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weak
sister n. Slang 1. A weak
or undependable member of a group. 2. A person
regarded as timid or indecisive.
Seven
weeks remain for those chosen few who care enough to
cast their ballots for the good old U.S.A.’s big Kahuna.
As that ominous day draws near, I am growing more pessimitically
cynical about the outcome (as opposed to my cynically
pessimistic outlook toward the rest of life).
Why so glum, you ask? Because it appears increasingly
evident that George Bush is going to win a 2nd term
come November 2nd. (As opposed to his first term,which
he dubiously “appropriated.”) For those who don’t
know me, lemme clue ya in: I despise George W.
Bush. I find him to be a feeble-minded, right-wing
extremist who will plunge this country into even direr
straits when he starts his second term. For a
more detailed explanation about why I loathe GWB, check
out my article from August 5.
With
most polls showing GWB’s approval rating at under 50%,
and most folks thinking the country is on the wrong
track, how could this possibly be happening? A
large portion of the blame has to fall on the spinelessness
of Bush’s opponent, John Kerry. When the Republican
funded “front” group, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth,
started maligning Kerry’s honorable Vietnam war service,
he failed to hit back quickly or assertively enough.
In the minds of some addle-pated voters, that created
an image of Kerry as a liberal New England wuss, a Boston
Brahman candidate who didn’t want to get his knuckles
scraped in an alley fight. All this brings back
a sense of déjà vu, when ANOTHER Democratic
candidate from Massachusetts named Michael Dukakis thought
political battles were fought according to the genteel
Marquis de Queensbury rules. His loss to GWB’s
daddy proved him wrong.
What
Kerry and many Democrats fail to realize is that the
Republican party feels that God is on its side. Hence,
they feel they have the right to do or say ANYTHING
to win elections, which includes smearing and lying
about their opponents. It’s a perfect example of the
ends justifying the means. All of this is strongly reinforced
by the GOP’s right-wing “echo chamber”--talk radio and
Fox News--which have been mercilessly pummeling
Kerry. The effect of all of this is Kerry’s noticeable
slippage in the polls. Even a pro-Kerry website shows
him trailing Bush in the electoral count, which if you
remember from the 2000 election, is more than a little
important. It’s this lack of assertiveness, combined
with Kerry not taking a firm enough stand against the
Iraq war, that has cost him. The polling data shows
there is public dissatisfaction with Bush’s Presidency. People want
change in the White House; they just don’t think that
Kerry is a viable alternative.
It’s
not all Kerry’s fault, however. Part of the blame
lies with the voting public. What can be done when the
electorate believes Saddam Hussein was responsible for
9/11? Or when a majority of these voters now support
the war in Iraq? Are a percentage of these voters so
pliable they were suddenly swayed by the propaganda
coming out of the Republican National Convention? They are
like sheep, getting their news spoon-fed to them by talk radio
and Fox News. To sum up my thoughts on this subject,
let me quote that great cynic-journalist H.L. Mencken:
“No one went broke underestimating the intelligence
of the American people.”
Lest
this jeremiad get you Kerry supporters down (I myself
am one of them, hence my harsh critique of the Senator),
I'll say Kerry is not totally finished. I give
him a one in three chance of winning the election.
Outside events (Iraq, the economy) could swing the polls
back his way. The debates are also crucial.
Bush only wants to have two debates; he wants to skip
the third, which would be a town hall meeting among
undecided voters. This is understandable on his
part, as he would be in an “unscripted” environment.
A similar situation occurred at a recent campaign stop,
leading to his recent gaffe stating that, “Too many
OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women
all across this country.” What Kerry needs is
a forceful line, such as, “He ducked combat service
and now he ducks a third debate--is this the character
of a man you want as your President?”
Senator
Kerry, puh-lease get your act together soon! The
survival of this country depends on you. I do
not mean this as alarmist hyperbole. The world
is in very perilous shape, and many people agree that
civilization cannot endure another four years of W.
See
ya soon.
Steve
can be reached at steve@babblog.com.
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