September 4, 2004
A WISER MAN WOULD HAVE SUBMITTED THIS ESSAY ANONYMOUSLY:
Tearing Kerry Down: The challengner's only hope is to get as nasty as the Bush campaign (JOE KLEIN, Sep. 04, 2004, TIME)
It should be noted that, after a long, lifeless recitation of an illusory domestic policy, George W. Bush's acceptance speech at the Republican Convention came alive when the President gleefully skewered John Kerry's foolish claim to be the candidate of "conservative values." It was the pivotal moment of the speech. From there, Bush went on to his favorite topic—his decisiveness in the war against terrorism, the need to stand firm, the need to be plainspoken. For those who hadn't fallen asleep during the domestic policy trudge, this was a very effective speech—and it followed a very effective, if sometimes sleazy convention.The message of the week was: You know where Bush stands. You can't be sure about Kerry. But that headline also came with a misleading subhead: Bush is fighting the war against terrorism, and Kerry wouldn't.
Let's ignore the self-pity and try this again:
I believe in the transformational power of liberty. The wisest use of American strength is to advance freedom. [...][A]mericans, of all people, should never be surprised by the power of liberty to transform lives and nations. That power brought settlers on perilous journeys, inspired colonies to rebellion, ended the sin of slavery, and set our nation against the tyrannies of the 20th century.
We were honored to aid the rise of democracy in Germany and Japan, Nicaragua and Central Europe and the Baltics, and that noble story goes on.
I believe that America is called to lead the cause of freedom in a new century. I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for their liberty. I believe that given the chance, they will embrace the most honorable form of government ever devised by man.
I believe all these things because freedom is not America's gift to the world; it is the almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this world. [...]
By promoting liberty abroad, we will build a safer world. By encouraging liberty at home, we will build a more hopeful America.
Like generations before us, we have a calling from beyond the stars to stand for freedom. This is the everlasting dream of America. And tonight, in this place, that dream is renewed.
That's the war that Mr. Bush is leading and there is not a soul on this planet who thinks that Mr. Kerry would lead such a universalist Crusade. Posted by Orrin Judd at September 4, 2004 7:55 PM
The truly amanzing thing is that so many in the media can ignore the remarks by Soros, Moore, Kennedy, etc., that Bush is Hitler, or that he knew in advance aout 9/11 or that the war was concocted strictly for Halliburton's benefit and think that the Kerry campaign and its supporters have been "playing nice" for the past eight months, strictly because Bush=Hitler or some other inanity has not come directly out of the senator's mouth.
In that type of atmosphere, the Kerry supporters really don't have to come up with a charge against Bush that has any basis in truth for the media to run with it in the last eight weeks of the campaign. Kitty Kelley, Larry Flynt or the gang at "60 Minutes" could just as easily trot out the Weekly World News' old Page 1 standard and claim that Bush has met with space aliens -- especially if it turned out they were the secret owners of Halliburton -- and it no doubt would be the lead story on "Hardball" and dozens or more outlets by that night.
Posted by: John at September 4, 2004 10:16 PMJoe Klein should not use the word 'sleazy', unless he is referring to himself.
Posted by: jim hamlen at September 4, 2004 10:50 PMOrrin,
Reading this clip from Bush's speech, I'm reminded of something I thought of during his speech -- the number of times GWB said, "I believe ...". It's easy for someone to figure out what Bush believes, because he tells them. In contrast, can anyone tell me what Kerry believes?
Posted by: Steve White at September 5, 2004 12:45 AMOrrin,
Reading this clip from Bush's speech, I'm reminded of something I thought of during his speech -- the number of times GWB said, "I believe ...". It's easy for someone to figure out what Bush believes, because he tells them. In contrast, can anyone tell me what Kerry believes?
Posted by: Steve White at September 5, 2004 12:46 AMThere it is! The "C" word-"Crusade." Deus lo vult!
BTW, Hanoi John does believe some things--he believed that the people of Vietnam and Nicaragua, were better off under Communist regimes.
Posted by: Lou Gots at September 5, 2004 7:44 AMSet moore loose. That'll do it!
Posted by: Genecis at September 5, 2004 12:03 PMJoe Klein like many journalists is an untalented hack, who is entirely dependent on his Democratic party contacts, that he praised so much in Primary Colors. He is hoping and praying for a Democrat victory because if all the decision making power is in the hands of the Republicans, his contacts have no value. And he has neither the ability nor the interest to make friends with well-connected Republicans.
This is going to start to matter soon. Newspapers and TV news stations are businesses. They have to provide accurate, detailed information to readers and viewers or else those readers and viewers go elsewhere. The success of Fox may be the stuff of humor to the MSM but to the people who run the companies that own the elements of the MSM, I assure you it is not. These are bottom-line guys who look at Nielsens and Arbitrons, and their advertisers are that way too. The President of GE doesn't want to watch NBCs stations getting scooped by a bunch of upstart Aussies, especially when he can hire new people to make nice-nice with the GOP. The same goes for the folks at Time-Warner who are having enough problems with AOL that if CNN starts hemorrhaging money because they won't show anyone on the air but Democrat has-beens and never-wases, they'll close it down in a NY second. Then Candy Crowley will have to move in with that guy from Ouachita, Louisiana for companionship. And Joe Klein really will be 'Anonymous.'
Posted by: Bart at September 5, 2004 12:15 PM