George Bush: All Hat, No Cattle!

Zogby thinks the bounce will be short lived. The speech was terrible, except for a brief, maudlin, manipulated-for-tv moment at the end, when he self servingly trampled on the memories of young Americans he needlessly killed.

I don't just think we're going to win, I think in a week or two, things are going to start breaking for us big time.

Details.

Pollster John Zogby: "The President has had a very good convention following a good week where he also dominated the news with his own message: leadership, strength, decisiveness. Not only has he dominated the news but he also has thrown Kerry off his game. Last week I said the President's top goal from the convention was to make sure his Republican ducks were all in a row. He needed to bring back and strengthen his ties with both wavering moderates (concerned about Iraq) and deficit hawks. His messages have clearly elucidated why the war and why the spending. This is the first time this year that the President has achieved 90% support among Republicans. He has also strengthened his numbers among investors.
"The President has widened his lead in the Red States and tightened things up considerably in the Blue States. For the first time in months he now leads among Independents and Catholics.

"While the President has improved his numbers, he still has a negative re-elect, job performance, and wrong direction.

"So the battle is now engaged. I have written before about the metaphor of the bouncing rubber ball. Take a rubber ball and bounce it as hard as you can. Then the laws of physics take over. The President has gotten three preceding bounces - each one shorter in height and duration. I think this week is the fourth bounce of the ball: this time only into the higher forties and perhaps only lasting a week or so....."

It's time for the Boy-King and his War-Profiteering VP to stand on their own and run against Kerry/Edwards.

But the only thing historic about tonight is that it will mark the beginning of the end of the worst presidency in 80 years.

I meant the democrats..okay????????honestly, how could you think otherwise?

There were several groups at the convention tonight. There were the true believers at a pep rally with the First Cheerleader, chanting canned slogans with starry eyed naivety. But the cameras also caught a surprising number of glimpses of delegates who were visibly upset, bored and one who was sound asleep. When * made his homophobic comments, some delegates looked downright angry. Another thing I noticed was the interaction between the delegates. Although there was an appearance of racial diversity, I did not see even one instance of an inter-racial exchange. Al tough the people of color were dispersed throughout the convention floor, there was an invisible Guard-all shield around each one.
So many of *'s statements were clearly and patently false and I am sure that the rapid response team will quickly dispense with them. What will be harder for us to effectively counter is the yearning I saw tonight that the myths being espoused would be true. Those people want to believe George and I think that we should find ways to acknowledge those wishes. I can envision Kerry saying something to the effect that: "I found myself wishing that I could believe *, but the facts just don't support him. Once you get beyond his distorted slurs and vague platitudes, there is only the reality of failed policies. He brags about tax cuts, but the average American lost more in buying power than they gained from their paltry refund............................. you can all fill in the rest as to the issues.
What I am addressing is the necessity of acknowledging the the deep need of the people who are supporting Bush and finding ways to address those needs better. If those voters feel unheard, unvalidated, disrespected, etc, they will most likely respond with rage and redoubled efforts to eliminate that which makes them feel attacked. To feel someone's pain differs from agreeing with their solutions. To make ad homonym at tacts only feeds resistance and increases the desire to defeat us. We will never change the hearts and minds of the sociopaths at the top- those hearts and minds have been MIA for decades now. But we can attempt to look at the rank and file and seriously and genuinely validate their core feelings. They too want a country of which they can be proud, are sick of rising medical costs, are worried about security, violence, the economy, etc. In fact, we share much more than divides us.

That sums up the GOP Convention. You have to admit it was slick - as slick and slimy as a Dick Cheney backdoor no-bid contract special. If I were Kerry I would emphasize the "all show - no facts" aspect of the 4 night atrocity this country has just been subject to. Yes, the Republicans can make balloons fall from the sky at will and they can erect elaborate podiums suggestive of the Cross, with twin flags and twin Statues Of Liberty flanking the entry of Bush to recall the Twin Towers, with an elaborate stage with the Presidential Seal for the Chimp to swagger up to the cheers of his star-struck fans. THIS is fancy pants behavior. This is profligate waste of money. This is extravagant and not down-to-earth. These theatrics do not represent the common people, which the modern GOP authorities do not truly represent, but were more Hollywood than the Hollywood Bush trashes in his speeches.