FEAR is BushCo's one and only campaign theme. But it might be enough.

[stickdog]

After talking with a diverse group of Americans about Presidential politics as a volunteer over the weekend, I'm hopeful but not particularly optimistic.

The ONLY thing Bush has going for him is his perceived heroism in response to 9/11 and his perceived strength as a macho American cowboy who won't let anything stand in the way of the catharsis of violent retribution that Americans -- especially American males -- will demand in response to any additional terror attacks.

To Joe Sixpack (and, yes Cletus, Joe Sixtooth) Bush seems more likely to bomb the shit out of anybody who remotely resembles a Muslim terrorist and let God sort out the bodies, while Kerry seems more likely to get all touch-feely about things like civil rights and trying to limit the killing to the guilty. The random and cruelly cold blooded nature of terra'ism makes America's self-imagined tough guys feel excruciatingly helpless, and thus many demand an overwhelming, unbridled response to it. You know, like a war against a country that had nothing to do with it, but whose sack of shit leader made the mistake of looking at us the wrong way one too many times.

Bush's "strength" as a President in "times of terror" is the way he projects himself as a sincerely eager executioner intent on meting out punishment with giddy recklessness. It's the "don't mess with Texas" shtick that is about the only political ploy that Bush has ever managed to perfect. In order to have a chance this November, Bush needs to keep Americans scared enough to imagine that our near future is so precarious that his tough, single minded paternalistic "resolve" trumps his lack of intellect, problem solving ability and empathy for our day to day struggles. Many perceive a choice between more competent governance and more assuredly cathartic retribution. All fear, all the time pushes them toward the latter.

[ThatPoetGuy]

1. This was amazing.

Thank you, stickdog.

Nominating it for the homepage.