I was just watching the President's "surprise" visit
to the troops in Iraq. The reaction from the troops and the
media coverage of it shows exactly where the battle for the
White House is going to be fought next year. Those images are
going to replace the "flight suit" photo-op as THE
ad to be played over and over again throughout the campaign.
It's not going to be about jobs, not health care, not the
economy, not even medicare or prescription drugs (even though
we have given them a big stick to beat us over the head
with... and they will).
The war on terrorism and national security are going to be
the battleground for this election and there is not one thing
that we can do about it. It is not going to be possible,
while the country is at war, and we have over 100,000 troops
on the ground in a shooting gallery, to change or redefine the
argument. "It's the economy, stupid" or some
similar catchy phrase will not be able to withstand the kinds
of images we just saw of George Bush in Iraq. And the media
will co-operate fully in getting these images out there for
the White House. This was perfectly played pr: slow news day,
most Americans are at home watching t.v. This is going to be
replayed HUNDREDS of times and all the pundits and talking
heads are going to be harping about this for the next several
days, weeks, possibly even longer. They will get much mileage
out of this.
This is why we have to nominate someone like Wesley Clark.
This is going to be an incredibly difficult election for the
Democrats to win, I don't care who we nominate. However,
unless we want to go ahead and concede the 2004 election and
probably every congressional race for the next 4 yrs., we HAVE
to put forward someone who can fight George Bush in the area
where he is perceived to be the strongest. With all due
respect to Howard Dean and the other folks running, they
cannot go up against what we just saw on television and beat
George Bush. You will see that video and others like it
throughout the Republican convention in September of next
year, anniversary of 9/11 and so on. A quarter of a billion
dollars to fill the airwaves with those images in the weeks
and months just before election day.
With Wes Clark, there is certainly no guarantee of anything.
We could still lose the election "big time". But,
if the democratic party cannot see that a four-star general w/
34 yrs of military leadership under his belt under his belt,
is THE BEST CHANCE we have to go up against an incumbent
WARTIME president and have a real shot at winning, we deserve
to lose and lose badly. We have to get over ourselves just a
little and look at the bigger, longer-term picture beyond our
particular pet issues and concerns. We need some order and
discipline and a willingness to compromise and sacrifice a
little bit here and there if we want to have a real chance at
reclaiming the political landscape from those currently in
power.
I am not someone who usually gets into politics and following
campaigns beyond voting. But this year, not until General
Clark got into the race did I think that we had a chance in
hell of winning this election. I have donated money to a
political campaign for the first time in my life. I follow
this race like the future of the republic depends on it. And
for the first time in my life, I truly believe that it does.
What frustrates me most is that I can see this so clearly but
I don't think that enough people who consider themselves
Democrats see it to keep us from nominating someone who is
going to get his ass handed to him in the general election.
It's not going to be the specifics of a particular policy or
the details of some issue paper. It's going to be who can
make people feel safe and who can touch people's hearts. Even
I was moved when I saw the coverage of Bush's visit, and I
CANNOT STAND HIM!!
Some people thought General Clark's tv ad was kind of sappy,
and I admit I was one, but that kind of stuff moves people and
inspires them. That is what we need to be able to do if we
are going to have any chance at winning this thing. I hope,
if nothing else, the result of today's pr coup by the White
House, is that the Democrats realize that we have to have a
nominee who can actually go toe to toe against a wartime
president and it is NOT Howard Dean or any of the others. If
we blow the opportunity to put Wes Clark on the ballot this
year, we deserve what we get.
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