Bush Was Strong
The RNC party line is becoming clear now, as they try to frame their candidate in the eyes of the public. That message is as follows:
"President Bush was strong and steady leadership in historic times."
This is a talking point that is being echoed in some variation from all GOP circles, as the very rude Rude Pundit so aptly described in their piece from March 8. You can almost see the cascade of memos from the top on down, as everybody in the organization gets "on message".
So that's it? That's all they've got, that Bush was "strong" and "steady"? Yes, he stood on that rubble in New York. Yes, he gave a solid speech as he addressed the nation in the days after the attacks.
The standards for leadership sure are low for some people, aren't they?
The question is, what happens when this message doesn't sway the polls? And it won't, you know. You think people need to actually be reminded about 9/11? It's an insult. Anybody who was going to vote for Bush because of 9/11 or the War On Terror is already indicating that in the polls. These ads only preach to the converted.
So, what next? They still won't have a record to fall back on, a point which deserves deeper examination. When people typically say a candidate doesn't have a record to fall back on, it usually means that they have initiatives that they will tout but ultimately won't be strong enough to give them the support they need. But most often, a candidate will still make the attempt. The Bush Administration isn't even going to try to point to any successes in their term that aren't related to 9/11 or tax cuts. There's nothing there. They can't even make the attempt!
So, no record of positives. What else is there? A burgeoning record of negatives, which they will try to blame on Clinton. A burgeoning record of misdeeds and outright lawbreaking on the part of various Administration officials which they will simply hope the public doesn't remember.
And fear. They'll first try to capitalize on this fear by promoting Bush as a person. They remember that people generally liked Bush the first time around. Found him warm and strong and "like them". That's what these "strong and steady" ads are about.
Once that fails, all that will be left is the fear, and that's why this spring and summer is going to be unlike anything we have ever experienced in the U.S. before. They will do everything they can to make us be afraid that John Kerry will go soft on terror, and that terror is still very much around us.
It's all they have. I'll say it again: They have to make us believe that terror is just around the corner, and that by choosing Kerry we will be inviting mass death in horrific ways.
It will be their only choice. I absolutely expect to see commercials which depict massive terrorist strikes, or at least discuss such scenarios, in an attempt to scare the nation. It will be like something out of a bad movie.
And it might very well start with Bush accepting his party's nomination at Ground Zero.
I've come around on the idea that Linus shouldn't see many TV shows or movies. I hadn't thought I would have to shield him from the Presidential election as well, but I think that might be how the summer unfolds.
11:19:22 AM 
|
