The Little Brown Reader

Lee Shelton: Is George W. Bush A One-Term President?

This is one of two articles I've read recently that speaks of the positive prospects of the Democrats in 2004, without saying much at all about the positive qualities of said Democrats. The elements in the Democrats' favor are generally phrased in terms of negatives about Bush that can be exploited (as in the excerpt below). It may be that the mainstream of America may be so disgusted by Bush a year from now that the Anyone But Bush strategy might do the trick on its own. But that's not where the mainstream is quite yet -- and if it doesn't get there, or if somehow Bush can turn the tide back in his favor, then the Democrats are actually going to need a candidate worth cheering for in his or her own right.

Lee Shelton seems to be positing that Hillary is going to get drafted in to save the day, but I have my doubts about that. She would certainly spice up the race though.

Like Father, Like Son: Is
George W. Bush A One-Term President?

By
Lee R. Shelton IV

Toogood Reports [Thursday, July 17, 2003; 12:01 a.m. EST]

Immediately following Gulf War I, President George Bush enjoyed a popularity rating that reached 91 percent. That number, however, plummeted once the voters began to focus on the recession that Bush denied even existed. His bid for a second term went down in flames. Now, with the 2004 presidential election still 15 months away, could his son be facing the same fate?

While so-called conservatives will no doubt try to get Americans to turn their attention to Bush´s "victories" in the war on terror, I believe that Democrats will zero in on two chinks in the administration´s armor: the economy and credibility. With a six percent unemployment rate and a projected budget deficit of over $450 billion to exploit, you can be sure they won´t pull any punches. And don´t underestimate the Democrats´ ability to attack Bush´s credibility now that the White House has admitted that its decision to attack Iraq was based––at least in part––on questionable intelligence.

Full story...

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