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Bush loses in Iowa
WND ^ | 1-21-04 | Joseph Farah

Posted on 01/20/2004 10:41:23 PM PST by JustPiper

The big loser in the Democratic presidential caucuses in Iowa wasn't Howard Dean. It wasn't Dick Gephardt. It wasn't even Al Sharpton who managed to attract about .5 percent of the vote.

The big loser was George W. Bush.

Only one thing can explain the bizarre positions taken by the White House before this week – an overconfidence that President Bush would be facing Howard Dean in his re-election bid this November. Karl Rove's polling must have made the president's political advisers so cocky about the race that they felt invulnerable.

What else could explain the president doing the following:

proposing a politically unpopular amnesty program for illegal aliens;

raising spending on domestic programs by bigger percentages than any of his predecessors, including Democrats;

proposing a vague manned mission to Mars without providing even the least compelling reasons, goals and objectives?

Bush has made many other mistakes in his term, but these whoppers are very recent gaffes made leading up to an election year.

Iowa should provide a wakeup call.

Instead of facing an angry Democrat out of touch with mainstream American values and temperament, Bush may well be facing a seasoned, smooth, mature political pro in John Kerry.

I wonder if he is up to that challenge.

How about a Kerry-Edwards ticket?

I believe if the election took place today, that ticket would have an excellent chance of beating Bush.

I say this as a dispassionate observer, a political analyst. I will not vote for either Bush or Kerry, or any other Democrat seeking the nomination.

But I think it's worth noting we are witnessing the self-destruction of a president – much like his own father self-destructed politically when he broke his "read my lips" pledge.

The latest polls show Bush in a tight race for re-election even before it's clear who his opponent might be.

As a result, Bush finds himself in a statistical dead heat with the opposition nine months before the election. When matched against an unknown Democratic presidential candidate, Bush squeaks out a 48 percent to 46 percent victory. On the question of who is most trusted to handle the nation's major problems, Bush is virtually even with Democrats, ahead 45 percent to 44 percent – down from an 18-point advantage Bush enjoyed nine months ago.

Americans think the Democrats would do a better job on domestic issues – the economy, prescription drugs for the elderly, health insurance, Medicare, the budget deficit, immigration, even taxes.

And why shouldn't they?

Here's the way this presidential race is shaping up: Bush will propose spending $18 billion fighting AIDS in other countries. The Democrat will up the ante to $25 billion.

Bush will propose spending 10 percent more on domestic giveaway programs. The Democrat will up the ante to 20 percent.

If it is conceded that more spending is good, a Republican will lose every single time.

And that's just what Bush has conceded with his phony, so-called "compassionate conservatism," that is really no more than old-fashioned tax-and-spend liberalism.

Bush gained no advantage with the public for his prescription-drug plan. He gained no ground with his bid to legalize millions of illegal aliens. He gained nothing from his attempt at inspiring Americans to join a new space program with a goal of a manned Mars landing. And his domestic spending increases, under attack by his own Republican base, have not served to win new independent or Democrat voters.

In fact, a CBS News poll showed similar drops for Bush support – notably over his plans on immigration.

If Bush were deliberately throwing this election, he couldn't do a more masterful job of losing votes, breaking bonds with his constituency and losing touch with his base.

If ever there was a time for a third party to emerge with some alternative ideas, 2004 is it.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; US: Iowa
KEYWORDS: aliens; amnesty; constitutionparty; farah; gwb2004; iowa; josephfarah; mars; mojoashonasecret; presidentbush; rove; spending; thirdparty
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To: onyx
Don't mind if I say:

c.) All Of The Above

LOL :)

161 posted on 01/21/2004 12:34:39 AM PST by BigSkyFreeper (All Our Base Belong To Dubya)
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To: ETERNAL WARMING; Texasforever
Do you have any rational thoughts on this issue, or is everything attack and hate?

That's all he knows is hate, and one liner attacks are a specialty for several bots. Also, I think a quick search will show tex as the first to pummel so called open border libertarians, at the same time he advocates open borders, a classic liberal attack monger this one is. Ignore, with an occassional counter punch till November, then rub his face in it good and hard so he never forgets, is my motto! Blackbird.

162 posted on 01/21/2004 12:35:54 AM PST by BlackbirdSST
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To: gatorbait
I was in the midst of a move,selling a house not long before the election.I got home and serious about the fact Bush did not seem to want to win,it seemed.Broke my heart!W is not like his father.I don't think he will do that.
163 posted on 01/21/2004 12:36:33 AM PST by MEG33
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To: MEG33
W is not like his father.I don't think he will do that.I think you're right.
164 posted on 01/21/2004 12:37:39 AM PST by gatorbait (Yesterday, today and tomorrow......The United States Army)
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To: BigSkyFreeper
I would only argue with your "left of center" statement. I am hard pressed to see that. GW's first term cannot be judged on domestic issues since the attacks on 911 and the resulting war has had a profound effect on the domestic side. I truly believed that following 911 we would be in economic meltdown instead of a recovering economy. Bush has scored a solid conservative record on two out of the 3 main conservative issues, National security and the economy. He has done less well on spending. In that regard, Bush has the same record as Reagan who also was strong on national security, and the economy but was less than stellar on spending. The difference is that the Gipper had 8 years and GW has had 3 years so far.
165 posted on 01/21/2004 12:39:03 AM PST by Texasforever
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To: JustPiper
The Amnesty Plan....is a good plan. The USofA's White European population is dwindling. The Whites are not replacing themselves. The USofA will belong to those that survive. Immigration restocks our population. The hard working Hispanic (Mexican) is an ideal substitute for those Americans being killed by abortion. If we don't repopulate the USofA will disappear. The spirit of 1776 must live on.
166 posted on 01/21/2004 12:40:08 AM PST by Blake#1
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To: Texasforever
I think this article is overlooking something very important. Who was the real loser in the last election?

Look at pat buchanan. He pulled his tantrum and left the Republican party with double digit popularity. I really do think he thought there would be a conservative ground swell follow him.

Then what happened. He courted a Marxist and groveled to Al Sharpton...and lost much of his base.

The Reform Party Convention turning into Romper Room and more of his base abandoned him.

And when it came down to the end he had parlied twelve million dollars and double digit support in nothing...but a handful of diehard people who couldn't admit how wrong they were.

Sure, pat and his family made a few million bucks off his campaign but what did it do to his position within the conservative community? pat who?

WND will be the loser when this is all over...regardless of the outcome.

167 posted on 01/21/2004 12:40:16 AM PST by CWOJackson
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To: onyx
Click on the text , will take you to a writeup on the SOTU speech.
168 posted on 01/21/2004 12:40:29 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got!!!!)
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To: Texasforever
I guess it's unfair to say he's left of center fiscally. Overall, he's literally taken kitchen table issues from the Democrats and crafted them into his own. 9/11 didn't help him as far as the budget is concerned. We can't fight a war like Clinton would have liked. Lacking funds, and conserving ammunition by using blanks on the target practice range, as well as funding all levels of enforcement so that all bases are covered.
169 posted on 01/21/2004 12:42:17 AM PST by BigSkyFreeper (All Our Base Belong To Dubya)
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To: CWOJackson
Sure, pat and his family made a few million bucks off his campaign but what did it do to his position within the conservative community? pat who?

It finally outed Pat as a militant populist. Pat gave up any claim to the conservative label long ago.

170 posted on 01/21/2004 12:43:07 AM PST by Texasforever
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To: BigSkyFreeper
Okay -- shall I look yet? LOL
171 posted on 01/21/2004 12:45:06 AM PST by onyx (Your secrets are safe with me and all my friends.)
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To: CWOJackson
Pat Buchanan left the reservation a long time ago in my book. I say good riddance.
172 posted on 01/21/2004 12:45:10 AM PST by BigSkyFreeper (All Our Base Belong To Dubya)
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To: BlackbirdSST
Look kid, I have never done anything to you to warrant that. I do my best to just ignore you but don't push it.
173 posted on 01/21/2004 12:45:14 AM PST by Texasforever
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To: onyx
LOL. I leave that choice up to you! LOL
174 posted on 01/21/2004 12:45:43 AM PST by BigSkyFreeper (All Our Base Belong To Dubya)
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To: BlackbirdSST
"...till November, then rub his face in it good and hard so he never forgets, is my motto! Blackbird."

Yes, that pretty well sums you up.

175 posted on 01/21/2004 12:47:52 AM PST by CWOJackson
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To: Texasforever
---the democrats have written enough Republican ads for 3 elections---

Amen to that!
176 posted on 01/21/2004 12:49:19 AM PST by claudiustg (Go Sharon! Go Bush!)
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To: BigSkyFreeper; Texasforever; CWOJackson; Ernest_at_the_Beach
Pat is a Roman Catholic, like me, and Pat's number one concern used to be abortion. Pat ought to look carefully at GWB's position, compare Bush's to every damn democrat, and then shut-up and quit bashing Bush.

Of course, yall remember Pat's VP choice. Case closed on Pat the so-called conservative. Pat is a classic case of ego run amok.
177 posted on 01/21/2004 12:51:57 AM PST by onyx (Your secrets are safe with me and all my friends.)
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To: onyx
Pat is a Roman Catholic

That's where I had trouble with Pat, coupled that with W's deep faith, it's no contest. Pat's "Pitchfork Brigade" was nothing short of creepy.

178 posted on 01/21/2004 12:54:46 AM PST by BigSkyFreeper (All Our Base Belong To Dubya)
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To: onyx
Pat is a classic case of ego run amok.

Yep an ego inflated beyond all objective justification.

179 posted on 01/21/2004 12:54:47 AM PST by Texasforever
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To: BigSkyFreeper
OKAY! You done did it! Good. :)

Who's the happy fella wearing the hat?

180 posted on 01/21/2004 12:55:24 AM PST by onyx (Your secrets are safe with me and all my friends.)
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