The recent bombings and terrorist attacks in Madrid, Iraq, and Israel have not hurt Bush. They probably even helped him. Bush is painting the growing strength of terrorism under his administration as a sign of progress. That is a problem for Kerry.
Bush's position:
We are at war. Bring them on. Of course there are going to be more attacks from terrorists. They finally have a real war on their hands. The terrorists are being forced out of their territory. More attacks mean that we are "getting their attention."
How does a position so essentially crazy and stupid manage to sell? Answer: because it has zing. Bush's faulty approach captures the TV-stunted imagination of the American public. We Dems seem to be forgetting that Bush is a huckster, not a leader. We better wake up.
Kerry's approach to the war on terror has been merely plausible. Kerry seems to be saying that Americans can trust him to take over the reigns of the war on terror. Under Kerry, the United States will go back to an "international" approach using law enforcement. Kerry will get better cooperation from foreign countries because Bush is unpopular outside the United States and has discredited our country in the world community...
It isn't selling. It has no sales appeal. And Bush has already undermined its central premise by attacking Kerry's "foreign leaders want me to win" statement.
No guts, no glory, Mr. Kerry. He is going to have to go right into the heart of the (lying, superficial, stupid) Bush argument and take it apart. The war in Iraq was a mistake. Terrorism is getting worse. The idea that more attacks mean progress is
just plain stupid.Bush is a saleman. If he can sell idiocy, why can't Kerry sell real leadership? The Dems have the steak. Bush is selling whoppers as filet mignon.