Bush, Kerry campaigns bear Reagan's signature

Bush, Kerry campaigns bear Reagan's signature
Candidates draw on his theme of military might, optimism
By Jill Lawrence
USA TODAY

FROM: http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040608/6266080s.htm
WASHINGTON -- Chief among Ronald Reagan's hallmarks were optimism, affability and a determination to achieve world peace through U.S. military strength. All three reverberate in the race between President Bush and Democrat John Kerry.

Reagan's legacies won't win the race for either candidate. And until he died, Reagan's name hadn't come up much while the candidates were campaigning. But the Reagan presidency was the model for Bush's style and focus on a few clearly stated goals. And Bush and Kerry are competing to lay claim to the resolve and approach the sunniness identified with Reagan.

The emergence of terrorism as the central threat to international stability has made the issue of military strength as important now as it was when Reagan was president. He increased defense spending 35% over his two terms, from 1981-1989. ''If we have learned anything these last eight years, it's that peace through strength works,'' Reagan said in a September 1988 radio address to the nation.

Bush's foreign and military policies recall Reagan's resolute air and rejection of timidity. But what he's doing goes beyond what Reagan did. ''It's Reaganism with action'' behind the words, says Jeffrey Berry, a political scientist at Tufts University near Boston.

<SNIP>

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.

As for "action," how is that Bush Doctrine of pre-emption holding up? Good thing we eliminated that Iraqi danger or 800 or more Americans might have lost their lives...