Nemont
Well-known member
Kerry's 'Anybody But Bush' trap
By Derrick Z. Jackson, Globe Columnist | April 20, 2004
I RECENTLY received a screaming piece of fund-raising mail paid for by John Kerry for President. It was on the letterhead of Democratic political consultant James Carville.
The first page read in part:
''If there are limits to how far the Bush political machine is willing to go to savage an opponent, you could strain your eyes trying to find them.
''In 2000 they were willing to challenge John McCain's fitness for office and his commitment to veterans _ even though he spent years as a prisoner in Vietnam.
''In 2002 they had no compunction about challenging the patriotism of Senator Max Cleland and showing his photo next to those of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden _ even though he lost three limbs while serving his country in Vietnam ...
''We're up against a bunch that has $150 million in the bank and no shame when it comes to using it to distort the truth. Why are Bush and the Republicans so desperate to mislead people about John Kerry's record and impugn his reputation?
''Because they know that, in a fair Kerry versus Bush contest, we win - and they lose.''
What was striking about the letter was that the entire first page was about how Bush misleads, but not a single sentence about how Kerry would lead. Even as Bush flounders in self-righteousness, you have to wonder if the ABB (Anybody But Bush) crowd is lulling themselves into a reverse trap. Letters like this make you wonder if ABB also means All But Blind.
The reality is there is a core on folks on the right who believe Bush is an appointed guardian of unilateral American might. There is a core of people on the left who believe Bush is still not their president. But if it was so obvious to Americans outside the elite east and the Bay Area that Bush was a scoundrel, then the polls should not be merely even - Kerry should be ahead by a landslide.
Further evidence of how the Kerry folks are relying heavily on the ABB game was the campaign's recent ''release'' of something called the ''Middle-Class Misery Index.'' By the time you get done reading it, you'd think we're in the second Great Depression.
Story
[ 04-22-2004, 15:30: Message edited by: Nemont ]
By Derrick Z. Jackson, Globe Columnist | April 20, 2004
I RECENTLY received a screaming piece of fund-raising mail paid for by John Kerry for President. It was on the letterhead of Democratic political consultant James Carville.
The first page read in part:
''If there are limits to how far the Bush political machine is willing to go to savage an opponent, you could strain your eyes trying to find them.
''In 2000 they were willing to challenge John McCain's fitness for office and his commitment to veterans _ even though he spent years as a prisoner in Vietnam.
''In 2002 they had no compunction about challenging the patriotism of Senator Max Cleland and showing his photo next to those of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden _ even though he lost three limbs while serving his country in Vietnam ...
''We're up against a bunch that has $150 million in the bank and no shame when it comes to using it to distort the truth. Why are Bush and the Republicans so desperate to mislead people about John Kerry's record and impugn his reputation?
''Because they know that, in a fair Kerry versus Bush contest, we win - and they lose.''
What was striking about the letter was that the entire first page was about how Bush misleads, but not a single sentence about how Kerry would lead. Even as Bush flounders in self-righteousness, you have to wonder if the ABB (Anybody But Bush) crowd is lulling themselves into a reverse trap. Letters like this make you wonder if ABB also means All But Blind.
The reality is there is a core on folks on the right who believe Bush is an appointed guardian of unilateral American might. There is a core of people on the left who believe Bush is still not their president. But if it was so obvious to Americans outside the elite east and the Bay Area that Bush was a scoundrel, then the polls should not be merely even - Kerry should be ahead by a landslide.
Further evidence of how the Kerry folks are relying heavily on the ABB game was the campaign's recent ''release'' of something called the ''Middle-Class Misery Index.'' By the time you get done reading it, you'd think we're in the second Great Depression.
Story
[ 04-22-2004, 15:30: Message edited by: Nemont ]
