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The Reporters: US mid-terms

Justin Webb

Time to Use the Big Guy


Are the making the same mistake the Democrats did in 2000?

excitement_ap203b.jpgI know plenty of Republican candidates do not want to be seen with the president, and the Democrats have been using the Bush visage in their adverts - but isn't it time to tackle this in a Rovian way and turn the apparent weak card into the Ace?

I remember one trip with President Bush during the 2002 midterms. We seemed to dot around from event to event in a dizzy pace for days, and - apart from lack of sleep and too much fried food - what I recall most strongly was the sheer excitement these events generated.

And the fact (and it is a fact) that the man himself looked a million times better and more comfortable in his own skin in this environment than in he does in DC.

So if I were advising the Republican party - Hell, no, I am advising them - I would say get your man out there and never mind the downside with the moderates and swingers, most of whom anyway. Concentrate on the magical powers he has over the base. If you need them this time, and you do, you need to let them know.

The Gore queasiness about Clinton cost him the 2000 election, and - let's face it - for similar reasons: The party was uneasy about its main asset and refused to overcome that uneasiness even though its core supporters would have loved it. History is repeating itself.

Justin Webb is the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's chief North America radio correspondent.

°ä´Ç³¾³¾±ð²Ô³Ù²õÌýÌýPost your comment

  • 1.
  • At 01:26 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Robert Lindh wrote:

Put Bush on the road? Most Rep. candidates would sooner be seen copulating with a rabid skunk.

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  • 2.
  • At 03:15 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Michael A. wrote:

Not to be rude, but your comments about putting Bush on the campaign trail are somewhat naive. In nearly every part of the U.S., the president's poll numbers aren't just down, they're at near-Nixonian levels. Even in the reddest of states, he's become a liability. The GOP has used him sparingly this cycle because frankly, there just aren't that many places he can go where he will have a positive impact (outside of acting as Fundraiser-in-Chief, at which he still excels).

The last two weeks of any campaign are about two things: making sure you don't shoot yourself in the foot and getting your groundgame, i.e. GOTV, ready. The last thing a GOP candidate wants is the living, walking embodiment of the primary cause of voter discontent in this election to come waltzing in at the last second.

At this point, it looks as though the RNC, NRSC and the NRCC all agree with me.

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  • 3.
  • At 03:16 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Realist wrote:

I think the proposed fence that Mr Bush has just signed up to.
Should start at his ranch in Texas, and keep him incarserated for life.
Give the world a break.

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  • 4.
  • At 03:31 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • HNeil H wrote:

I think the card you meant was the joker, not the ace.
GWB has to be the absolute worst president ever.The administration he leads the worst ever as well. Our sons/daughters and there sons/daughters will be paying in countless ways due to the mistakes and foolish choices of this president and his consistent failed policies and practices. History will not be kind, in any way, to his devestating mandates and failed leadership.

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  • 5.
  • At 03:55 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Ryan Wah wrote:

I disagree. Republicans vote at high rates anyways. What it would do is invigorate the Democrat base to vote against you. You'd be better off not having them around.

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  • 6.
  • At 03:59 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • dub wrote:

His approval rating is in the toilet..people have to be desperate to use him -- in public, anyways. Bush's credibility is shot - Lame Duck in the making.

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  • 7.
  • At 04:28 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Dr. C wrote:

A lot has changed since 2002, especially a very bad war that even his base can't tolerate any more. Let's just leave him back in the box where he can't do even more damage.

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  • 8.
  • At 04:48 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Michael Robinson wrote:

Bush has never been "out there". His appearances in his previous campaigns were always restricted to a hand-picked audience of hard-core loyalists.

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  • 9.
  • At 04:49 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Ashley wrote:

President Bush came to my town--Reno, NV--to fund-raise a few weeks ago. Tax payers were ecstatic and each gladly paid $2,100 for the opportunity of shaking our president's hand--raising a total of $325,000 for a local Republican candidate. This almost seems worth the price and inconvenience of having the roads and airport closed for the partisan visit.

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  • 10.
  • At 05:15 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Cynthia Andrews wrote:

Great political analysis!

And you are quite right about Gore!

However, the last time Bush went to an open event, a person in the audience challenged him about the fact that no WMDs were found in Iraq and the person told Bush that he was ashamed of him.

Ever since this event, it seems Mr. Bush is unwilling to go anywhere he might be challenged by the audience.

I think this is his biggest mistake since his recent press conferences have shown him quite capable of defending himself.

But in my heart, I hope that Bush does not listen to you because I have had enough of this corrupt, rubber stamp congress.

I would not be disappointed if all imcubents are replaced and we started anew.

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  • 11.
  • At 05:22 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Shirley Bailey wrote:

I am 71 years old, extremely well read and knowledgeable and let me tell you, that not only myself, but MANY of my friends are so disgusted with Mr. Bush that when he comes on the TV we ALL CHANGE THE STATION!!! Know this for a fact!!!!!!

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  • 12.
  • At 05:33 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Larry Silverstein wrote:

Maybe just drive around in a black limo with a Bush bobble-head on the dash and a Texas Longhorns license plate. Neo's base lives in fantasy symboland anyway.

|,,|
/ Go 'Horns!

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  • 13.
  • At 05:38 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Mike wrote:

Don't go advising the Republican party with good advise, they might win!

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  • 14.
  • At 05:55 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Peter wrote:

Living in California's District 4, we saw the Big Guy show up in support of the 16+ year GOP incumbent, John Doolittle. Doolittle himself seemingly never shows up in the district.

This year, the Democrat Charlie Brown is delivering a competition which may turn the majority red District, and Congress, to blue. Bush arrived via helicopter, raising asbestos laden dust into a nearby schoolyard, clogged highways and provided nothing but blather and photo ops.

As a 30+ year Republican, the antics of Doolittle (with associations to Abramhoff, DeLay, Indian casinos and his wife's 15% cut of campaign donations) and George Bush along with Iraq have swayed even this traditional base.

I'm betting the base won't stand beside Doolittle on Election Day.

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  • 15.
  • At 06:46 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • scuzzy wrote:

The mid-term elections might have something to do with our famed President, but in the long run...he's the one tainting the worst American Congress in the history of the United States. Read the lated Rolling Stone magazine a learn something.

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  • 16.
  • At 07:43 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • alex wrote:

The guy (Bush) is an idiot. please, by all means, put him on the campaign trail.

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  • 17.
  • At 08:28 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Simon MG wrote:

I think that Mr. Bush is sincer, arround him a lot of user manipulator like what happened to most of American President. Saying that, We need to clearly state that he doesn't care even about the republican party, and the Democrat need to aknowdlge that for the person.

it might be wise if the next house and senate be shared 50/50 between democrat, republican and indepenadant, but all need to stay behind a famous President, he for sure will lay in peace with him slef and family and be proud.

Been a presiednt is a serious duty, stand up to what you beleive is good to the people who elected you, ALL of them is some thing we don't see those days.

That is why Bush will be read about in the future, and that why we wil be reading about user, manipulator arround Leader in the future more.
I have been talking from my heart and i swear i didn't seek any compensation behind that. i didn't get one and I will refuse it if sent to me. Which will not happened, I mean the sending part. LOL

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  • 18.
  • At 08:29 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Zakir wrote:

11 out of 11 posts in this blog disagreed with the idea of putting Bush on the campaign trail.

Im my opinion, he is as unpopular in America as in Afghanistan, Iraq.......what the heck! the rest of the world.

Americans should be thinking of impeaching him for all his lies to restore the prestige of the Institution of Presidency.


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  • 19.
  • At 08:59 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Fred Hause wrote:

You must be joking Justin!

The "Big Guy" is likely to be indicted for the Big Swing - for his war crimes!

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  • 20.
  • At 09:11 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Benjamin Revett wrote:

Are you kiding me? Bush is a complete buffoon!

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  • 21.
  • At 10:33 AM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Edward wrote:

"Hell, no"? Careful, you might be going native - better apply for a new posting sharpish!

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  • 22.
  • At 12:32 PM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Richard Myers wrote:

What is REALLY needed here is for the politicians to stop depending on one another for an endorsement for victory, stop telling us why we should NOT vote for the other candidates, and tell us why we should vote for you! Give us, the people an idea of what it is that you bring to the table to benefit the American People. Too many of us are out of work and frustrated with the present government to listen to some bloke from Washington telling us who we should and should not vote for.

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  • 23.
  • At 01:59 PM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Harry Hayfield wrote:

Is it true that of the 435 congressmen elected in the Mid Term Elections, around 400+ are returned (something like 98%) and if so why is this the case?

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  • 24.
  • At 02:16 PM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Jim Rogers wrote:

Oh, please, oh, please, oh, please, let George Bush speak on behalf of Republicans around the nation.

Oh, please, oh, please, even let him open his mouth to answer a question, any question from a citizen.

Yes, please encourage George Bush to speak about what he has done for:

-the health of Americans (affordable health insurance?),

-the health of government policy (Jack Abramoff, Oil Company profits vs fuel prices when he took office), supporting strong Republican Morals (Mark Foley--what did Republican leaders know, and when, and what did they do about it), "staying the course" in the Iraq war.

-the health of the economy (radical Republican deficit spending, funding for schools and States),

-the health of the environment (carbon dioxide emissions, drilling and logging in nature preserves).

Oh, please, oh, please, oh, please, let George Bush speak on behalf of Republicans around the nation.

Can you send him to Wisconsin first? We have a congressional race that is close and sure could use his help.


Jim Rogers
Democrat
Madison, Wisconsin, USA

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  • 25.
  • At 02:27 PM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Irish wrote:

Your analysis of Gore and Clinton is correct, Gore would have definitely won the election - whether or not he actually did - had he used Clinton more effectively. However, to compare that situation to congressman not wanting to be seen with George Bush is laughable. At least Clinton had a record of domestic and economic policy successes, as well as foreign policy triumphs. Bush's record reads like a laundry list of war crimes and policy failures. He represents the politics of failure, which is not a good comparison for a congressional candidate to draw on the stump. Smart candidates would be running as far away from the President as they could, either to the middle or to the right of him, just to show they are different, but that is the fatal flaw of the overall strategy of the Republican Party. The GOP is going to lose both houses of Congress because of a stubbornness in refusing to reset the terms of battle, and stay in lockstep with the politics of failure embodied by the current administration. This election is going to be cataclysmic for the GOP, and it's an apocalyptic scenario which could have been easily avoided.

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  • 26.
  • At 06:00 PM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Edward wrote:

I have no issues with him campaigning.. providing the COST of the travel and security comes out of the Rupublican funds and NOT our taxes.

It is wrong on SO many levels for a president to travel around the country raising funds for his party and for that travel to be paid from taxes.

I would love for someone to add up the cost of all the fund raises he has attended in the last 6 years.

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  • 27.
  • At 08:43 PM on 27 Oct 2006,
  • Ann R. wrote:

Not to overmisunderestimate his "magical powers," we've noticed that Bush has subverted the Constitution at "a dizzy pace" for years, but the "sheer excitement these events generated" may pale beside his upcoming impeachment and trial at the Hague. Ah! Magical subpoenas! Hurry! Send him out! Sheer excitement watching him field rotten eggs and tomatoes! Then you can lead a "concentrate on the magical powers he has" parade at his base in Disneyland.

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  • 28.
  • At 07:06 PM on 28 Oct 2006,
  • Rafat Sadiq wrote:

President Bush will only invigorate the Democratic base and convince more independant voters to shy away from the GOP. The GOPs best bet is to use him as a fundraiser, but discretely. Get tagged as a Bush supporter, and your candidacy is put on the defensive. He's become the Republican's Hillary.

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  • 29.
  • At 08:20 PM on 30 Oct 2006,
  • Edward Guldi wrote:

In response to Harry Hayfield, in a normal midterm election the majority of congressional incumbents are returned to power each year, however this year the ruling republicans have evoked such a large amount of distaste that it is unlikely that they will retain their house majority. In American Federal Politics incumbents stay in power through influence peddling for campaign contributions, which explains the larger Republican warchest. Secondly, incumbent majorities are often harder to remove because of Gerrymandering, the practice of placing small majorities of the ruling party in many districts and segregating large majorities of the opposition in a small number of districts.

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  • 30.
  • At 10:46 PM on 31 Oct 2006,
  • Ray wrote:


I believe bush wants to leave office. He is tired of being there and I don't blame him. No matter how much positive progress a president makes, americans will always find something negative to say. However, our president should resign.

There will always be a resistance. This is inevitable. Resistance movements go back to the biblical era. It will not stop.

For the next republican president, there will be a new theme. What will the next war be on. Crime? Drugs? Hunger in africa? Violence in latin america?. Make your choice. There is a lot the president can choose from.

The presidents job is already done.
I believe the wars were the true diversion. Americans, the people next in line for the presidency is already being chosen. Keep your ears open for the next story line.

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  • 31.
  • At 03:16 AM on 01 Nov 2006,
  • Derek Hardin wrote:

It is funny to see how many people want Bush impeached yet don't realize it will take probably a year to totally impeach him out of power. And then what do you get? Cheney! Spend another year impeaching him out of power and it’s the presidential elections of 08 and our Democratic Congress just spent 2 years doing nothing. Make Bush a lame duck, prep this government for a Democratic President who will make the USA what it once was. As for war crimes, we can forget that to. That Port bill he just signed a week ago gave him and his administration a full pardon on all war crimes relating to Iraq. Gotta love that Republican Congress!

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  • 32.
  • At 04:11 AM on 02 Nov 2006,
  • rico wrote:

Good Idea! And maybe he could dazzle them with some slides of his cave paintings as well.

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