[Mb-civic] NYTimes.com Article: How Bush Won Round 2

[michael at intrafi.com]

The article below from NYTimes.com 
has been sent to you by michael at intrafi.com.



/--------- E-mail Sponsored by Fox Searchlight ------------\

 I HEART HUCKABEES - OPENING IN SELECT CITIES OCTOBER 1

 From David O. Russell, writer and director of THREE KINGS
 and FLIRTING WITH DISASTER comes an existential comedy
 starring Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Hupert, Jude Law, Jason
 Schwartzman, Lily Tomlin, Mark Wahlberg and Naomi Watts.
 Watch the trailer now at:

 http://www.foxsearchlight.com/huckabees/index_nyt.html

\----------------------------------------------------------/


How Bush Won Round 2

October 11, 2004
 By WILLIAM SAFIRE 



 

Washington 

When pro-Kerry commentators solemnly pronounce Debate Round
2 to have been "a draw" - you know George Bush won that
round. 

The president won because he went in with a theme spoken by
the heavyweight champion Joe Louis, just before his 1946
rematch victory over the lighter, faster Billy Conn: "He
can run, but he can't hide." (The Brown Bomber caught up
with Conn in the eighth round of that first TV
spectacular.) 

Bush's debate plan was to keep boring in on the Kerry
record: flip-flopping this year on the war, but all too
consistently liberal for 20 years on tax increases. 

On the war, Kerry almost eagerly made Bush's point, at
first saying, "I do believe Saddam Hussein was a threat,"
and moments later denouncing Bush for being "preoccupied
with Iraq, where there wasn't a threat." 

The president exploited the contradiction in Kerry's latest
policy, which claims the ability to attract troop support
from France, Germany and Russia - while agreeing with them
that the war was a diversion. To Kerry's "plan" to hold a
summit, Bush asked: "And what is he going to say to those
people that show up to the summit? 'Join me in the wrong
war at the wrong time at the wrong place'?" 

Although Kerry accused the Bush campaign of "mass
deception," he let the president focus on that illogical
policy. The Democrat weakly cited recent worrying by
Republican Senators Richard Lugar and Chuck Hagel, recited
a list of retired generals who endorsed him and embraced
Ronald Reagan. Such a stretch for conservative company,
followed by a plaintive "We will get tough!," hardly shows
strength. 

When Kerry complained again of "going it alone," Bush was
ready with a powerful counterpunch: "Tell Tony Blair we're
going alone. Tell Silvio Berlusconi we're going alone. Tell
Aleksander Kwasniewski we're going alone." 

This not only showed that Bush knew these allies
personally, but could also pronounce Kwasniewski's name,
which reminded Polish-Americans that Poland's president had
responded angrily to Kerry's brushoff of his country's
sacrifices in the first debate. (Next day, Australians
re-elected John Howard, a staunch coalition member, who
trounced a cut-and-run opponent - good news for coalition
leaders.) 

When the questioning turned to taxes, Kerry pandered with a
liberal's absurd promise not to sign legislation raising
taxes on anybody making less than $200,000 a year,
neglecting only to say,"Read my lips." 

Kerry also blundered with a weird attack on an $84 item in
the Bushes' federal income tax return, supposedly from a
timber business. "I own a timber company? That's news to
me," said Bush, adding engagingly in what was the most
natural moment in the debate, "Need some wood?" It turns
out that Kerry relied on an Annenberg Web site that later
admitted it had been confused, which left the Democratic
candidate out on a hardwood limb. Bush was too much the
gentleman to point out, now that their income taxes were in
dispute, that Mrs. Heinz Kerry paid only 11 percent in 2003
on her $5 million income, while the Bushes paid 28 percent.


(Although every Bush slip gets delighted examination - he
called Kerry "Kennedy" and he said, "Internets"; can you
imagine? - Kerry's minor gaffes attract little notice. When
citing his overseas travel in the first debate, Kerry
talked of visiting the old K.G.B. headquarters "in
Treblinka square." He meant Lubyanka Square; Treblinka was
the Nazi death camp. We all make mistakes.) 

As Bush picked up steam, Kerry seemed to lose heart, again
evoking Lugar and Hagel, skillfully backing away like Billy
Conn. Asked about high damage awards gained by trial
lawyers that drive up everybody's insurance premiums, he
replied that John Edwards and he "support tort reform,"
even to limitations on punitive awards. Bush delivered a
body blow: "You're now for capping punitive damages. That's
odd. You should have shown up on the floor in the Senate
and voted for it then." 

In an anguishing moment, Kerry said he was against
partial-birth abortion (as are most voters, including many
pro-choice) and then explained why he voted against the ban
that is now law. Countered Bush: "He was given a chance to
vote and he voted no. . . . It's clear for everybody to
see. And as I said, you can run, but you can't hide." 

E-mail:safire at nytimes.com


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/11/opinion/11safire.html?ex=1098513436&ei=1&en=06cba11d864ed016


---------------------------------

Get Home Delivery of The New York Times Newspaper. Imagine
reading The New York Times any time & anywhere you like!
Leisurely catch up on events & expand your horizons. Enjoy
now for 50% off Home Delivery! Click here:

http://homedelivery.nytimes.com/HDS/SubscriptionT1.do?mode=SubscriptionT1&ExternalMediaCode=W24AF



HOW TO ADVERTISE
---------------------------------
For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters 
or other creative advertising opportunities with The 
New York Times on the Web, please contact
onlinesales at nytimes.com or visit our online media 
kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo

For general information about NYTimes.com, write to 
help at nytimes.com.  

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company