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Bush's Abilities Not in Question
By RON FOURNIER (Former Direct descendent of
Karl Marx!... "for now". - tha malcontent)
AP White House Correspondent SEPTEMBER 25, 05:22 EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) � Ten months after a bitterly contested election, an anxious nation looks to its president for comfort, strength, and wartime leadership. The question that has dogged George W. Bush for years � Is he up to the job? � is not being asked
now.
(I
have to admit, that even under the current circumstances, this article surprises
me. The one problem with the final statement in this paragraph is that the
"Free Press" were the one's asking that agendized question in the
first place! The only reason why the American people thought Bush (43) was
dumb was because the "Free Press" insinuated it instead of telling
"the people" that he has a Masters from Harvard and that he flew
fighter jets in the Guard. I welcome this "new tone" from the
"Free Press" and I will continue to applaud it... "for now"!
- tha malcontent)
Americans are closing ranks behind the commander in chief. Even the most hardened Democrats praise Bush's performance after the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
``I think he's doing really well,'' California's Democratic Party chairman, Art Torres, said in a telephone interview. ``He's been able to capture the mantle of leadership, when some people didn't think he could. I certainly think circumstances make strong leaders, and this guy has risen to the occasion.''
(And
like Chris Matthews, Art is only sorry that William the Liar did not have this
"opportunity for greatness". - tha malcontent)
The rave reviews are tempered, however, by fresh memories of Bush's shaky first response to the crisis and the knowledge that his toughest tests lie ahead.
``What he's doing now � rallying us � is the easy part. The hard part comes when we get into it,'' said Thomas Edwards, a presidential historian in Walla Walla, Wash. Can he stoke America's war fervor for months or years to come? Will casualties erode his support or lessen his resolve?
(If
Thomas believes that the last two weeks were "the easy part", then I
think we can conclude that he is just as inept when it comes to history. - tha
malcontent)
``That will be the test of his leadership,'' Edwards said.
The U.S. economy, wobbly before the strikes, poses another major challenge for Bush. His father, the last president who led the nation to war, lost re-election after an ailing economy wiped out the political capital he built in victory over
Iraq.
(An
economy that FACTUALLY began growing in March of 1991 and was conveniently
ignored by the always obedient "Free Press" as to assist William the
Liar to the thrown. - tha malcontent)
``I was very impressed with the president's speech to Congress and, in the short term, I think he's OK politically,'' said Ken Brock, a Democratic political consultant in Michigan. ``The long-term question is how patient will people be with the downward shock this has put on the economy? Where, in 12 months, does it leave him?''
The political landscape already has changed. Before tragedy struck, many Democrats and swing voters still nursed doubts about the disputed election, Bush's job approval rating hovered around 50 percent and the country was
split.
(If
someone doesn't let the DemocRATS feed pretty soon, they will start feeding on
themselves. Little Dick appears to be at the top of that pile... stay
tuned! - tha malcontent)
Now his job approval rating is above 80 percent, with nine out of every 10 voters backing his actions since Sept.
11.
(I
would like to know the demo's on the 10 percent who do not support our (P)resident!
- tha malcontent)
One reason for Bush's success is his rhetoric, an ironic twist. His oft-mangled syntax is a longtime source of jokes, fueling questions about his intellectual heft.
But the president has shown compassion � ``I weep and mourn with America.'' Emotion � ``It ... makes me angry.'' And resolve � ``The conflict will not be short ... or easy.''
He has reached into the history books for poetic analogy: ``By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they follow in the path of fascism, Nazism and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way to where it ends in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.''
And he has driven home his point with homespun Texas talk � ``We will smoke them out of their holes.''
It was all a marked contrast to his Bush's first reaction to the crisis, when he zigzagged across the country to avoid terrorists who he simply called ``those folks.''
(Little
Dick over in the House Minority used EXACTLY the same phrase "Free
Press", YOU KNOW THIS! - tha malcontent)
Bush came to office disdainful of what he considered a showboaty, overly theatrical Clinton presidency. Interesting, then, that he has cast aside his low-key style for a series of scene-stealing moments.
A flag in one hand, bullhorn in the other, Bush scaled the rubble in New York to vow vengeance on terrorists ``who knocked these buildings down.'' He nearly sobbed in the Oval Office as he said, ``This country will not relent.''
Those remarks and many others appeared unscripted, but much of Bush's stagecraft is the handiwork of his image team � led by counselor Karen Hughes, adviser Karl Rove and speechwriter Michael Gerson.
Team Bush is getting good notices from Democrats.
("Team
Bush"... You never heard the phrase "Team Clinton", and believe
me, there was never a better example of a gang, I mean a team, to have ever
stained 1600! - tha malcontent)
``Those of us in Congress will work with the president to do whatever is necessary to bring our enemies to justice,'' House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt said Saturday in the party's weekly radio address � this one drafted in consultation with the White House.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a partisan Democrat for New York, praised Bush for ``his leadership and for his commitment''
(I
am shocked... SHOCKED to hear the "Free Press" call HILLARY! a
"partisan"! There is hope after all! - tha malcontent)
Moments after Bush's address to Congress on Thursday night, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California gushed, ``It was a
10."
(Dianne
Feinstein "gushed"?... I don't want to know! - tha malcontent)
High marks all around, for now.
("For
now"... - tha malcontent)
���
EDITOR'S NOTE � Ron Fournier has covered the White House and politics since 1993.
� Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All
rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
(That depends on what the meaning of "may" is...
All commentary included on this website is the opinion of tha malcontent and is
based in the Truth. No Liberals, Marxists, Stalinists, Socialists,
Communists or DemocRATS were harmed in the making of this website, I promise!
- tha malcontent)
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