UK Guardian: The battle for definition

[T_i_B]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/comment/story/0,14259,1164637,00.html

In modern politics he who defines wins, and now the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in the US is over, the definition race has begun. It is a battle that has three fronts: define yourself, define your opponent and define the terms of the debate.

While George Bush was graciously congratulating John Kerry on his Super Tuesday sweep, his campaign aides were making final cut approval edits to a series of ads that have now begun airing. The aim of the ads is simple: to reintroduce the president to the American people after a two month glut of Democratic party exposure; define him before his opponent gets a chance to do it first. His raw materials this time are the ruins of the World Trade Centre, a down-spiralling Wall Street ticker, firefighters, American flags and a rallying US president. The overarching theme: steady leadership in times of trouble. The message is upbeat: together we have been through the wringer, together we can turn the corner.

For their part Kerry strategists will hope to define Mr Bush better. One key player in this endeavour is Bob Shrum. A veteran Democratic operative dating back to McGovern and a long time Ted Kennedy confidant, he wrote the "dream shall never die" speech that Kennedy delivered to the 1980 convention. And in this campaign Mr Shrum has inserted populism into Mr Kerry's stump speeches. He will seek to depict Mr Bush as one of an elite group of big business insiders who uses power to look after his own, and whose failed Iraq adventure was a cynical political ploy that has distanced America from its allies.

And so the battle for defining the terms of the debate has begun. Bush strategists are convinced that if they can make this election about national security, moderates and independents will stick with a war time president. Mr Kerry's people are equally convinced that if they can make it about the economy those same swing voters will choose change over the status quo.