Breaking Political Stories and Commentary. "We're at the height of the Roman Empire for the Republican Party, but the tide slowly but surely goes out." --Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham, South Carolina
Obviously Bush's handling of the War on Terrorism and Osama bin Laden are relevant to judging Bush's presidency, and I have no real problem with either candidate talking substantively about it.

But it's creepy when Bush strategists say things like this:
"We want people to think 'terrorism' for the last four days," said a Bush-Cheney campaign official. "And anything that raises the issue in people's minds is good for us."

A senior GOP strategist added, "anything that makes people nervous about their personal safety helps Bush."

He called it "a little gift," saying it helps the President but doesn't guarantee his reelection.

Comments
on Oct 30, 2004
If this was a role reversal the Dems would be doing the same thing and would be happy for Bin Laden's Gift much in the same way the Reps are happy now.

Oh wait, the Dems are happy as well, am I the only one sadden by the fact that they keep playing his videos and none of mine?

WORLD DOMINATION PLINKO!!
on Oct 30, 2004
Well, then you have the audience at Bill Maher's show applauding UBL's statements, and Maher saying he can agree with some of it?
Really just a rehash of F-9/11 with pseudo-religious crap thrown on top. Not really any help to either side.
on Oct 31, 2004
It's too creepy for words!
I just love your blog, btw, blogic.
on Oct 31, 2004
Another blogic bomb stating the obvious.

Cheers,
Daiwa
on Nov 01, 2004
Daiwa- If it so obvious, I can't help wondering why there are people voting for Bush?
on Nov 01, 2004
WF, thank you for your nice comments.

Too most of us, it's not at all obvious that strategists would feel free to gleefully boast about how bin Laden's tape was a gift. Can you imagine how shocked we'd all be if Kerry's leading strategists said that deaths in Iraq were a gift?

Like I said, most people find this creepy, which is why the articles about this were prominent at sites that sort new stories by reader interest.

Many newspapers have documented that Bush has taking negative campaigning to a new extreme. Even now, if you visit http://georgewbush.com and http://johnkerry.com, you'll see Bush's site is the more negative. That's been true for months. The Bush campaign avoids Bush's record and the issues (since Bush supporters are actually a lot more moderate than Bush is), and instead depends on demonizing Kerry and trying to keep the voters afraid. Certainly, Kerry has also used some scare tactics, but while Kerry talks about flu, Cheney talks about American cities getting nuked. It's not really the same thing, is it?

If voters are focused on Bush's record, or his stands on the issues, John Kerry will be our next president. That's why the Bush campaign was so grateful for the "little gift" of bin Laden's chilling tape, and why they put the politics of fear above their concern for America or her citizens.
on Nov 01, 2004
And we now know that Kerry commissioned a poll to figure out how best to respond to the "little gift". What a man of conviction & character.

Cheers,
Daiwa