Desperate Measures
Yesterday, while watching the news (an activity I can’t join him in without ending up ranting and raving) the hubby pointed out something worth noting: that no one in the mainstream media is pointing out that as an incumbent, war-time president Bush should have a comfortable lead at this point in the election, and not be campaigning to maintain a two or three point lead in the polls. But here we are, and no one seems to be talking about it.
Reading the latest New York Times editorial brings up another point. It’s worth noting that the NYT had the cajones to say this:
It is absolutely not all right for anyone on his team to suggest that Mr. Kerry is the favored candidate of the terrorists. And at a time when the United States is supposed to be preparing the Iraqi people for a democratic election, it’s appalling to hear the chief executive say that loyal opposition gives aid and comfort to the enemy abroad.
The general instinct of Americans is to play fair. That is why, even though terrorists struck the United States during President Bush’s watch, the Democrats have not run a campaign that blames him for allowing the World Trade Center and the Pentagon to be attacked. And while the war in Iraq has opened up large swaths of the country to terrorist groups for the first time, any effort by Mr. Kerry to describe the president as the man whom Osama bin Laden wants to keep in power would be instantly denounced by the Republicans as unpatriotic.
We think that anyone who attempts to portray sincere critics as dangerous to the safety of the nation is wrong. It reflects badly on the president’s character that in this instance, he’s putting his own ambition ahead of the national good.
However it’s also worth noting what the Times and the rest of the media isn’t saying: that stooping this low at this point in the election is a sign of desperation from the Republicans. They can sense the possibility of this thing slipping away from them, and they’re dealing out low blows. I hope American voteres can see through this, but in hoping so I may also be overestimating American voters.