJackson

Morris wants credibility. He knows Bush is having four more years and he wants to be on the side that called it.


81 posted on 09/03/2004 6:51:16 AM PDT by shiva
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To: Right_in_Virginia
Karen Hughes.
Strange. I wasn't aware she ever had much hand in speechwriting - although I knew she was working on the campaign.
82 posted on 09/03/2004 6:51:20 AM PDT by PhatHead
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To: SuziQ

The amazing thing about Peggy Noonan is that she is able to deliver just the right emotion and feeling and make it look like the speaker's words. Example: "When I was down at ground zero a firefighter said to me 'Don't let me down. Do whatever it takes.' We will do whatever it takes."

That line was so powerful. It made me feel confident that our President will not rest until every terrorist is hunted down and eliminated. It also sounded like Bush; however, if he had written it he probably would have said: "We're gonna hunt 'em down, smoke 'em out and bring 'em to Justice." Personally, it does not matter to me how he says it because I know he is a man of his word and he will get the job done. But I like the way he said it last night because I think it will help get him elected. And that is important.


83 posted on 09/03/2004 6:52:23 AM PDT by daviscupper
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To: PhatHead

Karen Hughes has always been involved in communications for the President...even before the 2000 election. This is one of the reasons I'm so glad she's back for this campaign.


84 posted on 09/03/2004 6:54:35 AM PDT by Right_in_Virginia
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To: ClearCase_guy

My hope is that the undecided and persuadable really listen to what he said. If they did, they were probably persuaded.


85 posted on 09/03/2004 6:54:38 AM PDT by Tennessean4Bush (An optimist believes we live in the best of all possible worlds, a pessimist fears this is true.)
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To: GaretGarrett
You mean the Karen Hughes who (I've read) wrote the twins' script? :o(

First you dour old so and so, there was nothing wrong with the twin's script. Second Karen Hughes may have helped edit and shape it. She didn't write it. Too much intimate family detail.

86 posted on 09/03/2004 6:55:49 AM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: SJackson

BUMP!


87 posted on 09/03/2004 6:57:23 AM PDT by jmstein7 (A Judge not bound by the original meaning of the Constitution interprets nothing but his own mind.)
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To: SJackson

One of the best articles Mr. Morris has ever written.


88 posted on 09/03/2004 6:57:38 AM PDT by AlbionGirl
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To: Right_in_Virginia
Karen Hughes has always been involved ... I'm so glad she's back for this campaign.

Never had much of an opinion on Karen Hughes. Never liked Karl Rove, though. But I guess I'm getting off-topic for this thread...
89 posted on 09/03/2004 6:59:15 AM PDT by PhatHead
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To: PhatHead
"Does anybody know who Peggy Noonan is working for this year - because I definitely caught a whiff of Noonan in the tail end of that speech. "Buildings fell, and a nation rose..." etc. Anybody else share this assessment?"

Great observation! I heard Peggy joined the W Team a few weeks ago.
90 posted on 09/03/2004 7:03:06 AM PDT by TRY ONE (NUKE the unborn gay whales!)
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To: SuziQ
She said that she'd be working for folks most people hadn't heard of, but I'm not so sure.

Yep. Just what I was thinking.

91 posted on 09/03/2004 7:04:46 AM PDT by PhatHead
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To: justshutupandtakeit

Wow. Well, maybe I'm out of touch then.


92 posted on 09/03/2004 7:06:24 AM PDT by LS
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To: PhatHead
Karen Hughes.
Strange. I wasn't aware she ever had much hand in speechwriting - although I knew she was working on the campaign.




I heard she created the material for the Bush twins. If so, she should go back to the behind-the-scenes stuff.
93 posted on 09/03/2004 7:07:17 AM PDT by TRY ONE (NUKE the unborn gay whales!)
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To: PhatHead
Never liked Karl Rove

And just who do you think put this masterpiece we have just witnessed together? The Republican convention was a well scripted professional production unlike amateur hour over at the DNC.

94 posted on 09/03/2004 7:18:01 AM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: Monti Cello
Thanks, I was wondering why I did not really like the speech that much and you have nailed it. Being a staunch conservative I was hoping for the “abolish the IRS”, “privatize SS”, “put the trial lawyers out of business” and “kick some Islamist arse” type speech. I retrospect he is not trying to appeal to me, he knows I will vote for him regardless, which is true, although I do not feel taken for granted.

He is clearly trying to hook the Reagan Demos, now the Bush Demos. I think he may have landed some.

95 posted on 09/03/2004 7:19:43 AM PDT by schu
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To: IamConservative
Somewhere deep inside Dick Morris lie principle. It takes a great leader like Bush to give people the courage to express and live by those principles.

I recently finished Dick Morris' book, "Off With Their Heads". I have to give him credit that he really stuck it to the media, hollywood, France and others. He nailed the problem and presented clear reasons. I'd recommend it for a decent read.

96 posted on 09/03/2004 7:22:29 AM PDT by voicereason (John Kerry would just be a plain hamburger if it weren't for the Heinz!)
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To: AndyJackson
And just who do you think put this masterpiece we have just witnessed together?

I have no doubt he's learned some lessons from the stupid 2000 campaign. I also have no doubt that he still has the same disdain for conservatives that he had when he was here in Texas. I have even less doubt that the convention was not a one-man operation, and don't believe there were a lot of different options on how to manage the message, so I am really not terribly impressed with the "choreography," as such, although I did like several of the speeches - which I'm pretty sure Karl Rove didn't write.

97 posted on 09/03/2004 7:29:34 AM PDT by PhatHead
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To: SJackson
He demonstrated emotion without pandering.

Come on, Dick, clean out your ears. What in the hell do you call adressing the illegals in Spanish (Leave no child behind)? If that isn't pandering, then what is? When I heard that I just lost a little bit of respect for an otherwise acceptable president.

98 posted on 09/03/2004 7:31:25 AM PDT by varon (Allegiance to the constitution, always. Allegiance to a political party, never.)
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To: RGSpincich

"Before he spoke, supporting Bush was a duty one owed to the fallen. Now, it is an honor. " wow. nice line.


99 posted on 09/03/2004 7:34:38 AM PDT by q_an_a
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To: Aetius
How someone whose job is to know and study polls and election results can say that the GOP has run out of white people

He is correct. If you take a close look at the demographics, the US is running out of white people and the people of color prefer the Demoists.

100 posted on 09/03/2004 7:35:15 AM PDT by varon (Allegiance to the constitution, always. Allegiance to a political party, never.)
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