Novak: Bush's Credibility Problem

[ModerateMiddle]

this from Novak? Perhaps this represents the conservative viewpoint that Bush has been very bad at fiscal management and economic policy?


Bush's credibility problem

February 2, 2004

BY ROBERT NOVAK SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

The Republican high command ought to be ecstatic over John Kerry's ascent toward the Democratic presidential nomination. His political profile should reassure George W. Bush's supporters: Massachusetts upper class, Vietnam war protester, Mike Dukakis' lieutenant governor, Teddy Kennedy's protege, 95 percent liberal voter. Yet, ever since Kerry won in New Hampshire, Republican concern about President Bush's re-election has grown.

''I can see the pucker factor,'' said one GOP operative, using the military slang term for an attack of gut-clenching fear. What he implies is that he and his colleagues are confronting the possibility of another Bush becoming a one-term president. Predictably, Republicans reacted to Kerry's success by pasting the liberal label on him. Why, then, the pucker factor?

First, because Kerry is an elusive target. Dukakis' old running mate showed in the hours after he was declared the New Hampshire winner that he is no Dukakis. Second, because Bush may be facing the bane of incumbents: lack of credibility. That caused Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson not to seek another term and helped defeat Jimmy Carter and the senior George Bush for re-election.

More...
http://www.suntimes.com/output/novak/cst-edt-novak02.html

[THUNDER HANDS]

1. good to see his eyes are open

for once

[SlavesandBulldozers]

2. wow

do i hear the rumblings of pissed off military families? Robert Novak printing this = big problem for Republicans.

[blm]

3. Another factor may be Novak's scared of Joe Wilson who is lined with Kerry

Novak is the one who Rove used to out Wilson's wife as a CIA agent.

[krkaufman]

4. "president suffering a deficiency in credibility"

Chuckle. I'm thinking the correct qualifier is "absence."

Actual criticism of their President. Hmmm... maybe that brawl has Novak scared?

[John_H]

5. I hope the DNC research dept. is working overtime to organize

Bush's lies into a clear, easy to understand pattern. There are so many of them, I'm worried that our attacks will be unfocused. The DNC should pick four or five whoppers and just have our candidates and surrogates repeat them over and over along with the phrases "betrayed America's trust," "pattern of constant deceit," and "We can't believe anything they say."

[Justitia]

6. beware of Greeks bearing gifts - eom

eom

[newyawker99]

11. Hi Lady Texan!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Justitia]

13. Hi there!

I was a lurker for a long, long time. Finally took the plunge.

Thanks for the welcome :)

[TacticalPeek]

7. A credibility gap of strategic proportions, throughout the cabal.

Over the last few days, 'credibility gap' has been popping into my mind from the back lot of old '60s thoughts.

And AWOL creeping back onto the radar, with Shrub unable to open his yap about it without setting off credibility alarms in a media and politic that could turn on him in a New York minute if they smelled blood in the water.

Bwahahahahah!

[wryter2000]

8. Typical Nofacts

"Viet Nam war protester." What about his service in Viet Nam and all the medals?

[Jacobin]

9. Why isn't this man in jail??

Why is this traitorous bastard still free and writing?


Send him to Gitmo!!!!!

[welshTerrier2]

10. Credibility

on the way home from watching last night's big game, a friend said to me that he didn't think "the whole Iraq thing" would be much of an issue in November ... he said that most Americans think we're better off with Saddam gone ...

my response was that while that might or might not be true, the real problem for bush regarding Iraq is his credibility ... most Americans know he lied to get what he wanted ... and more than 500 American troops have been killed ...

and that is a credibility problem that even a fake "independent investigation" cannot whitewash ...

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

12. Novak and Credibility? The two have scarcely met!

Novak outs Plame, calling her an "operative," then claims the word was used in the context of her being a "partisan hack" rather than a secret agent.

Novak claims the White House wasn't out to feed him the info on Plame.

Novak says it was well known throughout D.C. that Plame was an agent even before he wrote his column.

The CIA asked Novak not to reveal her name; he did so anyway.

http://www.bustbob.com/view.asp?ID=2

[TacticalPeek]

14. Now his leaker, Cheney, confirms classified leak info in RW rag.

While the grand jury sits.


No one can save Unka Dick. He's toast.