Dionne: Bush*s McCain Strategy Redux

[kskiska]

"When I was young and irresponsible, I was young and irresponsible."

That was George W. Bush's brilliant dodge throughout the 2000 campaign whenever questions came up as to how he behaved during his twenties and early thirties. By poking fun at himself, Bush was winking at the press corps, especially the baby boomers among them. Bush's unspoken subtext: You guys did a lot of irresponsible things then, too, so you're not in an ideal position to ask me a lot of questions, are you?

Now comes John Kerry as the Democrats' front-runner. When Kerry was young and serious, he was young and serious. He put away childish things early on. He served in combat in Vietnam and decided that the war was a terrible mistake. He helped organize Vietnam Veterans Against the War. He testified before a congressional committee and went on "Meet the Press." He ran unsuccessfully as an antiwar candidate for Congress.

And, lo, because Kerry took life so seriously so young, his twenties are getting a thorough going-over. Right-wing Web sites post and even manufacture pictures of Kerry with or near Jane Fonda at antiwar events. Kerry's enemies are parsing every word he spoke in those days.

Which makes you ask: If Kerry's twenties and early thirties are destined to be an issue in this campaign, is it fair for the media to give the same years in Bush's life a pass just because he's the incumbent? To paraphrase John Edwards, will we have two standards, one for a Democratic challenger and one for a Republican president?

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A804-2004Feb23.html

[MI Cherie]

1. Typical RW double standard ...

... I was wondering the same thing a while back.

W* can be "young & irresponsible" through his 40's & beyond, but someone young and responsible is vilified?

RWers can falsify photos and spread lies, but dems are "haters" when they speak the truth?



:wtf: