New Dawn for Bush

[Torog]

New dawn for Bush

A Texas-sized optimism outshone Kerry's debating skills

Oct. 14, 2004 12:00 AM

The rugged grind of three debates has tested the spirits of both President Bush and Sen. John Kerry. That much was evident as both candidates for president struggled for some fresh expression in their final confrontation Wednesday night at Arizona State University's Gammage Auditorium.

Who won the debate? Each candidate certainly had his moments.

But when it comes to domestic issues, demeanor matters. Expectations matter. Optimism and ideas really matter.

Whatever dangers may lurk on the nation's domestic horizon, America's strength has been that it will work out those problems. Eventually, it will set things right. And it expects in its leaders a reflection of that optimism.

So, who won the tempest in Tempe? The candidate with the painting of a west Texas dawn in his office. The one who declares with an unrestrained ebullience that "God wants everybody to be free."

Let us acknowledge, as though it needs any further acknowledgment, that as a pure debater, John Kerry is the better of the two candidates.

But the debate at Gammage was not a bloodless academic contest dictated by style and scored like a ball game. It was a demonstration of which of two men would best do what every wise leader since Franklin D. Roosevelt has done: Challenge Americans to rise beyond their difficulties.

Bush did that. For all the havoc a tax cut plays on a federal deficit that Congress (and, in fairness, the president) is unwilling to manage, the economy fares far better when government puts more money in the hands of the people earning it. That is Bush's view, which he expressed forcefully.

The American condition fares far better, too, when tough issues like illegal immigration are viewed - as Bush said he views them - as human-rights matters as well as questions of security.

Bush's comment about God and freedom was a point about Iraq, certainly. But it also fairly describes Bush's view of undocumented immigrants in this country, the one position expressed by the president that recalled the "compassionate conservatism" of his 2000 campaign.

In contrast, Kerry's view of conditions on the American ground is grim. There seems to be nothing that Bush cannot be blamed for in John Kerry's world.

Kerry's vision of America as expressed in the debate is one of oppression and victimization. His assessment that there are public schools for those "who have" and schools for those who "do not have" is a judgment seemingly buried in pre-Brown vs. Board of Education. Is there no room for acknowledgment of any good thing?

Racial discrimination - a crime that American law does not countenance in any form - remains widespread across the nation in Kerry's view, justifying the continuation of affirmative action.

Reality tells us Kerry is right, of course. It's true that the long march toward a just world has miles yet to go. But is there no room to acknowledge something regarding the remarkable changes that have transpired in Kerry's lifetime?

Yes, John Kerry has innumerable plans for the economy, for health care reform and for Social Security. But as expressed in Tempe, Kerry's "plans" seem to constitute a recitation of Bush's alleged failures.

If the stilted debate format employed Wednesday night provided any table-thumping moment at all, it came when Bush observed of Kerry that "a plan isn't a litany of complaints."

Many of the subjects raised at the debate by moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS News ranged toward the personal. He asked about the role of religion in the candidates' lives. He also asked about their views regarding homosexuality, a more personal matter than the political issues pertaining to same-sex marriage.

Kerry's answer spoke not of candor, but of strategy.

Like his vice-presidential running mate, Sen. John Edwards, Kerry referenced Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter when he was asked, "Is homosexuality a choice?" Was this leaden dig at the perceived hypocrisy of Bush really necessary?

Edwards' awkward, ill-timed reference to Cheney's lesbian daughter seemed odd during his debate. But Kerry's comment oozed of crass strategy.

Whether the polls acknowledge it or not, the president emerged from this debate on a positive note. Kerry cannot say the same.

Torog Reviewed by Torog on 10-14-2004. New Dawn for Bush New dawn for Bush A Texas-sized optimism outshone Kerry's debating skills Oct. 14, 2004 12:00 AM The rugged grind of three debates has tested the spirits of both President Bush and Sen. John Kerry. That much was evident as both candidates for president struggled for some fresh expression in their final confrontation Wednesday night at Arizona State University's Gammage Auditorium. Who won the debate? Each candidate certainly had his moments. Rating: 5

[Torog]

" Whether the polls acknowledge it or not, the president emerged from this debate on a positive note. Kerry cannot say the same. "

Bush opened up a giant,fresh,can of whup-ass on Kerry last night-Kerry was on the ropes the whole debate-and came off sounding like the spine-less,euroweenie ass-kissing,terrorist-appeasing,socialist, traitor,that he's been since '71.

Yeeehhhaaaww !!!

[ivani]

" Whether the polls acknowledge it or not, the president emerged from this debate on a positive note. Kerry cannot say the same. "

Bush opened up a giant,fresh,can of whup-ass on Kerry last night-Kerry was on the ropes the whole debate-and came off sounding like the spine-less,euroweenie ass-kissing,terrorist-appeasing,socialist, traitor,that he's been since '71.

Yeeehhhaaaww !!!

TOROG
How ya doing? Its been a while.
About Bush winning the debate.....I cant possibily believe you think Bush delivered a 'ass whoopin'. He was given 3 straight ass whoopins. Every major poll suggests that he lost every debate. If the people think he lost, he lost. If bill o'reilly say he won that doesn't matter any more than if Micheal Moore says so. All that matters is what the undecided vote thinks and those people overwhelmingly went for Kerry. Kerry won every debate. He performed kind of tired and boorish but he had enough to edge out W last night. Bush was Horrible. He got rid of the smirrk and replaced it with the stupidist fake smile I have ever seen. Everytime he was critisized, up came that stupid smile. And he kept having little giggle fits when he thought he said something brilliant. Or how about....."I am not sure we should be mentioning news organi.....oh never mind...HAHAHAHAHA" What the hell was that? or even worse he gave away one entire two minute session as he chose to only speak for ten seconds. Kerry looked dumbfounded and had to ask if he would get a full 90 seconds to reply. He couldn't figure out why Bush would waste two minutes of free TV time.

[Imotep]

well torog youll be mightily impressed that John Howard won the election here again for the 3rd time running.
If kerry gets in it will be funny coz little John wont have his "big" buddy george to suck up to.
our opposition was piss weak unfortunateley. as far as politics go they deserved to lose.
on a moral front, john howrd won the last election on a fabricated boat people emergency. floods of fucking people displaced (from silly wars) were heading for my suburb.
no doubt gw will win coz the worlds going to shit.
but that gets said by every generation.

[Torog]

"TOROG
How ya doing? Its been a while. "

Howdy Ivani..I'm fair to middlin..how about u ? Good to hear from ya !

Well ,dang it, I'm figure if puttin on a spin is good enough for the liberals..I may as well do it too ! lol

I realize that Bush could have done better,he's basically preachin to the choir in my case,he don't have to convince me of the direction this country needs to go-being a redneck,Texas hippy and a conservative Christian,I believe in taking the fight to the enemy-whther it's the terrorists or liberals..lol..whereas Kerry wants to retreat and call the whole mess a criminal problem.

Have a good one...Torog

[Torog]

well torog youll be mightily impressed that John Howard won the election here again for the 3rd time running.
If kerry gets in it will be funny coz little John wont have his "big" buddy george to suck up to.
our opposition was piss weak unfortunateley. as far as politics go they deserved to lose.
on a moral front, john howrd won the last election on a fabricated boat people emergency. floods of fucking people displaced (from silly wars) were heading for my suburb.
no doubt gw will win coz the worlds going to shit.
but that gets said by every generation.

Howdy Imotep,

Yup,I was wonderin if Howard would git re-elected,glad that he did,leaders that want to retreat from the terrorists,ain't got no business-being a leader..weakness in the face of the enemy-dang sure won't make the terrorists go away and will only encourage them-as is the case in regards to those who pay ransoms for hostages..or pull their troops out.

You make a good point-that Howard will expect America to abandon him and the war on terror-if Kerry should git elected.

Have a good one Torog

[Euphoric]

wtf..john kerry won that debate!

[pisshead]

torog:
you love bombs and war and killing innocent people as well as poisoning our troops with DU even as the government denies it, which means supproting them.

you love big government, big budgets, deficits, open borders, amnesty for anyone who can get here, the dept. of education, gun control, the un and their declaration of human rights...selling our sovereignty out to the UN UNDER BUSH, the ftaa and nafta and gatt...the list goes on. is all ofo that conservative?

you'd say all of that makes clinton an anti american liberal traitor...but all that also makes bush an american patriot who loves freedom? which is it?

ron paul, you would agree, is a conservative and his voting record proves it. he's the exact opposite of bush. how can they both be conservatives?

how can you call yourself a christian conservative? you're neither of those.