Sunday, August 01, 2004

August: Bush Comes Out Fighting?

Holy cow, the news is blaring about Bush's $30 million August attack plans against Kerry.
In a New York Times article, I read, "Mr. Bush's advisers plan to cap the month at the Republican convention in New York, which they said would feature Mr. Kerry as an object of humor and calculated derision."
Whaaat?
Are these the same people who whined that the DNC convention had too much Bush bashing?
Now they are actually admitting they plan to goof on Kerry all month?
Are they kidding? America is at war! Is this really a time for 'humor and calculated derision'?
I have some idea for Bush: Rather than deriding your opponent with snippy remarks...
• Why don't you talk about your first term instead? Don't you have anything to brag about?
• Why don't you tell the voters why almost 50 American soldiers a month still are dying in Iraq?
• Why don't you explain the record multi trillion dollar budget deficit you dragged us into?
• Why don't you tell us the progress you've made tracking the treasonous White House staff member who leaked CIA operative Valerie Plame's name to the media?
• Why don't you tell us how you're coming with the efforts to bring Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind of 9/11, to justice?
• Why don't you explain to us how the UN was irrelevant when you took us to war, then relevant once you saw you were in over your head in your "fight against terror"?
• Why don't you get straight with us about Americans being ordered to use sadistic torture against detainees at Gitmo, in Afghanistan and Iraq?
• Why don't you tell us all about that $10 billion you pledged to fight AIDS in Africa?
Does Bush really think these vital issues should be ignored in favor of playing Pin the Tail on the Democrat?
The idea that the Bush camp plans to poke fun at and deride Kerry all month is sickening at first glance.
But the good news is, research shows that approach leaves voters with a sour stomach.
That's why the Democrats in their convention tried to avoid the obvious targets of Bush's abysmal reign of terror and only mentioned his failed policies as a means to compare and contrast the two candidates.
The great part of the Bush plan to resort to put downs and wisecracks is this. When a stupid person tries to be funny, it usually fails. Wit and humor call for intellect, and Bush's fratboy humor is tedious at best.
But Bush does have some intelligent people on his staff.
But folks like Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft and Rice doing humorous riffs against Kerry?
Yeah, I can hear the rimshots already from that group of delightfully witty raconteurs.
The best GOP joke so far?
They plan to squander $30 million this month on their comedy tour. Now that's a great way to sell a candidate who has nothing else to offer.
I say bring it on, dimwit.

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