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.
You'd like that wouldn't you Joe?
Ah yes...hypocrisy. Yes all the high-profile Republicans and Freepers squealing the loudest against X42 have now been mysteriously transformed into the GWB cheerleading and appeasement squad...stomaching and sometimes ignoring the current admistration's march towards socialism, the NWO, and a eventual third world environment in the form of the open borders/quasi-amnesty program for mexcian lawbreakers. But he's our man, he's an (R), we have a (R) majority in the House and Senate, and that's OK.
Maybe if someone on his own team would reproach the President on the amnesty and the PATRIOT Act, it might prompt a correction or at least softening, of his stance.
Don't count on it you Bush-hater...go back to DU...a vote for anyone other than Bush is a vote for the democrats...blah, blah, blah.
Did you miss your school bus this morning, while sitting in the corner holding with your hands to your ears screaming "lalalalalalalalalalala".
Let's hope he catches on and starts turning to the right --- the democrats can beat him on all the spending issues and they've got the vote of the illegals (former PRI party voters) sewn up. Bush needs to slash spending STAT --- get that deficit down. He was trying to run to the left of Dean to take his voters away --- but he'd better get back to the Conservatives --- he's great on religion and abortion but he's got to come around on spending.
And you KB, one who is purer than the wind driven snow, don't stalk threads to post your Buchanan/Hillary anti-business rants on threads day in and day out. LOL!
Due to Perot. There is no Perot this year.
All are not working --- the overall welfare program use is 35-42% depending on where you get your statistics, and many of the working brought in children and elderly who aren't working. There are only about 2 million jobs in agriculture. That doesn't really provide them that many jobs.
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.
UNQUOTE.
Yes, we did beg him. The only ones he is listening to are Vincente Fox and 10 million illegal migrants blackmailing him to grant blanket amnesty (not called by that name).
His bid to pander to the Mexican vote may well cost him dearly in November.
I'll admit, I had to laugh. Too bad we don't get to pick which GOP candidate runs for President.
LOL! Are you royalty or something, with your use of the royal "we".
Joe Farah is not the King of the Conservatives, even though he thinks so from his cyber kingdom out in the wilderness.
And you gave us Clinton. Thanks for nothing, although the Chinese are probably happy with you all for all the military secrets they got.
Do you plan to vote in more than one primary?
Is Terry MaCauliffe funding you?
Well it seems that think Bush is worse than Kerry or Dean, IMO. Your rhetoric is succor to them.
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