If in war, the object is to attack your opponent's strengths......what are

[Gin]

Bush's strengths? They have attacked Kerry's strengths regularly.....I cannot think of one thing I would call a strength in bush. Can anyone else name any?

If staying a course until you go over the cliff can be considered a strength...then I guess he has one.

[annabanana]

1. you've got a point there.....

No wonder we haven't really "gone negative"

[RevCheesehead]

2. His "likeability"

I know, I know...we hate him, but people eat up the Texas swagger, the smirks, etc... So sad, but so true.

When I read Al Franken's encounter with The Silver Fox, I was shocked, because I had NO idea she was a bitch! None! And I would bet that many still are unaware of *'s shortcomings. That's why some are so pumped up about Kitty Kelly's book.

Do you LIKE a drunk?
Do you LIKE those who got special deferments in VietNam?
Do you LIKE people who lie to the American public?
Do you LIKE someone who thinks this economy is strong and growing stronger?
Do you LIKE that he doesn't care about health care?

[Awsi Dooger]

16. That's it

Bush is allowed a Texas-size benefit of a doubt on likability, which shows up in every poll. In '98, when he emerged as the likely opponent for Gore in 2000, a respected election forecaster who uses a myriad of economic and personal criteria, studied and weighed via previous elections, predicted an extremely close Bush win over Gore, due to the inevitable likability gap.

That's a primary reason I disagree with DUers clamoring for a negative assault. The daggers will bounce smack off, after a little grin, swagger and smirk. And Kerry needs to be at his most likable in the debates, even if he recites "See Spot Run -- Run, Run, Run" all night. In my lifetime, only Reagan and Clinton, candidates with tremendous communicative and personal skills, have ousted an incumbent, as Kerry is attempting to do.

[olddem43]

3. In politics, perception is more important than reality.

therefore, perceived strength is important.

[MASSAFRA]

4. People think that

Bush is a strong leader. We know that this is not true. Bush is also a rich son of privilege.
Why is more said about Bush doing nothing in that class room for seven minutes?
Bush's miserable Iraq policy which is a "catastrophic success".
Bush has said that Kerry's idea to tax the rich won't work because the rich dodge taxes.
There is enough to attack him on and use his own words against him.

[da_chimperor]

7. Attack his 'decisiveness'

They have molded the public opinion of bush to think of him as a 'strong' (translation: utterly convinced his point of view is the correct one and won't hear anything to the contrary) leader. If the democrats can correctly portray him not as a strong leader, but as an arrogant, close-minded, madman that won't listen to reason: then we've got him. There seems to be a great deal of information work work with, the problem is that a lot of it is dated at best and the evil republican spin/BS machine is so finely tuned. There is also the option of keeping up with the 'bush lies' route. The recent admission that bush & co are cutting education funding is an opportunity. I'm not a political science major or anything, but that's my take.

[shawcomm]

5. What? No, you attack his weaknesses.

[gottaB]

15. Exactly

Bush is a liar.
Bush fails at everything.
Bush makes bad decisions.
Bush is childish.
Bush is stupid.
Bush isn't really nice.
Bush is a phony.
....

All hat and no cattle.

[shawcomm]

22. Yep, you'll be banging your head against a wall

attacking your enemy's strengths.

Sun Tzu:

The army's formation is like water.

The water's formation avoids the high and rushes to the low.

So an army's formation avoids the strong and rushes to the weak.


Get on target with the issues and don't deviate. Bush's weaknesses are the reality of how much everything in and about America sucks right now. His strengths are lies and Kerry will do nothing but get burned by fretting over every lie.

Don't allow them to set the discussion. Be decisive and don't dwell on issues they want you to dwell on. Dwell on your own issues. Call the swift-vets what they are, liars and keep moving. Now that Kerry has called out Cheney for what he is, a deferment loving liar, move on and keep to the main issues. The people will tire of the negativity and Kerry will rebound shortly, IMO.

[indepat]

6. W's strengths are his base of fanatical ideologues, both brainwashed

and brain-warped types, support of most of the mainstream media, a lock stepping Congress, and compliant Supreme Court (a strong four-of-a-kind hand).

[nolabels]

14. That a royal flush beats

http://www.shanegarton.com/Orwellian_Watch/index2orwell.html

[AP]

8. They say he's decisive, but he sat in that classroom for 7 minutes trying

to figure out what to do next.

They say he has religious conviction, but he's one of the least Christian presidents we've ever had.

They say he's good on national security, but it seems to me that he has to make the world a pretty dangerous place.

[Lefty48197]

9. The zombie-like, programmed supporters are Bush's strong suit

How do we unprogram the zombies?

[volosong]

10. "Strong Leader;" Best Able to Handle War on Terror

[seabeyond]

11. he is a christian and honest, straight shooter

the easy with this, we can attack it honestly

[seabeyond]

12. i could attack honesty a likeable man too

let anyone say anything to him he doesnt like and see how snotty he gets

[jeanpaulsartre]

13. His stregths are with Fundie Christians

So hit rightwing fundie supporters with fundamentalist Gospel ironies:

The Gospel Rumsfeld Missed, 9/5/04

[Spiffarino]

17. He has plenty of "strengths"

All of them, aside from his friendly demeanor, are generally made-up out of whole cloth, but here they are in my perceived order of importance:

1. Response to 9/11
2. Decisiveness
3. Compassionate Christian
4. Courage

Now comes the easy part.

1. 7 minutes in an elementary school while thousands were dying after the second aircraft struck the WTC. On top of which, he showed up for the photo op after the first plane had already struck the first tower several minutes before! Then, instead of getting into contact with his advisers to plan and organize a response, he spent another 20 minutes getting more pictures taken. Then the Pentagon got hit and a plane went down in a Pennsylvania field. Some response.

2. Where to begin? Opposed the 9/11 Commission, then supported it; opposed DHS, then supported it; campaigned on a promise to help end global warming, then backed out of Kyoto...the list is endless.

3. As Governor of Texas, made fun of Karla Faye Tucker, a "born again Christian" woman on Death Row right around the time she was lethally injected. He reportedly mimicked, "Oh, please don't kill me!" in a high-pitched voice, then laughed loudly. Confronted a journalist in a restaurant in 1988 and shouted, "You fucking son-of-a-bitch, I saw what you wrote. We won't forget this!" It was right in front of the man's wife and four-year-old daughter. Yep, real upstanding Christian guy.

4. Back to 9/11, instead of "grabbing the helm" and behaving as a normal President in a time of great national crisis, he bunny hopped around the country on Air Force One and wasn't seen on air until late that night. Somebody, probably Rove, made up a lie that they had word that AF1 was a target, which was soon discredited. So, while thousands died, George did everything he could to save his own ass.

[kestrel91316]

20. Best post so far.......you get a GOLD STAR! n/t

[RevCheesehead]

21. About 9/11...

Perceived strength:
He responded (sorry, guys, forget the Pet Goat...you can't frighten children), and the world responded in turn. He showed up in the rubble and stood with the victims (that's what a leader does). He had a tremendous opportunity to bring all that sympathy together, and work with the rest of the world in the so-called "war on terror".
Criticism:
But unlike good leaders, * didn't gather imput from others - other nations, other leaders in this country. He asked Congress for the authority to go to war (isn't that constitutionally flawed?). Those who disagreed were labelled as "unpatriotic." After a while, when * found out Osama was pretty crafty, he focused on a different target, and completely misled the nation. That's NOT what a leader does.

[Spiffarino]

24. Respectfully disagree, Rev

sorry, guys, forget the Pet Goat...you can't frighten children

It wasn't necessary to frighten the children. A real leader...no, a mature human being...when confronted with a dire emergency should have the sense to say, "I'm sorry, but the President has to take care of some important President business right now. Thanks for letting me come into your classroom. Remember to eat your vegetables. Bye!"

That wouldn't have scared the kids. And it certainly would be a lot less scary than the seven minute-long vacuous expression on his face after Card told him the bad news.

[pretzel4gore]

18. the shapeshifter media

the giggly punks!

[Nimrod]

19. He's an evil, ruthless crook

In this day and age, those are strengths.

[Cronus Protagonist]

23. Well he does have his magic lariat... I mean lassoo

...and those boots, as well as the uncanny ability to save the world without ever messing up his hair. And he loves those costumes - look at his most recent campaign poster, for example.

http://bushspeaks.com/home.asp?did=179