and BEEP, BEEP passed him.
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Posted on 10/10/2004 9:50:09 PM PDT by neverdem
OP-ED COLUMNIST
Washington
When pro-Kerry commentators solemnly pronounce Debate Round 2 to have been "a draw" - you know George Bush won that round.
The president won because he went in with a theme spoken by the heavyweight champion Joe Louis, just before his 1946 rematch victory over the lighter, faster Billy Conn: "He can run, but he can't hide." (The Brown Bomber caught up with Conn in the eighth round of that first TV spectacular.)
Bush's debate plan was to keep boring in on the Kerry record: flip-flopping this year on the war, but all too consistently liberal for 20 years on tax increases.
On the war, Kerry almost eagerly made Bush's point, at first saying, "I do believe Saddam Hussein was a threat," and moments later denouncing Bush for being "preoccupied with Iraq, where there wasn't a threat."
The president exploited the contradiction in Kerry's latest policy, which claims the ability to attract troop support from France, Germany and Russia - while agreeing with them that the war was a diversion. To Kerry's "plan" to hold a summit, Bush asked: "And what is he going to say to those people that show up to the summit? 'Join me in the wrong war at the wrong time at the wrong place'?"
Although Kerry accused the Bush campaign of "mass deception," he let the president focus on that illogical policy. The Democrat weakly cited recent worrying by Republican Senators Richard Lugar and Chuck Hagel, recited a list of retired generals who endorsed him and embraced Ronald Reagan. Such a stretch for conservative company, followed by a plaintive "We will get tough!," hardly shows strength.
When Kerry complained again of "going it alone," Bush was ready with a powerful counterpunch: "Tell Tony Blair we're going alone. Tell Silvio Berlusconi we're going alone. Tell Aleksander Kwasniewski we're going alone."
This not only showed that Bush knew these allies personally, but could also pronounce Kwasniewski's name, which reminded Polish-Americans that Poland's president had responded angrily to Kerry's brushoff of his country's sacrifices in the first debate. (Next day, Australians re-elected John Howard, a staunch coalition member, who trounced a cut-and-run opponent - good news for coalition leaders.)
When the questioning turned to taxes, Kerry pandered with a liberal's absurd promise not to sign legislation raising taxes on anybody making less than $200,000 a year, neglecting only to say,"Read my lips."
Kerry also blundered with a weird attack on an $84 item in the Bushes' federal income tax return, supposedly from a timber business. "I own a timber company? That's news to me," said Bush, adding engagingly in what was the most natural moment in the debate, "Need some wood?" It turns out that Kerry relied on an Annenberg Web site that later admitted it had been confused, which left the Democratic candidate out on a hardwood limb. Bush was too much the gentleman to point out, now that their income taxes were in dispute, that Mrs. Heinz Kerry paid only 11 percent in 2003 on her $5 million income, while the Bushes paid 28 percent.
(Although every Bush slip gets delighted examination - he called Kerry "Kennedy" and he said, "Internets"; can you imagine? - Kerry's minor gaffes attract little notice. When citing his overseas travel in the first debate, Kerry talked of visiting the old K.G.B. headquarters "in Treblinka square." He meant Lubyanka Square; Treblinka was the Nazi death camp. We all make mistakes.)
As Bush picked up steam, Kerry seemed to lose heart, again evoking Lugar and Hagel, skillfully backing away like Billy Conn. Asked about high damage awards gained by trial lawyers that drive up everybody's insurance premiums, he replied that John Edwards and he "support tort reform," even to limitations on punitive awards. Bush delivered a body blow: "You're now for capping punitive damages. That's odd. You should have shown up on the floor in the Senate and voted for it then."
In an anguishing moment, Kerry said he was against partial-birth abortion (as are most voters, including many pro-choice) and then explained why he voted against the ban that is now law. Countered Bush: "He was given a chance to vote and he voted no. . . . It's clear for everybody to see. And as I said, you can run, but you can't hide."
E-mail:safire@nytimes.com
I've been very impressed with some NY Times editorials lately (of course I've read them on this site, so I can't say how much they are drowned out by anti-Bush op-eds in the paper proper).
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Loved hearing Edwards on the Sunday AM talk show admit that all of the social goodies might have to go in order to keep the tax promise.
MOST of the social goodies NEED to go!
FOTFL You bad man!!! LOL
Course they do, but they wanna be able to blame it all on those mean ol' Pubbies in the legislative branch. Can't wait to see how this is used in the debate on domestic issues!!
Want some wood?
It seemed to me that Kerry mispronounced the names of both former Army Generals, Shineski and Shalikashvili.
Safire is the token conservative on the NY Times editorial board. He's usually RINO, but now and then, he hits the nail on the head, as in this piece.
I didn't even realize that Safire wrote this.
That explains it....
I don't know. My question is will he denounce this child molesting organization or agree with the ACLU that they have the right to be protected?
I'm sure he'd have no problem denouncing the child molesting org, as no legit gay rights org supports them. Even if he's a member of the ACLU, I'm sure he'd fall back on the position of not agreeing with everything they get involved with.
Can the Apocalypse be far behind?
I didn't take it personally. I laughed when I read your post, as well as while I wrote my response.
My ex occasionally used to say to me, everyone wants some, but no one likes a smart one. ;o)
doubtful (see the ping right after that ping to which you pinged just now)
**In an anguishing moment, Kerry said he was against partial-birth abortion (as are most voters, including many pro-choice) and then explained why he voted against the ban that is now law. Countered Bush: "He was given a chance to vote and he voted no. . . . It's clear for everybody to see. And as I said, you can run, but you can't hide." **
Bush definitely got one on Kerry here.
No one who is against abortion should be voting for Kerry. Kerry is a CINO (Catholic in Name Only). Catholics should not vote for him!!!!
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