NYT, pg. 1: Campaign Tactics Being Reversed As Events Shift

[DeepModem Mom]

The day was a snapshot of the presidential contest, as realities on the ground — the upbeat economic growth figures and the deadly helicopter attack — intruded on the best-laid plans of the candidates and this White House.

The Democrats want to blame Mr. Bush for a weak economy that may be finding its step just in time for next year's election, while Mr. Bush is confronting the possibility of campaigning against a backdrop of American casualties and chaos in the war he began.

So in the topsy-turvy world of presidential politics, Mr. Bush was talking up the economy — the very issue that Democrats have long argued would make him a one-term president. And Democrats were hammering Mr. Bush on the very subject that many Republicans argued would guarantee his re-election: foreign policy.

This could very well prove to be a passing moment in the larger struggle of whether the course of this campaign will be determined more by foreign policy or by the economy. Still, over the last few days there has clearly been an across-the-board recalibration by Democrats and Mr. Bush as they try to keep up — and capitalize on — the changing landscape.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/04/politics/campaigns/04CAMP.html?hp

[truthisfreedom]

1. we only need the one mantra. ANYONE BUT BUSH.

he wasn't elected. all the more reason for him to never be elected.

make him go home with is tail between his legs, with his daddy disappointed, with no chance in hell of his brothers ever walking in his stinking p*ss and sh*t-filled shoes.

[TexasEditor]

2. His daddy's already disappointed

Bush 41 didn't want 43 to go into Iraq. It's not necessary to use profanity to make your point, by the way.

[Teaser]

8. What the fsck is wrong with profanity?

I fsckin' love reading it.

[TexasEditor]

4. Bush Sr.'s 'message' to Bush Jr.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2003/10/18/bush_srs_message_to_bush_jr/

Bush Sr.'s 'message' to Bush Jr.
By Georgie Anne Geyer, 10/18/2003

WASHINGTON -- IT'S NOT AS THOUGH Osama bin Laden gave a Jihad Award to Ariel Sharon, or Donald Rumsfeld gave his Good Pal Award to Condoleezza Rice. It's not even as though Dick Cheney gave his Favorite Foreigners Citation to the French.

But the news from College Station, Texas, this week -- that the First Father, former President George H.W. Bush, has given his own most treasured award to Senator Edward Kennedy -- is nearly as astonishing.

When it was announced (with amazingly little fanfare) that the pugnaciously anti-Iraq war Democrat Kennedy had been awarded the 2003 George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service, so many jaws dropped all over Washington that usually voluble politicians were only heard swallowing their real thoughts.

Since the current President Bush veered away from the real war against terrorism in Afghanistan and went a'venturing in Iraq, much to his father's dismay, just about everybody close to Washington politics has known of the policy schism between father and son.

CONTINUED

[Mikimouse]

6. Hello from College Station, otherwise known as

Freeperville, USA. The local AM radio station (WTAW) has been making comments about the upcoming award from * the first to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, and the size of Kennedy's waistline and politics. HAhahahahahhahahhahahahahahaha, and to boot, they are still airing Rush Limbaugh commentary as though he was currently on the air. What a bunch of jerks! Beam me back to a place where sanity rules and people actually use the matter between their ears! OK, I admit it, I woke up too early this morning and am still grouchy.:mad:

[TexasEditor]

3. The economy may rebound

But all those jobs, savings, retirement funds, stock values are gone. States struggle to make ends meet, the military's morale is down, the number of poor is rising, the number of hungry Americans is climbing, and the rest of the world either fears or mistrusts our country.

What will Bush run on?

ARE YOU BETTER OFF TODAY THAN YOU WERE FOUR YEARS AGO?

[Malva Zebrina]

5. what will Bush run on?

faith, god and single issues that the ladies church society think are most important--like the marriage of homosexuals and the ever present abortion issue-- -another stage stunt like the overly dramatic USS Lincoln comedy theater show will be laughed out of town so that is out--- There is nothing he can point to that shows that he has done something good for this country. There is lots the Democrats can point to so show how he has destroyed this country from the git go. Hope they are up to the job.

[Gin]

7. it's still the economy and the war....I am suspect about the GDP numbers..

and one quarter does not turn years of stupidity around...

I would like to know which manufacturers were up...and where the gains where...I work with manufacturers who are laying off workers as we speak...the gains are in the bottom line because of a smaller work force.

[ProfessorGAC]

10. They Better Not Count On GDP Just Yet

I give you an "A" for noting all the noise being made about one data point.

The sudden bump is easily explainable if one looks at the data, but it seems nobody cares about details like PROOF!

Fact is, i wouldn't count on the recently trumpeted results as being sustainable beyond Q3. So, if Georgie and gang are counting on running on the "improving economy" they might want to hold those talking points for a bit.
The Professor

[NewYorkerfromMass]

9. There's a matrix for each candidate accompanying the printed article

with a blurb by each on Iraq and the economy.
Dean's is accompanied by the "400 dead" quote.
Frankly a very 'lite' news article with no depth whatsoever.