Let's Do the Time Warp Again

Julian Sanchez | September 14, 2004

Much as I'd like it if the campaigns focused more on the war we're fighting now than Vietnam, I suppose it's a legit issue whether George Bush has been deceptive about his National Guard service. Still, the DNC's new Fortunate Son movie just feels desperate; I think it's the use of that ominous "wrong for America" voice to talk about... missed physicals. Making this—an issue I can't believe anyone is actually voting on—the focus of your big new attack makes it look like you couldn't find enough screw-ups in the last four years to talk about, and had to go digging through the archives. Keep diggin' guys, I'm sure you can think of something more recent.

Comments

|9.14.04 @ 2:33PM|#

What's to talk about regarding Iraq? How we got there? No, each side has different facts they are working with.

How things are going in Iraq? Can't talk about it, either it's another Lebanon, or a paradise for the little school children.

What about the future of the U.S. military in Iraq? Hell no, we aren't going there, if we say we want out, we give hope to terrorists. Stay the course.

Iraq is not a topic of discussion. Why? It's an election year.

|9.14.04 @ 2:59PM|#

Does Kerry have Dole's old campaign manager? I really thought he had it a month ago ...

|9.14.04 @ 3:15PM|#

The more the Democrats talk about Vietnam and Bush's guard service from 30 years ago, the more they're going to lose the undecided voters, in my opinion. I watched the video, and it is one of the most ineffective pieces I've ever seen. It has the tone that would normally be reserved for something big and sinister, yet you come away thinking that the sinister thing was missing a physical. Someone is giving the Dems some very bad media advice, it seems.

Of course, I'm not for Bush OR Kerry, so it's easier for me to be objective than it is for partisans of either side. Six months ago, I was sure that ANY Democrat could defeat Bush, but Kerry's bumbling campaign is managing to blow it.

|9.14.04 @ 3:50PM|#

I'm not for Bush or Kerry either, but I think, on many levels, Bush would be vastly more entertaining. Would Bush realy deliver us into Armagedon? Man that would be cool. Kerry on the other hand has a sort of cringe factor about him.

|9.14.04 @ 3:50PM|#

"Six months ago, I was sure that ANY Democrat could defeat Bush, ..."

that's what the polls showed (unnamed Dem handily beating Bush) - then they had to give that Dem a name, and it has been a slow decline ever since.

I was skeptical when Tim Cavanaugh 'declared' a Bush victory a couple of months ago, but gotta go with that now.

|9.14.04 @ 3:51PM|#

Gawd, Kerry's just effing awful. I have no idea how he manages to win campaigns. I have no idea how he's basically remained tied with Bush for this long. Can anybody think of the last thing Kerry and/or the DNC has done well in this campaign?

|9.14.04 @ 3:53PM|#

The tone IS completely wrong. This should have been played for laughs - ha ha, resolute, tough talking Bush weaseled around on his Guard duty.

This is "take him down a couple notches" stuff, not "this man is a threat to your well being" stuff.

|9.14.04 @ 4:12PM|#

IMHO, it plays like one of those fake ads that Leno and Letterman like to show. If I didn't say DNC at the end, I would have bet money it was.

|9.14.04 @ 4:13PM|#

That should be "If I didn't SEE..."

|9.14.04 @ 4:24PM|#

For everyone still wondering about the source of CBS's forged memos, this DNC effort (along with Barnes, Harkin, et al) kinda shows a level of coordination that seems to go beyond coincidence.

|9.14.04 @ 4:26PM|#

For everyone still wondering about the source of CBS's forged memos, this DNC effort (along with Barnes, Harkin, et al) kinda shows a level of coordination that seems to go beyond coincidence.

|9.14.04 @ 4:33PM|#

I don't understand this focus on Bush's Guard service. His military record is that for the last three and a half years he has been the Commander In Chief of all U.S. forces. It's the same with everything else about him: You don't have to explore his distant past to figure out what he'll do if he's elected President.

|9.14.04 @ 4:47PM|#

John,

Since the campaign to undermine the documents' legitimacy came so quickly, and could hand Bush partisans a weapon to discredit all stories about his National Guard service, an equally credible conspiracy theory would be that Republicans planted fake documents to knock down the AWOL story.

Haven't you noticed how oddly restrained the White House has been about commenting on these documents?

|9.14.04 @ 4:54PM|#

I can understand the dem tactic here -- play against type by hyping your guy as a military hero, while attacking the republicans' historic strength on defense. But it's starting to remind one of republicans screaming themselves hoarse about the disdain for the principles of feminism exhibited by Clinton's sexual impropriety. Guess what? The feminists didn't care.

The same thing is happening here -- against all evidence of our president's unwillingness to sacrifice personally, and his inability to win wars as a Commander in Chief, those Americans who support American militarism want Bush in power.

|9.14.04 @ 5:15PM|#

joe, thank god for your 'conspiracy' that CBS News and Rather are such A-list morons that they fell for the worse document forgeries of all time. I mean, these didn't withstand 5 minutes of scrutiny on the innernut. I think the White House could do better than this...don't you?

BTW, you demonstrate impeccable liberal whack job credentials here. No, the conclusion can't be that the journalists didn't do their freaking job because thy're a biased bunch of hacks, it HAS to be a sinister Republican plot. If they're that slick, how can you be sure that YOU aren't unwittingly working for them yourself right this very minute?

|9.14.04 @ 5:21PM|#

I'm baffled by the folks who claim they know where Bush stands and are sure what he will do if he's elected president. Other than consistently whoring for the biggest corporations in the world, he has been unpredictable and incompetent on the economy, education, healthcare, national security, nation building, on and on.

But, maybe that's what folks mean when they say that.

|9.14.04 @ 6:04PM|#

Gadfly: Would you name those corporations for which W is whoring, and describe how their earnings and share prices reflect this alleged patronage?

|9.14.04 @ 9:49PM|#

Todd, "I think the White House could do better than this...don't you?" IF (big if) the scenario I outlined were the case, the White House would WANT the forgery to be spotted, so as to undermine the credibility of the entire AWOL charge. Feeding one piece of bad info to ruin a leak's credibility is an old spook technique.

The hack journalist theory and the sinister Republican White House theory aren't contradictory; you'd need the former for the latter to work.

|9.15.04 @ 1:37AM|#

Gadfly,

I would evaluate him a little differently, but if that's how you see him, that's okay too. My point is that we're not trying to pick between two mystery candidates for the job like last time. One of them's had the job for a while. Love him, hate him, confused by him. If he's re-elected, you get four more years.

|9.15.04 @ 3:45AM|#

an equally credible conspiracy theory would be that Republicans planted fake documents to knock down the AWOL story.

The problem with your "theory" is that you have claimed that it is reasonable to believe the documents aren't fake. So your "theory" then becomes: Republicans tried to knock down the AWOL story by releasing fake documents could not be proven to be fake, or at least not proven to the satisfaction of ostensibly reasonable people.

Unless, of course, you're willing to concede that you are holding these documents to an unreasonably high standard of proof?

|9.15.04 @ 8:43AM|#

"The hack journalist theory and the sinister Republican White House theory aren't contradictory; you'd need the former for the latter to work."

Those aren't theories, those are science fiction.

|9.15.04 @ 10:08AM|#

Dan,

It is looking increasingly likely that the documents are fake. I'm pleading agnosticism, as I have no intention of putting in the effort to learn what "kerning means," and expect a reliable consensus to emerge within a few days.

Mark Draughn,

Bush's actions in the National Guard do not reflect on his military/foreign policy, so much as on his character. He's the type of person who won't put in the effort to complete his commitments, after other people have put their necks out to help him out. See Tora Bora.

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