The political genius of George W. Bush

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/08/watson.policy/ ^ | Monday, November 8, 2004 Posted: 2:43 PM EST (1943 GMT)

[sarasotarepublican]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Whether you are a Democrat, a Republican or an independent, it is hard not to look at President Bush's re-election victory last week and conclude that he is probably one of the three or four most talented politicians of the last half of a century.

Why do I write that? Think about it. In 10 short years, George Walker Bush has won not just one but three high-profile political races that most able politicians would have lost.

Many people will point out that Bush has enjoyed advantages that most people never dream of -- inherited wealth, a famous family name, unbelievable connections and multiple second chances. But while those are legitimate critiques, the reality is that FDR's sons never won the presidency; there never was a David Eisenhower administration; and Ronald Reagan's kids have never inspired much political fear.

Others will write that Karl Rove deserves much or all of the credit. But do you really believe that you can beat former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, Vice President Al Gore and Sen. John Kerry just by being a "puppet"? Sure, Rove helps -- as all savvy advisers do. Remember Dick Morris, Lee Atwater and Michael Deaver?

[sarasotarepublican]

There is more good stuff in the article. It's worth a read.

[KMC1]

Hard for me to believe that anything coming from CNN could be good...

[CWOJackson]

Very good read.

[Free_at_last_-2001]

This on cnn must be one of those "acts of God"!

[MD4Bush]

Yes, this is very interesting. Bush deserves credit for being politically smart.

[sarasotarepublican]

I thought it was going to be a hit piece also. The more I read, the better it got. This article deserves credit.

[Ginifer]

Agree. It's called CYA...they know which side their bread is butter on.

[The_Republican]

Yep. His strategery paid off.

[SBOinTX]

CNN knows how to roll with the punches. They're here for profit, and with 51% of the voters going Bush, it would be bad business NOT to at least attempt to distance themselves from the Tait, er, "bias", that afflicts them

[marlon]

This can't be true. Everybody knows that Bill Clinton is the most gifted politician in the history of US politics. Why he's just brilliant.

Why no less than every pundit on CNN and elswhere have been telling us this for over a decade. In fact, so brilliant is he that dispite never have garned 50% of the vote and having every candidate that he has supported and stumped for lose, he still has the adolation of the Lame Stream Media and most of the braindead left.

With a record like that I would have to say he must be brilliant for these people to continue to worship him. I, for one, hope he keeps on giving!!!!!!

[elizabetty]

Senator Kerry wanted to hold the office of President of the United States and President Bush wants to DO THE WORK of being President. It is a big difference.

[CWOJackson]

Be generous, all of his detractors on both sides of the spectrum deserve credit as well...for continuing to underestimate the man.

[AZLiberty]

Yes, it's unusual to hear CNN say good things about President Bush, but to me this article is no better than the previous round blaming the election outcome on Kerry. Of course you need to become a good politician to become Governor and then President, but the real reason he won is that the had a sound set of policies that he and over 50% of the population believed in.

[tomnbeverly]

George W. Bush is a president that emulates Theodore Roosevelt in so many ways. "In this campaign I earned political capital and I intend to spend it"

I love this guy....

[AZLiberty]

"he had", not "the had".

[knittnmom]

Amazing how he went from idiot to genius in less than one week! :-)

[js1138]

I would like to point out that if 70,000 people in Ohio had been planning to vote the other way, Rove would have detected this and modified his turnout targets.

The results in Ohio were not close. They were not as good as Florida, but Ohio was a tougher state this year.

Florida has Jeb Bush as a governor, and the state is not mismanaged. Ohio needs to learn about management.

I might add that I lived on the Indiana/Ohio border for ten years -- late 60s, early 70s -- and Ohio seems to be chronically mismanaged.

[af_vet_1981]

Indeed, such talents do not come along very often -- Bill Clinton in 1992, 1996 and again in 1998-99;

I fail to see how losing majorities in the House and Senate, failing to win any landmark legislation, being impeached, and bringing disgrace on the Office of the President signifies distinguishing talent ...

[normy]

Before criticizing the Democrats or Kerry too strongly, it is worth remembering that if out of the 115 million-plus voters nationwide, some 70,000 had switched sides in Ohio last week, we would be trumpeting President Kerry instead of President Bush. We would be discussing the groundbreaking miracle of a Catholic, a senator and a Northeastern liberal winning the presidency against a talented and well-funded wartime commander. But as my father taught me long ago, life is a game of inches, and so once again Bush won a difficult presidential election

Wrong! if that had happened I am sure the media elite and top Democrats would be calling for the abolition of the electoral college. They would wonder if it was right for a man who won by 4,000,000 votes not to be President. They would point out how Gore won by 500,000 votes while Bush won by 8 times that and that proves the Electoral College should be done away with. Of cours Dan Rather, Katie Couric and Chris Mathews would all agree.

[UCANSEE2]

Senator Kerry wanted to hold the office of President of the United States and President Bush wants to DO THE WORK of being President.

I couldn't have said it any better.