eldar1011

Democrats Start Anti-Bush Ad Campaign

This ad features the now-infamous line from the Bush State of the Union Address. The GOP is complaining the ad as being misleading because the Bush's reference to "British Intelligence" is omitted in the ad.

I wonder if he said that with a straight-face.

Arken

Direct link to the ad: http://www.democrats.org/truth/index.html?s=front



I just noticed that the footage they used is from Fox News. That's priceless.

jman0904

Dems:
Watching Clinton get sacked and smeared for an inconsequential marriage infidelity: 40 million
Watching Rove elect a pet chimp: ??????????? Billions and 225 deaths
Using the PuppetChannel to smear the GOP: Priceless

Godless Dave

Awesome! Of course, this kind of ad is either 7 months too late or three years too late, depending on how you look at it, but better late than never applies in this case.

CALDONIA

The DNC anti-Bush ad is wonderful, and maybe much belated. But the Bushies had gathered so much momentum for war on Iraq throughout last fall and winter that I question that such an ad would have had any effect six months ago.

This war is nothing less than retribution for 9/11 -- and the nation's thirst for revenge could not be satisfied by bombing bunkers and caves in Afghanistan (let's not even mention the escape of Mr. bin Laden).

The only hope now is to encourage a retrospective analysis of the managed hysteria and paranoia that has gotten the nation into its current "predicament."

capsaicin67

They probably had better be very, very careful in how they do this sort of thing. There is some public sentiment mounting in opposition to GWB. But I think that the economy is the real burr under the saddle of most of the middle of America.

In the Lewinsky scandal it became clear that Clinton was in in the wrong [not the whole "morality" issue but the fact that he was screwing around with subordinates on the job, and lied under oath---in spite of the fact that we know what the Repubs were up to in pursuing the issue]. The public resented the Republicans shrill and flailing witchhunt more than they resented Clinton's wrongdoing. The Repubs kept raising the ante, appearing more and more moralistic and desperate and vindictive. A generally popular president, Clinton, still managed to carry the day and weathered it fairly intact. I don't think it's very clear at all that the Repubs benefitted necessarily from the whole brouhaha, and at least at the time they probably lost ground in the arena of public opinion. However, the xian Repubs on the extreme end of things did really focus on and get energized by the issue, but the middle ground resented the Repubs efforts at focusing on it in such an insincere and drawn-out manner. The Repubs are constantly having to contend with an identity crisis between the old school conservatism and their deal with the fundamentalist devil.

I would only suggest that in our current scenario getting too shrill about the justification for---rather than the execution overall of---the war could likely backfire and blow-up in their/our faces. That is a losing horse IMHO. Middle America is generally ok with going to war so far I think. Bush has been fairly popular up until now. If the Dems look like they have nothing else to run on but harping about Bush's lies it will play against them I think. It does appeal to a certain portion of the so-called "Left", but not to the bulk of the middle ground I think. It can be dealt with. But only very shrewdly.

The Dems better get out a message that they can *do better policy-wise* than GWB, and sell some actual ideas that the public believes will help their overall quality of life and general security. The public might very well buy a real vision about how things are going to feel a bit more positive productive in the near future. Some scare-mongering and warrishness on the Repubs part is good, but the public will get fear-weary eventually. Make them feel like they can have leadership that will bring substance to the office and offer them SECURITY + PROSPERITY, throw in some charisma, and they might have a winner. >shrug< Time will tell I spose.

Suaup

As far as I'm concerned these Democrats are just as guilty as President Bush and the GOP. The Democrats stood by and allowed this to happen when they thought they could politically gain from it. They supported the war, they attacked those against it, and they rallied behind Bush for their own political ambitions. Now the cowards come out to try to exploit this situation for their own political gains.

The Democrats don't care about this - they knew it was a lie back when they supported it. They were too afraid to go up against President Bush for fear it would hurt their images. With the American people as blind as they were and are, the Democrats failed them and their responsibility to do what was right for this nation.

Cowards to try to back-stab the GOP with this move. Both sides are guilty and have the blood on their hands. As far as I'm concerned, American politics failed this country with the Bush Presidency. The GOP is blatantly exploiting the American people's patriotism and their faith to America. The Democrats stood by unable to gain the courage to go after Bush for manipulating this nation. Now, after several hundred Americans have lost their lives, and several thousand innocent Iraqi citizens died, they make their move. The politicians are more interested in themselves than the well being of America.

The American people are guilty for being apathetic and having the arrogance to believe our generation is smarter than previous ones. The blood is on the hands of the masses for arrogantly saying we are too smart to be lied to. More than that, the blood is on the hands of the FOX-Watching Pro-Death loving Americans who supported the slaughter of Iraqis with the same attitude of supporting our local high-school football team. GO TEAM! Slaughter the enemies.

The blood is on the hands of those like myself who stood by knowing this was going on, who didn't do enough to educate people about the reality of this world. It's on my hands for being scared after being hit in the stomach by a pro-war patriot at a anti-war protest. It's on my hands for caring more about keeping loose friendships and relationships instead of discussing this. It's on my hands for shutting up when people around me called me a "liberal tratior, a faggot hippie from France."

The blood is on our hands.

Arken

I used to believe as you did capsaicin67, but over the years I have come to realize that policy is almost totally unimportant anymore when it comes to elections. People seem to want things on black and white terms which is what the republicans have been very good at doing for the past few years and the democrats are finally learning.

The Nose

Yes, there is danger of a backlash if the Democrats are too shrill or dwell on the sixteen words too long. But they did need to capitalize on this matter, which is the first chink in Bush's teflon armor. Bush has been humiliated by this mistake. He won't even take responsibility for the words that came out of his own mouth in the State of the Union Address. The WMD he claimed were found turned out to be mobile inflators for artillery balloons. He's so dazed that he's saying things that don't even make sense: he claimed Sadaam refused to allow inspectors into Iraq. His approval ratings are dropping and his administration has practically zero credibility with other world leaders (excepting Tony Blair). He claimed the controversy was over more than a week ago, but the story still has legs. Whenever he or his cronies are questioned, all they can do is try to change the subject. I think the Democrats can safely milk this a bit longer. After that, there's still the economy and Cheney's secret energy meetings.

Godless Dave

There's also all the rest of the questionable evidence for WMDs.