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Fred Barnes: They'll Do Anything
The Weekly Standard ^ | 11/01/04 | Fred Barnes

Posted on 10/31/2004 9:17:06 PM PST by Pokey78

Why Democrats and the media think they're entitled to do whatever it takes to win this election.

THE SCARIEST THING about this election is not the prospect of a contested outcome with no winner declared for weeks, just as in 2000. No, the most scary thing is the sense of entitlement that many Democrats and their allies have about tomorrow's election. It goes like this: Bush stole the presidency four years ago, then proceeded to act as if he had a mandate, so now we're entitled to do whatever it takes to defeat him, to say whatever we want.

You see it in the bumper stickers that call for the "re-defeat" of President Bush. You see it in the destruction of Bush yard signs and posters all across the country. You see it in the harassment, at least in blue states, of anyone wearing a Bush pin or button. You see it in the hatred of Bush by his opponents, who think they're only venting righteous indignation.

You see it in the religious bigotry against the president, a born-again Christian, and against his conservative Christian supporters. Without any evidence, Bush's opponents accuse him of believing that he has a direct line to God and that God gives him instructions, such as when to invade Iraq, and that any criticism of him is illegitimate. You see the bigotry as well in the belittling of Christians who support Bush as if their political views have no standing or worth because they may have been influenced by their religious faith.

You see it in the now exposed plans of Democrats to claim intimidation

of minority voters even if no intimidation actually occurs. You see it in the voter registration efforts by Democrats that have made the number of people on the voting rolls in some jurisdictions larger than the voting age population. You see it in the plans of Democratic lawyers to file lawsuits all over the country, challenging the outcome unless Bush is defeated.

You see that same sense of entitlement in elements of the national media--especially CBS News--who jettison the normal rules of journalism when Bush is the target. CBS not only rushed out with forged documents to torpedo the Bush campaign in September, the network intended to take another bite at Bush two days before the election by airing a dubious story about stolen explosives in Iraq. Would CBS have dared to do this against any other public figure but Bush? No.

And you see it in the victimization that is claimed for John Kerry. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth? Anything they say about Kerry is automatically a smear and thus doesn't have to be examined or even considered. And Kerry has no obligation to answer questions about his Vietnam experience, though he's played it up in the campaign. Bush's record in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam war, however, is fair game.

And you see the feeling of entitlement in comments by the Democratic candidates and their backers, who seem to feel they're free to say anything they want about Bush and Vice President Cheney. So we get the targeting of Mary Cheney as a lesbian and the criticism of Laura Bush for having worked in jobs that weren't real jobs. And when anyone accuses Democrats of debasing the campaign, the answer is always: it's Bush's fault. Bush is hardly without fault, but the shabby style and substance of this campaign is the fault of his opponents.


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: anymeansnecessary; desperatedems; fredbarnes; kerry
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To: wardaddy

What's the W O T ?

41 posted on 10/31/2004 10:43:54 PM PST by StACase
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To: liberty2004

Tuesday 2 November 2004

42 posted on 10/31/2004 10:46:26 PM PST by StACase
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To: StACase

War on Terror.


43 posted on 10/31/2004 10:47:33 PM PST by wardaddy (The only thing we share with collectivists and ragheads is death.)
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To: Wolfstar

B I N G O !

44 posted on 10/31/2004 10:48:19 PM PST by StACase
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To: jess35

You're going to get your wish. Kerry's going to be swept into office on a storm tide of fraud, lawsuits and violence.

45 posted on 10/31/2004 10:49:39 PM PST by StACase
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To: Sivad
If the DemocRATS think that an ill-gotten victory by Kerry would be the end of animosity, they are sadly mistaken.

I, for one, have no intention of "uniting" with them should they win, how about you?

46 posted on 10/31/2004 10:50:48 PM PST by Howlin (Bush has claimed two things which Democrats believe they own by right: the presidency & the future)
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To: Outraged

Your plan sounds really good.


47 posted on 10/31/2004 10:51:21 PM PST by Cedar
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To: doug from upland
We are in a civil war besides a war on terror

you are either the frog in the pot of heating up water, or you got some smarts and hopped out. it is getting ugly.

48 posted on 10/31/2004 10:52:12 PM PST by mlocher (america is a sovereign state)
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To: okie01

The thought of Hillary in charge chills my blood. She will audit her enemies even more and go after Christians and conservatives with a vengeance. She wants a Civil War and riots so she can finalize her Communist schemes she learned from her mentor Saul Alinsky...

Kerry is Commie-lite. Hillary will be the real deal.

God willing, Bush will be our President for the next 4 years. Hopefully, Gulliani or someone who is powerful enough to combat Hillary, the corrupt, violence-mongering Democrats and their partners the MSM in '08, will emerge to unite and not divide America further.


49 posted on 10/31/2004 10:52:25 PM PST by demnomo
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To: Pokey78

BTTT


50 posted on 10/31/2004 10:52:52 PM PST by spodefly (I've posted nothing but BTTT over 1000 times!!!)
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To: liberty2004
Correct, the first volley of this new civil war was started by Gore and his slimy lawyers. They are out to destroy this great Republic by any means.

I agree with that statement, but I believe it goes back farther than that; I believe that this all dates back to the 60's when these very same people tried their best to destroy this country and her military.

And I honestly believe they are back to finish her off.

During the vice presidential debate, John Edwards said, "Have you ever seen the country this divided?"

The obvious answer (if you're old enough) is "Yes, it was like this in 1971 and John Kerry was the leader of the pack back then, too."

51 posted on 10/31/2004 10:53:41 PM PST by Howlin (Bush has claimed two things which Democrats believe they own by right: the presidency & the future)
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To: Mad_Tom_Rackham

The Democrats believe the ends justify the means. Any thing goes for the "greater good"...


52 posted on 10/31/2004 10:55:05 PM PST by DB (©)
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To: Outraged

I'm amazed that the 'Rats have been able to maintain and thrive on lies backed by viscious hatred for four years. Michael Savage is right--liberalism is a mental disorder. No normal human could maintain such an unhealthy psychotic condition for that long.


53 posted on 10/31/2004 11:32:31 PM PST by PeoplesRepublicOfWashington (Vote Kerry: The Space Needle is an eyesore anyway.)
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To: Pokey78
Excellent article. I saw this type of look at things laid out in Celsius 41.11. Did anyone else see it, and was the story of how the whole thing happened with the 2000 election laid out correctly? It said when the media started calling Florida for Gore, alot of voters in the earlier time zones went home, because they figured Gore won. Bush may have won the popular vote if the media had waited. This is true, right? Even though I voted Bush in 2000, I payed attention half-heartedly and have changed alot since 9/11, so I'd appreciate input from anyone who was paying more attention in 2000. It made sense to me, but was surprised I had never heard it. It just sounds like Bush could have had the popular vote in 2000. This whole thing is enormously disturbing.
54 posted on 10/31/2004 11:32:55 PM PST by GraceofGod
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To: Pokey78
But notice Fred doesn't deny that Rove produced the Osma Bin Laden video.
55 posted on 10/31/2004 11:37:59 PM PST by bayourod (Old Media news is poll driven, not event driven, not fact driven, not newsworthy driven.)
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To: Pokey78

These are the actions of hysterical people who are in an identity crisis, and almost completely without the power to influence government. They lived off the subsidies of their allies in the media too long, and now must learn to win on the merits of their ideas.


56 posted on 11/01/2004 12:21:59 AM PST by eagle11 (Leading the quest to discover and map the Liberal Useful Idiot Genome.)
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To: graceofgod

You've given a fair summary of events. The MSM called the state before the voting was over in the western part. Folks in the western part of the state thought it was futile to vote at that point. So yes, Bush would very likely had won the popular vote had the MSM not tampered with it.


57 posted on 11/01/2004 12:44:35 AM PST by TEXOKIE (Father in Heaven, take command of America and her Mission, her leaders, her people, and her troops!)
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To: Pokey78

ping


58 posted on 11/01/2004 7:22:10 AM PST by Jack Black
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To: liberty2004; Eaker; AK2KX; Ancesthntr; archy; backhoe; Badray; t_skoz; Becki; Jack Black; ...

Civil War II ping.


59 posted on 11/01/2004 7:27:02 AM PST by Jack Black
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To: doug from upland
We are in a civil war besides a war on terror.

I'm afraid you are more right than people are realizing.

When the focus of political power shifts OFF the ballot box ever so slightly, it triggers a quick collapse into bloodshed. The Democratic Party has been in decline in the electorate for 25 years. During that time they have shifted their focus onto judges in an effort to rule from the bench what they can't do from the ballot box.

Now, this election is over the right to control the judiciary for the next 25 years. If the Dems lose this one they have nothing left. That means end-justifying-the-means consciences are easy to adopt, for people who, ten years ago, would have been horrified at certain tactics. Both sides sense this presidential election is for the soul of the country, producing a tension I've never felt before in my 30 years of voting in presidential elections.

I hope I am wrong, but this whole process is getting uglier quicker than many TV pundits are willing to come out and say.

60 posted on 11/01/2004 7:32:58 AM PST by Taliesan (The power of the State to do good is the power of the State to do evil.)
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