Never forget – it’s the drip, drip, drip that’s important.

[LawDem]

Another barrage of almost unbelievable disclosures regarding the corrupt and dishonest nature of the Bush administration: Followed, of course, by another mealy-mouthed performance by the Fourth Estate, seemingly letting them off the hook again. It’s an old and tiring affair, one we’re in the process of watching again as the press spins the Richard Clarke disclosures as, at worst, just another he says she says dispute.

It’s easy to get discouraged, watching this parade of wrongdoing, one hundred times worse than anything Clinton was ever seriously accused of (even setting aside the fact that almost none of the Clinton stuff was true), and, yet, seemingly, there are so few repercussions. "They just keep getting away with it," or so it seems.

This is a righteous feeling, and one carrying a lot of truth. But in a broader sense, I think, it’s also an illusion. Because Bush is being damaged – day by day and blow by blow. It’s the drip, drip, drip of the water, slowly eating away at what little remains of Bush’s undeserved reservoir of good will left over from 9-11 and of his credibility.

It may or may not be enough to overcome Bush’s oceans of cash, but he is being hurt and hurt in a way he will never fully recover from.

[swag]

1. Absolutely - the information cascade is the thing

Robert Shiller demonstrated this in "Irrational Exuberance" in regard to the markets. It's not one piece of news that moves things. It's a cascade of news.

[AngryYoungMan]

2. It's the Clinton admin in reverse.

You're 100% correct. I'm reminded of Joan Didion's account of the ABC talking heads' bafflement at Clinton's poll ratings during and after the Lewinsky affair. "Where is the outrage?" asked Sam Donaldson and Judy Woodruff. They were really confused because they'd been pounding the "Clinton is immoral" story for so long that they didn't understand why people weren't echoing their sentiments.

As an illustration of the principle, look at Microsoft. I'm sure that Bill Gates believes that people "like" Windows XP. The fact is, I've yet to meet one single person (and I know a lot of technology professionals as well as "laypeople" who use Windows every day) who like the product. Everyone I know can't stand it. But what else can you use? In a monopoly, you throw away your ability to discern what the public thinks and wants.

It's the same thing here. With the rigged polls and the pandering stories, the press gets so caught up in their spin etc. that they fundamentally lose track of the public's actual opinion. I've felt for a while (and the opinion is echoed daily here on DU) that Bush is vastly more hated and unpopular than anyone in the fourth estate realizes.

It's the reverse of Clinton, who, despite all the right-wing propaganda, was a genuinely beloved President. Bush isn't a "polarizing figure;" he's a radical fringe group's wet dream imposed on the rest of us, and we don't really like him or approve (any more than we "like" Windows). We just put up with it, with greater or lesser degrees of patience and resentment.

[grannylib]

3. I pray you are right....we cannot afford another four years of this little

Chimposter, nor of the cabal behind the curtain, pulling his strings.
The PNAC group is pure evil and MUST be exposed as such.

[Ravy]

4. But it all comes so fast!!!!

Bush's campaign gear coming from a country from which we have banned imports...

Clarke's assertions about 9/11...

all stuff from Friday/this weekend...


They have to share equal (or less) time air with Bush ranting about a mis-quote of Kerry made two weeks ago ("foreign" leaders). On that topic, PLEASE, someone in the Bush Admin.. PLEASE read your boss a current newspaper that has it right?

[catmandu57]

5. It's the combined weight

that contributes to the fatigue. The thing about gw mcchimp* now is he is a known factor now. During 2000 he was an unknown and sucked in the gullible, no longer the people who voted for him who have a bad feeling in their mouths sure won't do it again. Add to that, everyone these people have pissed off, it has all the indgredients of a long hot summer for georgie*

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

6. Kick.

:kick:

[Joanne98]

7. I'm dripping to death

When is the sun coming out?;(