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November 24, 2003
Great Strategy
The Dems are upset about Pres. Bush's new ad.
The campaigns of Senator John Kerry and Howard Dean said on Sunday that they would begin showing television commercials in Iowa heavily criticizing a new Republican Party advertisement that portrays the Democratic presidential candidates as undermining President Bush while he fights terrorism.
Truth hurts, does it boys? From what I've heard about the ad, it's a fairly accurate representation of the candidates' position....except for Wesley Clark's. Wesley's position on the Iraq war is like the weather in Arkansas....if you don't like it, just wait a few minutes and it'll change.
At any rate, Kerry & Dean are coming out with ads of their own. Kerry's says nothing new.
In Mr. Kerry's advertisement, to appear on stations in Iowa on Monday, excerpts of the Republican spot are shown on the screen as an announcer says: "George Bush's ad says he's being attacked for attacking the terrorists. No, Mr. President, America's united against terror."
The announcer continues, "The problem is you declared `mission accomplished' when you had no plan to win the peace," as the screen flashes to the "Mission Accomplished" banner posted on the carrier Abraham Lincoln when the president stood on its flight deck and declared the end of major combat in Iraq.
The announcer also criticizes the administration for its handling of reconstruction contracting, saying that it "handed out billions in contracts to contributors like Halliburton." The administration has said its contracting process in Iraq has been proper and above board.
The spot ends with Mr. Kerry speaking to the camera, calling for the United States to get more allied help in Iraq and then saying, "We shouldn't be cutting education and closing firehouses in America while we're opening them in Iraq."
Neither does Dean's.
Dr. Dean's commercial also features an excerpt from the Republican advertisement, in which the president warns of the perils that unconventional weapons pose to the nation. An announcer then says of Mr. Bush, "He misled the nation about weapons of mass destruction, and we went to war when we shouldn't have. Howard Dean is committed to fighting terrorism and protecting our national security."
So Kerry & Dean respond to ads claiming they are undermining Bush's fight against terrorism by running ads that attempt to attack & undermine Bush's fight against terrorism.
Great strategy. [/sarcasm]
Posted by Rita at November 24, 2003 07:16 AM
Comments
Amazing how all of this makes me want to vote for Dubya.
Posted by: Keith at November 24, 2003 12:12 PM
What an innovative strategy:
Bush lied
Haliburton
Clever.
Posted by: Jim - Parkway Rest Stop at November 24, 2003 08:00 PM
I suspect it's having that effect on a lot of folks, Keith.
Real original aren't they Jim?
Posted by: Rita at November 24, 2003 10:41 PM
"ads that attempt to attack & undermine Bush's fight against terrorism."
Criticizing Bush's *strategy* in his fight against terrorism isn't the same (and is actually the opposite) as criticizing the *fight* against terrorism.
To illustrate, I'll apply your flawed terminology to criticism on the internal front:
I say "Bush and the Republicans are spending obscene amounts of money and increasing the deficit, thus failing to balance the budget"
You respond: "don't undermine and attack the Republican fight against deficit spending!"
Criticizing the strategy is not the same as "undermining and attacking" the goal. The Democrats are doing the former, not the latter. And in doing the former, they're actually attempting to HELP in the latter by improving our effectiveness.
Applying your "attack and undermine" logic to everyday life -- you try to mow the lawn with sissors -- I say "you're being inefficient. Why not use a lawnmower?" You say "stop undermining and attacking my efforts to cut the grass!"
Posted by: Aaron Butler at November 26, 2003 03:44 PM