Bush's failures are the fault of 911 - wake up people!

[mzmolly]

This is a major issue that Kerry needs to address.

The failing economy/jobloss/deficit/war were all because of 911 according to many Americans. It's Bush's free pass in the coming election.

Unless we UNEQUIVOCALLY demonstrate how BUSH'S POLICIES were responsible for the condition of our economy etc... were screwed.

Granted we are addressing the war issue, but only because Paul Olson and Richard Clarke risked their careers to tell all.

However, as long as the myth that 911 is the cause of XY and Z prevails, were screwed.

[Sparkly]

1. That's true, but a tough one

It's the all-purpose excuse, used particularly for unemployment and deficit spending... It's very hard to convince people of what could have happened in spite of 9/11 if the policies had been reasonably responsible; they will insist that 9/11 caused the problems, and since we can't go back in time and do it over, it's difficult to convince them.

Another way to go at it, though, might be to suggest what Bush did NOT do that he could have done -- asking for sacrifice, for example, in terms of oil conservation; in terms of doing without tax cuts to help fund the new "homeland security" and military expenditures; in terms of holding corporations to some level of responsibility to keeping jobs here, etc... That keeps the argument away from discussing what would have happened if he had not done what he DID do...

[mzmolly]

2. I'm listening to Molly Ivins *Bushwacked* and she does a beautiful

job of articulating the case against Bush. She traces his policies back to ordinary people.

"Another way to go at it, though, might be to suggest what Bush did NOT do that he could have done -- asking for sacrifice, for example, in terms of oil conservation; in terms of doing without tax cuts to help fund the new "homeland security" and military expenditures; in terms of holding corporations to some level of responsibility to keeping jobs here, etc... That keeps the argument away from discussing what would have happened if he had not done what he DID do..."

We could tackle things on this front also :hi: It is the action/inaction of this President that is to blame for XYZ.

Adding a great talking point for Kerry could be something like this:

"911 is NOT GEORGE BUSH'S GET OUT OF RESPONSIBILITY FREE CARD."

errr uhmmm, something much better a-course ... but you get the point ;)