Entrapment by Bush: He plays Democrats for fools, and they always rise to his bait

American Prowler ^ | 01/10/03 | David Hogberg

[Pokey78]

As I was waiting for my flight back to Iowa last Friday I scanned an article in USA Today about the Bush economic stimulus package. It reported that the Presidents' advisers stated the "proposal will likely exclude top-tier taxpayers in an effort to fend off Democratic criticism that his tax programs pander to the rich." As the plane headed for flyover country, I jotted some notes for a possible column on how Bush was engaging in both bad politics and bad policy.

Then on Sunday the Bush Administration released the full details of the plan: $674 billion in tax relief that included eliminating the tax on dividends and reducing income-tax rates for all income-tax payers. So much for excluding the rich. Fortunately, I hadn't written the column as the NFL Playoffs intervened. (Hey, gotta have priorities.) But I was left scratching my head as to why the Bush Administration would hint at placating the Democrats in the first place.

As I thought more about it, it became increasingly apparent that it was part of a strategy that the Bush Administration has employed for some time to put the Democrats in a box. It might be called "entrapment with a twist." It works as follows:

Act Helpless. In this step the Bushies leak stories to the press making the Administration look weak. The Administration may appear as though it lacks focus. Other times it may act as though it's afraid of the opposition. The point is to let the Democrats smell blood in the water. In the case of the economic stimulus package, the Bush Administration acted wary of Democrats' class-warfare rhetoric, and so hinted it might drop tax cuts for top income earners.

Wait for Democrats to Pounce. The appearance of weakness naturally induces the Democrats to attack. And as the Bush Administration surely knows, it will be an attack that pleases the Democrats' base. Over the weekend, prominent Donks turned up the class-warfare rhetoric. The Bush tax cuts would help "the wealthiest Americans" fumed then-impending Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. In an ironic choice of words, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi complained that the Bush plan was a "Trojan Horse to wheel in some tax breaks for the high end that they're so fond of." Trojan Horse indeed.

Spring the Trap. Once the Democrats have committed themselves to a line of attack, the Bush Administration ensnares them by pursuing a policy which forces the Democrats to either anger their base or alienate moderates. In his economic stimulus package, Bush not only has the supply-side tax cuts that please conservatives, he also has items that appeal to moderates, like income-tax cuts for the middle and lower class and "Re-Employment Accounts." Congressional Democrats now face a very unpleasant choice. They can vote against the President's plan thereby voting against the items that please moderate voters. Or they can risk dispiriting their base by voting for a plan that includes tax cuts for the "wealthy." Heads Bush wins, tails Democrats lose.

The "Twist." The twist to this strategy is that the Bush Administration also intends for its appearance of weakness to provoke criticism from the political right as well. For example, last week at the Daily Standard, Fred Barnes griped "Somebody tell the Bush White House that Republicans now control the Senate….Somehow the idea got planted at the White House that a watered-down tax cut, less susceptible to Democratic attacks, would be better politically for the president." It seems to me that this has two important psychological effects. First, seeing the president attacked from the right emboldens the Democrats, making them all the more likely to pounce. Second, when the president actually releases a plan that has plenty of conservative ideas, the right heaves a great sigh of relief, and becomes energized and eager to do battle for Bush. Not surprisingly, in Tuesday's National Review Online Larry Kudlow gushed, "President Bush has surprised everyone with his decision to propose a big-bang economic growth package."

The Bush Administration has used this strategy at least since last year, when it rolled the Democrats on the War Against Iraq. In that instance, the Administration leaked stories that Bush was hesitating about going to war with Iraq. This prompted many on the right to complain; most notably Bill Kristol and Robert Kagan at the Weekly Standard zinged Bush for "Going Wobbly." Sensing an opportunity, the Democrats went on the attack in late summer. Then-Minority Leader Dick Gephardt said the President needed to "make the case to Congress and the people," while Senator Joe Lieberman said Bush must "speak to the American people [and] ask Congress for authorization." They had walked right into it.

Shortly after September 11, Bush made the case in speeches to the American people and in front of the United Nations. He reiterated his support for regime change in Iraq, using force if necessary. He also mollified moderates by giving the United Nations one last chance to deal with Saddam. Support for military action surged to near 70% in most polls. Finally, he asked Congress for a resolution authorizing the use of force. Again, the Democrats were stuck. Either vote against the resolution and alienate moderates, or vote for it and anger their base. The strategy yielded big dividends on election day.

Will the Democrats ever get wise to this? Perhaps. More likely, they will persist in their view that Bush is a dimwit who continues to get lucky. Thus, they will continue to misunderestimate his strategery.


David Hogberg is a research analyst at the Public Interest Institute, an Iowa-based think tank. He also hosts his own website, Cornfield Commentary.

[johnny7]

Thus, they will continue to misunderestimate his strategery.

HA! Bush is like a jig or plastic worm fisherman. Takes his time and relies on skill.

The dems are like trollers... hoping to get lucky.

In reality, the dems are the dim-wits.

[BARLF]

HeeHee.....Back sometime during the campaign there was an article similar to this about Gore & Bush. "The Fox and the Hedgehog",best I remember.

Thanks John and a safe and happy new year to you.

[amom]

:-)

Thanks for the heads up.

[snopercod]

The usual RINOs in the senate are energized to scuttle the stimulus package. I hope Frist slaps them down very soon.

Senate stunner for W tax plan

[RWG]

As I was waiting for my flight back to Iowa last Friday...now this is a fool.

[patriciaruth]

what we really need is the abolition of the estate (death) tax,

This 2003 plan calls for making the 2001 tax cuts permanent, and accelerating their implementation. That includes the estate tax. I heard President Bush specifically mention the estate tax in his speech in Chicago.

If someone later in this thread doesn't amplify this, I'll find it myself and post it.

[patriciaruth]

I will never be a member.[of AARP]

So my husband and I are not alone here in refusing to join that club of selfish, greedy, unAmerican, parasitical...?

[Mia T]

As I was waiting for my flight back to Iowa last Friday I scanned an article in USA Today about the Bush economic stimulus package. It reported that the Presidents' advisers stated the "proposal will likely exclude top-tier taxpayers in an effort to fend off Democratic criticism that his tax programs pander to the rich." As the plane headed for flyover country, I jotted some notes for a possible column on how Bush was engaging in both bad politics and bad policy.

Then on Sunday the Bush Administration released the full details of the plan: $674 billion in tax relief that included eliminating the tax on dividends and reducing income-tax rates for all income-tax payers. So much for excluding the rich. Fortunately, I hadn't written the column as the NFL Playoffs intervened. (Hey, gotta have priorities.) But I was left scratching my head as to why the Bush Administration would hint at placating the Democrats in the first place.

As I thought more about it, it became increasingly apparent that it was part of a strategy that the Bush Administration has employed for some time to put the Democrats in a box. It might be called "entrapment with a twist." It works as follows:

Entrapment by Bush: He plays Democrats for fools, and they always rise to his bait
American Prowler | 01/10/03 | David Hogberg

The flip side of the story...

Bush couldn't play the Dims for fools without the cognitive and psychological deficiency of this aberration and her life (such as it is) partner (such as 'it' is).

 

HILLARY "YOU KNOW" CLINTON

SEN. KNOWNOTHING VICTIM CLINTON

THE CLINTON RAPES ARE "UNBECOMING"

CLINTON LEGACY OF LYNCHING

clinton Complex-Question Fallacy Scheme

HILLARY CLINTON LACKS COGNITIVE CAPACITY TO LEAD

THE CLINTON LIE-BRARY

It won't s-p-i-n

AMERICAN MUSEUM--ER--MUSLIM COUNCIL

"There isn't a shred of evidence."

Privacy Policy 

  

Dear new sucker--er--New Yorker, This virtual office was established because you are absolutely forbidden to set your peasant foot in my real one. This is how I got here, and this is how I did it.. This helped, too. And this. And this. You had better take a moment to genuflect before the newly erected clinton altar. Additionally, I am pleased to present my new clinton crime family video greeting and video farewell. You would be wise to study them carefully. And don't bother E-mailing me. I couldn't care less what the little people think.

A missive from the smartest woman in the world. Study it.

Sincerely,

Latest clinton News

 

69% of Voters Nationwide NEVER Want hillary clinton to Run for Prez  

 

WRITTEN IN STONE: AN ARCHITECT DEFINES THE CLINTONS

 

DESIGNATED DEMOCRAT ATTACK DOG MAKES ITS DEBUT

 

Hardball's Softball hillary clinton 'Interview'

 

Q ERTY8 Democrat Debacle of '02

 

Buddy Death Report Raises More Questions Than It Answers

 

_{But they are space aliens}

 

Q ERTY9 BUSH: "I will not wait on events, while dangers gather."

 

Q ERTY6 utter failure

 

What did he know. . . and when did he know it ?

 

THE OTHER NIXON

 

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

 

The Real Danger of a Presidential Fake: Post-9/11 Reconsideration of The Placebo President

 

 

copyright Mia T 2003

 

[aristeides]

I think the RATs' tax plan didn't include a payroll tax holiday because they realized Bush was going to use this tactic again on them.

[patriciaruth]

From the President's speech: "Americans should be able to count on those tax cuts as they plan their financial futures. So I will continue to press the Congress to make these tax cuts, including the end of the death tax, permanent. "

[maica]

I will never be a member.[of AARP]
---
So my husband and I are not alone here in refusing to join that club of selfish, greedy, unAmerican, parasitical...?
---
I also refuse to let them add my name to their membership list!

[patriciaruth]

So we've got a gang of four here. Anybody know an organization of seniors that don't want to bankrupt their grandkids?

Or maybe we all should start one.

[maica]

This article is a must read! And check Miss Marple's comments above. She writes what I am thinking so often.

For example, when I hear pundits of the right criticize the President I think two things.
One) The President has hit the exact position again if both sides think he has gone too far / not far enough.
Two) To the naysayers, eg Fred Barnes in this article and many freepers frequently, I think "Oh, ye of little faith, you STILL don't understand the strength, vision and political skill of our president."

[randita]

Super analysis!

The reason the Bush strategy works so well is because it plays to the media and Democrat template that he is a bumbling, partying, fratboy dunce.

Rather than rail against the media, Bush has learned to play them to his own advantage and they take the bait every time--especially the NY Times.

Another example of this fine-tuned (Karl Rove?) strategy is when Bush claimed he didn't need congressional approval for mounting the Iraqi War nor was he going to need the approval of the UN. The Democrats had a cow--I never saw such pontificating. So Bush--knowing all along what would happen--appeared to relent, and gave the Democrats the debate they appeared to want. In the process, the pro-Saddam element (McDermott, Bonior) became the face of the party right before the Nov. 5 election.

And it was a matter of formality that the UN would go along with Bush's plan. He never was going to leave them out, so the Democrat's attack resulted in the appearance of a major diplomatic coup on Bush's part.

Strategy simplified: 1) Leak that you're not going to give Democrats what they want or say they want and let them wax hysterical. 2) Then come out with a proposal that gives them something they want along with something we want that would help one of their constituency groups. 3) Focus on that part of the proposal which benefits their constituency group and triangulate them.

[hchutch]

It really doesn't matter.

It is a FUNDAMENTAL problem they have. They NEED to draw off a good portion of the moderates and secure their base to win control ofthe House, Sentae, and White House. The trick has been, as Reagan did and as George Bush Jr. has done for the most part, is to FORCE them into a choice between their base and moderates.

When you can do that consistently, it's like facing the Bears when they had Walter Payton. You might KNOW he is getting the ball on third-and-short, but stopping him is a different thing entirely.

[N. Theknow]

By the way, this reporter missed another obvious angle to Bush's strategy. And that is that dividends are by and large received by the elderly as part of their fixed income, and that by making this a centerpiece of his stimulus bill he will be winning over a constituency that is traditionally in the Democratic camp.

It would have been even better if he had eliminated the income tax on Social Security benefits which were enacted by the Dems and Toon.

[Kevin Curry]

More likely, [Democrats] will persist in their view that Bush is a dimwit who continues to get lucky.

That's pretty much how Fancy Nancy Pelosi sizes things up. Bush will continue to checkmate her in three.

The farther to the left one is, the more likely one is likely to believe Bush is hopelessly stupid. That perception plays perfectly in Bush's favor.

[RooRoobird14]

"Strategery" by the "dumb guy" strikes again!!!

You just KNOW the leftist DNC intelligentsia (who think they're so d@mn smart)are just fuming about how once again they've been out-snookered.

Hey DNC CLYMERS: Better put some ice on those lying lips!!! BWHAH-HAH-HAH!!!!

[RooRoobird14]

"More likely, [Democrats] will persist in their view that Bush is a dimwit who continues to get lucky."

That's pretty much how Fancy Nancy Pelosi sizes things up

Talk about the ultimate irony: Bimbo Pelosi living in a world of leftist sh*t, thinking she's SOOOO much smarter than Bush.

But it's JUST OUTSTANDING for us!

I like the fact that clueless FemiNazi hags (Pelosi, Mrs. Rapist) are calling the shots for the p-whipped Jack@ss Party.

[Mr. K]

Mia, why do you create posts that are so disjointed and confusing?
Once I wade through the glaring colors and confusing menus and click points I find the content to be great, but why do you make it so confusing?