A new study by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland finally figures out the crux of Dubya’s support: the misinformed. “75% of Bush supporters continue to believe that Iraq was providing substantial support to al Qaeda, and 63% believe that clear evidence of this support has been found. Sixty percent of Bush supporters assume that this is also the conclusion of most experts, and 55% assume, incorrectly, that this was the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission.” And that’s just the beginning, folks.
Tag: Republicans
The Kids are Alright.
In a Nickelodeon online poll, nearly 400,000 American children pick Kerry over Dubya 57%-43%. “Nickelodeon has held a “Kids’ Vote” every election year since 1988, and kids have correctly predicted the winner of the general elections for the last four U.S. presidential campaigns.”
Up (to no good) Sinclair.
The Sinclair Broadcast Group fires their Washington bureau chief, Jon Leiberman, after he makes his displeasure about their right-wing proselytizing known to the Baltimore Sun. Whatsmore, the wingnut network is playing hardball: “Sinclair would not waive his noncompete agreement, which means he cannot work for a broadcast outlet in any market that has a Sinclair station.” Hmmm…well, two (and more) can play at that game. Update: Sinclair buckles.
Reclaiming Texas.
In “something of a surprise,” the Supreme Court authorizes a three-judge district court to review its earlier decision upholding Tom DeLay’s partisan gerrymandering of Texas. It’s too late for 2004, but perhaps this will bear fruit before 2006, as the Hammer’s other shady dealings come to light.
Start Spreading the News.
“We look back on the past four years with hearts nearly breaking, both for the lives unnecessarily lost and for the opportunities so casually wasted. Time and again, history invited George W. Bush to play a heroic role, and time and again he chose the wrong course. We believe that with John Kerry as president, the nation will do better.” The New York Times endorses John Kerry for President. Not much of a surprise, sure, but still worth reading.
Dubya’s Dubious Certainty.
“[Bruce] Bartlett, a 53-year-old columnist and self-described libertarian Republican who has lately been a champion for traditional Republicans concerned about Bush’s governance, went on to say: ‘This is why George W. Bush is so clear-eyed about Al Qaeda and the Islamic fundamentalist enemy. He believes you have to kill them all. They can’t be persuaded, that they’re extremists, driven by a dark vision. He understands them, because he’s just like them…This is why he dispenses with people who confront him with inconvenient facts…He truly believes he’s on a mission from God. Absolute faith like that overwhelms a need for analysis.'” Ron Suskind, co-author of The Price of Loyalty, delves into the sadly myopic halls of Dubya’s faith-based presidency (and attempts to explain why our current Prez can’t distinguish between Sweden and Switzerland…no one in the White House ever openly challenges his ignorance.)
More Friendly Fire.
Brent Scowcroft, former National Security Advisor and consigliere to Bush I, decries Dubya’s diplomacy in the Financial Times, calling Iraq a “failed venture” and questioning this administration’s penchant for unilateralism.
Kerry by Decision?
Well, Dubya’s still up slightly in the polls right now, but Republican pollster Frank Luntz has nevertheless sounded the warning bells for the GOP. “Step by step, debate-by-debate, John Kerry has addressed and removed many remaining doubts among uncommitted voters. My own polling research after each debate suggests a rather bleak outlook for the Bush candidacy: many who still claim to be ‘undecided’ are in fact leaning to Mr. Kerry and are about ready to commit.“
Beg, Borrow, and Steal.
“Less than a day after President Bush implied that Senator John Kerry lacked ‘fiscal sanity,’ the Bush administration said on Thursday that the federal government had hit the debt ceiling set by Congress [for the fourth time in three years] and would have to borrow from the civil service retirement system until after the elections.” As this article goes on to note, the Congressional GOP kicked the vote on this matter until after Election Day, so Dubya wouldn’t get any bad press. Under this president, the national debt has increased 40%, to $7.4 trillion.
Thump, Thump, Thump.
“This is one of those Bush/Cheney invitation-only lovefests where the president could walk out in his boxer shorts and speak in pig Latin and the crowd would still chant ‘four more years.'” With the debates over, it’s shore-up-the-base time for Dubya (Hence, the return of the dreaded “L-Word”.) And, along those lines, evangelical leaders are working hard to get believers out for Bush. Update: Liberal Christians push back.