I Could Think of Other Things to Call Him

In the unfortunate headline department, John Edwards will be speaking tonight at the DNC and leaked details of his speech reveal that he will call John Kerry "decisive" and "strong."  Meanwhile, in spite of Michael Moore, the TV ratings for the minimal media coverage of the DNC has been staggeringly low.  Base10 thinks the Democrats should beware.  Mainstream America (maybe there's more than John Edwards "Two Americas.") perhaps does not like to see this level of Bush bashing.  They may not agree with the President, but they do not like to see him trashed.

Base10 sees the memes that have been cropping up again and again in the campaign, specifically at the Convention:

• Bush Lied!  This still seems to be the rallying cry for the Moorites.  In spite of overwhelming evidence that the intelligence services of the US and practically all of our allies believed that Saddam Hussein was actively stockpiling weapons of mass destruction is ignored. 
• It's all about the oil! This is a similar meme.  It is easy to repeat but really means nothing.  I find it hard to believe that the people saying this are no apparently siding with Henry Kissinger.  Kissinger advised that the US should prop up any dictator in the middle east no matter how ruthless is it makes for stability in oil production.  It shocks me now that the same people that claim it's all about the oil apparently want to go back to this policy.
• Iraq is a quagmire/mistake/distraction from the War on Terror.  You have to expect some anti-war rhetoric.  The leftmost believes any American military action is aggression.  The Vietenam generation thinks every American military action is or will lead to a quagmire.  The moderate Democrats admit the need for military action  but want to somehow be able to pinpoint that action against Osama bin Laden (1) as if there are no other Islamic terrorists, (2) as if Saddam Hussein was not supporting terrorism on his own, and (3) as if stable democracy in the middle east could be achieved with Saddam Hussein still in power.  The worst shade of this meme is that Bush started the war to somehow validate his father.
• Bush is destroying out civil liberties.  This meme centers around--but is not limited to--the Patriot Act.  It assumes that the Republicans are attempting to create some sort of totalitarian state and the legislation being used is the Patriot Act.  Now the arguments differ, but it seems that the very people who voted for this law are somehow declaring it a dangerous abridgement of the Bill of Rights.  It is high time that this issue is discussed in an intelligent manner.  But if it is, the result will not be what the Democrats want.  If you polled the American public right now, Base10 bets that most would favor a national ID card system.
• Bush is stupid.  Many Democrats believe this in a literal sense and this is a recurring theme.  They believe George W. Bush is low grade moron that somehow managed to (1) graduate Harvard Business School, (2) learn to fly fighter aircraft quite well, and (3) successfully govern the state of Texas.  Apparently no one noticed the low IQ up until now.  The strange thing about this is it shows a Northeastern bias against Southerners.  (Study after study shows that people with Southern accents are perceived as less intelligent). 
• Two Americas.  In classic socialist class rhetoric, the Democrats are suggesting that the Republicans are the party of the rich and that they instead represent the poor.  This theme runs from tax cuts to health care to the economy.  What is really is saying is that the Republicans are the party of businesses--you know those things that create jobs and contribute to the GDP and the overall well being of the country.  The Democrats on the other hand are party of massive failed European-style welfare states.  

Also from Mrs. Kerry, 

"He's a fighter!" - Theresa Heinz Kerry.   Base10 always wondered where the pugilistic references entere politics.  It seems that boxing and football are the usual metaphors for politics.  Who exactly will John Kerry be fighting?  Will they be using gloves or is it bareknuckle?(BTW lady, please lose the French accent).

- posted by Base10 @ 6:05 PM