by Klaus Rohrich
January 26, 2004
Recently I listened to a talk radio program in the US. The topic was "George W. Bush, Good or Bad?" and it was a lively program, to put it mildly. What struck me as odd, was the number of individuals who called the show to express their opinion that Bush is stupid. One caller even went so far as to allege that Bush had not succeeded in anything that he has attempted over the past 3 years.
are all these people living under a rock? I can see how three years ago people could honestly believe that ‘ole Dubya’ is somewhat of a lightweight with his incessant mispronunciations and his various "Bushisms". This was helped along by the late night comics who had some wonderful jokes about Bush’s brainpower, or lack thereof. But, after watching him for the past three years, anyone who believes that George W. Bush is a lightweight is out to lunch.
In marketing, the maxim that "perception is reality" is generally true. In politics it becomes a double-edged sword because it tends to lead people to underestimating political opponents. So I believe it is with the Democrats today who are going through incredible credibility contortions to prove their point. Take presidential frontrunner John Kerry and his assertion that Bush was wrong to go into Iraq without the support of the UN. If this is the case why did Kerry vote in favour of the war when the Senate gave its official blessing? and while we’re at it, why did Senator Edwards also vote the same way and is now backpedaling at a 100 miles per hour, calling the war a "mistake".
These guys must think that the american electorate is comprised of morons who cannot find their ass without a flashlight.
The recurring theme among Democrat voters that Bush is an intellectual lightweight is doing them a lot more harm than good. Most americans, save those living in tar paper shacks in the Ozarks or the effete cliffdwellers of the eastern seaboard, have figured out by now that not being a slick speaker isn’t necessarily an indication of one’s intellectual capacity.
I’m still flabbergasted at people who are unaware that Bush holds degrees from both Harvard and Yale and that he was a fairly proficient fighter pilot with the Texas air National Guard. Knowing a little something about piloting an airplane, I doubt that someone with a subnormal IQ could qualify to fly an F-16.
Comparing Bush to his opponent during the presidential race of 2000, which many people still insist Bush "stole" by somehow managing to buy the Supreme Court of the United States, is no contest. anyone who watched any of the debates between the hayseed from Texas and the Inventor of the Internet, had to feel badly for poor al Gore. While Gore did well in stringing big words together and making outrageous claims, such as the internet invention and that he and Tipper were the subjects of Eric Segal’s Love Story, Bush cleaned his clock.
In addition, while Gore claimed a fairly broad liberal education, the fact is, he dropped out of college and didn’t finish his degree.
The past decade has seen a huge shift in the american political scene. Whereas in 1994 over 50% of registered voters considered themselves Democrats and only about 22% Republicans, today the numbers have almost equalized at 34% and 33%, respectively. The significance of this shift seems to be lost on the Democratic leadership, who believe they’re losing ground because voters aren’t getting their message.
On the contrary, Bill Clinton and Terry Macauliffe, the voters are getting your message loud and clear and they don’t like what they’re hearing. Hence the increase in support for Republicans. By continuing to insist that George Bush is less than intelligent, the Dems are actually slagging the electorate, the majority of which approve of the job Bush is doing.
If the Democrats really want to get through to the electorate, one way might be to start dealing in truth. Rather than decry tax cuts "for the rich", they may want to look at the possibility of telling voters that they are in favour of tax increases and increased government spending. It appears that they’ve already figured that out anyway, as the Republicans continue to gain ground.
Instead of insisting that George W. Bush (and by implication those who support him) is a moron, they might consider springing for a reality check and allowing for the possibility that the voters are going for the Republicans not because they’re stupid, but because the Democrats’ platform is quite stale.
Think I’m kidding? The Democrats have been talking about the War on Poverty for 40 years (during 34 of which they owned the Senate and the House). It’s clear that any initiatives they have undertaken have been dismal failures, as they’re still talking about fighting poverty. Same with race relations. african americans have traditionally supported the Dems over the past 50 years, yet according to conventional Democrat wisdom, racism runs rampant in america. Many black people are refusing to continue buying into this myth and support for Republicans among african americans is on the increase.
Health care has been another of Democrats’ sacred cows. But it took a Republican President, House of Representatives and senate, to bring about passage of a prescription drug program for american seniors. and, irony of ironies, the Democrats opposed it to the extent that they accused the leadership of the american association of Retired Persons (aaRP) of selling out for supporting passage of the bill! How’s that for moronic?
Unless the Democrats take a hard look in the mirror and abandon their elitist and effete way of dealing with their constituents, my guess is that their support will continue to erode. But then wandering for 40 years in the wilderness didn’t harm Moses or his people. Maybe it will do the Democrats some good.