It’s Optimism, Stupid.
Perhaps like many others, I have been thinking about why the Kerry campaign can’t seem to change people’s minds about a President who has so badly handled the Iraq war and an economy that does not produce jobs but is producing an ever-growing national debt again. And while the ban on assault weapons is permitted to expire in an era of terrorism, the President instead concentrates his support for a law that threatens our individual liberties.
Iraq
Just think about it, over a thousand of our troops have been killed in Iraq, most of them since the Hussein regime was dislodged from Baghdad. Seven times that many have suffered injury, many of those injuries permanent. The reasons given for the war have turned out to be falsehoods. There was not an imminent need for a war against Iraq when we invaded. If anything, if there were stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, they may have been exported from the country in response to the invasion.
As an occupier, we have failed to establish security within Iraq. We have failed to rebuild the country quickly enough. Billions of dollars appropriated for that purpose have gone unspent. We have failed to bring in international support to establish security and create investment.
Yes, the Congress authorized the President to invade Iraq, but it was the President who asked for the authority; in fact he demanded it. What Congress would have denied that authority in the face of 9/11 and the charge that Iraq was ready to attack with chemical, biological and perhaps nuclear weapons?
The Economy
If the President has an idea of what to do about the economy, except to cut taxes, he has not expressed it. It is true that the economy took a terrible hit after 9/11, but as people have gotten back to normal routines, the economy has stabilized. Still, job creation has not rebounded and the budget deficit has gone through the roof.
Except for those who have had trouble finding a good job, the effect of the serious increase in the national debt has not been felt thus far, probably because interest rates have remained low. I am not an economist, but I know that people make use of credit to buy and remodel homes, buy cars, and spend generally. How long can those rates continue if the national debt continues to rise quickly?
I do not know how sophisticated the terrorist leaders are, but perhaps their plans include just enough death and destruction to cause us to strangle ourselves with bad decisions about how we spend our money in response.
There Are Two Ways to Look at Things
The President is currently ahead in the polls because he says little, remains optimistic and attacks his opponent well. But, the President has little good to actually tell us. His Presidency is about fighting the war on terror, for however long that may take and that alone. He gives the appearance of toughness in the face of enemies who are very tough. In the absence of any reason to vote differently, voters are siding with the President’s narrow message of toughness.
Consider the “great” Presidents and other national leaders in our history. In bad times and good, each expressed optimism about the future, sometimes speaking it in eloquent terms. Even in the face of bad times, Americans prefer to look forward, not to dwell on problems and failures. It is a wisdom that is built into our plan. There is nothing that can be done about the past, and we prefer to look forward to a bright future.
So, rather than criticize bad policies, the messages must be positive. Will we prevail against the terrorists? Of course, we will. Can we reverse the situation in Iraq? Of course we can, with better decision-making and more effective action. We can defeat our enemies and improve relations with friends and potential friends. Can we get the economy back on track? Of course, we can. The issue is not one tax or another. The issue is a better economy for everyone.
We Need To Move Forward From Where We Are Now
During our Civil War, President Lincoln stated at Gettysburg: “…It is for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God shall have a new birth of freedom; and that the government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
I am not sure that we have a Lincoln with us today that could sum up the purpose and optimism that is the United States in some 261 words. However, in order to beat the President, Senator Kerry will have to come up with something along those lines to capture the imagination of the voters before the November election.
