Why Baton Rouge Is Still Bush Country:
"What Becky sees when she sees George Bush is a man who may not be a genius but who at least talks the talk, drawing a clear line between right and wrong. She looks at his face and sees her own staring back."
The stuff about plain speaking is critical. I was at a BBQ this summer with a Kerry worker and he said something about how the Campaign had seperated Iraq from bin Laden. I was fuming. They never made the clear distinction. I'm sure there are better wordsmiths out there, but Kerry never made that clear to me and I was a Kerry supporter! Say to Bush at the debates, no connection between Iraq and bin Laden. Kerry let the campaign become about him instead of the incumbent. He needed to stick to one theme. Nothing about the economy; just "Where's bin Laden?"
Like Clinton and Bush II before, you have got to run on one theme. It's the economy stupid or Compassionate Conservatism sound cliche and boring, but they clearly define what they want for the Presidency and the country. Sure bin Laden could have been wrapped up in some prison and brought out for the media a week before, but then again, the country would have been better off. Instead we have horse association presidents running FEMA and U.S. Soldiers on trial for torture. Country before party?
"What Becky sees when she sees George Bush is a man who may not be a genius but who at least talks the talk, drawing a clear line between right and wrong. She looks at his face and sees her own staring back."
The stuff about plain speaking is critical. I was at a BBQ this summer with a Kerry worker and he said something about how the Campaign had seperated Iraq from bin Laden. I was fuming. They never made the clear distinction. I'm sure there are better wordsmiths out there, but Kerry never made that clear to me and I was a Kerry supporter! Say to Bush at the debates, no connection between Iraq and bin Laden. Kerry let the campaign become about him instead of the incumbent. He needed to stick to one theme. Nothing about the economy; just "Where's bin Laden?"
Like Clinton and Bush II before, you have got to run on one theme. It's the economy stupid or Compassionate Conservatism sound cliche and boring, but they clearly define what they want for the Presidency and the country. Sure bin Laden could have been wrapped up in some prison and brought out for the media a week before, but then again, the country would have been better off. Instead we have horse association presidents running FEMA and U.S. Soldiers on trial for torture. Country before party?
posted by Spud at 7:39 AM
2 Comments:
Someone should tell Becky that if someone in this country doesn't know the meaning of "pulling yourself by the bootsraps" it's George W. Bush. He has always depended on the help of others ( his father and his friends) to get out of multiple business failures and the National Guard to get out of Vietnam.
The truth is that it's that cultural identification especially in areas of the country which are xenophobic,racist culturally inbred, and religiously (and falsely)righteous, where this kinship with this president is strongly felt. As you say they have brilliantly played a numbers game, rolled the dice and won based on the visceral (not mental) mobilization with this segment of the country.
I've always admired this country and all the amazing accomplishments it has achieved, all the Nobel Prizes, inventions and scientific firsts which have made its economic standing possible. This, however, came about from good scientific research and education and millions of dollars in investment( private and government) not from operating out of the lizzard part of our brains of our brains.
I'm afraid that is how many people in this country operate and it is being cynically exploited by this administration. How can you reason with a crowd who stubbornly insist that "the jury is still out on evolution" and feel fully supported by the Bible they have stuck under their arms and the President?
Unfortunately everyone has a vote but not everyone takes the responsibility that comes with that priviledge seriously. Instead of studying the issues ( the effect of the $200 tax cut I get this year vs. the terrible effects of
the exploding national deficits) most people only obsess on the price of gas ( which in conscience should have been this high years ago as a result of a gas tax). The gas tax would help curb our dependency on foreign oil, incentivate the auto industry to develop more appropriate technology and also help (gasp!!)the environment.
This is what happens when people vote for someone they would like to have a beer with or invite to their barbecue ( questions I saw in polls in the last election) presumably because somehow at the 'gut' level they identify with a candidate ( mainly by race, accent, anti-intellectual speach and religion). You certainly would not choose your brain surgeon or airline pilot on that basis.
It is not until all the "Beckys" in America realize that we shouldn't choose our president using this set of criteria ( independent of party affiliation)that the US will get back on the right track. We can easily continue loosing the standard of living and comparative advantage we all associate with this great country, and that may become irreversible in an increasingly competitive world very very soon.
Someone should tell Becky that if someone in this country doesn't know the meaning of "pulling yourself by the bootsraps" it's George W. Bush. He has always depended on the help of others ( his father and his friends) to get out of multiple business failures and the National Guard to get out of Vietnam.
The truth is that it's that cultural identification especially in areas of the country which are xenophobic,racist culturally inbred, and religiously (and falsely)righteous, where this kinship with this president is strongly felt. As you say they have brilliantly played a numbers game, rolled the dice and won based on the visceral (not mental) mobilization with this segment of the country.
I've always admired this country and all the amazing accomplishments it has achieved, all the Nobel Prizes, inventions and scientific firsts which have made its economic standing possible. This, however, came about from good scientific research and education and millions of dollars in investment( private and government) not from operating out of the lizzard part of our brains of our brains.
I'm afraid that is how many people in this country operate and it is being cynically exploited by this administration. How can you reason with a crowd who stubbornly insist that "the jury is still out on evolution" and feel fully supported by the Bible they have stuck under their arms and the President?
Unfortunately everyone has a vote but not everyone takes the responsibility that comes with that priviledge seriously. Instead of studying the issues ( the effect of the $200 tax cut I get this year vs. the terrible effects of
the exploding national deficits) most people only obsess on the price of gas ( which in conscience should have been this high years ago as a result of a gas tax). The gas tax would help curb our dependency on foreign oil, incentivate the auto industry to develop more appropriate technology and also help (gasp!!)the environment.
This is what happens when people vote for someone they would like to have a beer with or invite to their barbecue ( questions I saw in polls in the last election) presumably because somehow at the 'gut' level they identify with a candidate ( mainly by race, accent, anti-intellectual speach and religion). You certainly would not choose your brain surgeon or airline pilot on that basis.
It is not until all the "Beckys" in America realize that we shouldn't choose our president using this set of criteria ( independent of party affiliation)that the US will get back on the right track. We can easily continue loosing the standard of living and comparative advantage we all associate with this great country, and that may become irreversible in an increasingly competitive world very very soon.
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