Rove positioned bush** strongly on terrorism

[Not Me]

and managed to focus the election on that one strong marker that he had going for him. They were even able to associate Iraq with the War on Terror in people's minds, but managed to separate the war in Iraq from Terra, as a polling measure.

I am not sure anyone we put up could have outperformed any incumbent Repug president's polling numbers on that. (Though in retrospect, Wes Clark on the ticket might have helped--and I was not a big Wes fan.)

The logic they presented is 'the devil we know is handling it better than any devil we don't.' Of course, this is unknowable in reality, but they don't operate in that realm.

Couple this with the cultural wedges, that they call 'moral values' and they calculated they had enough to squeak by.

I also think that they were *very* nervous up until about 11pm last night.

[one_true_leroy]

1. it astounds me!!

OBL pops up and thumbs his nose a week before the election, and people believe Bush is doing well against terrorism??!!!:wtf: !!??

[Not Me]

2. I am not sure obl influenced it a lot. Perhaps.

But much more telling is that the central "Red" states drank the kool-aid, while NY, NJ and PA knew better.

It was the packaging of bush** that was palatable to the pickup-driving/Skol chewing/teeth missing/beer drinking/non-reading/Springer watching/fundy church going base that fell for the fear and values pitch.

[one_true_leroy]

3. Skoal's a dip, not a chew...

;)

[Not Me]

5. See, what do I know!

[Bridget Burke]

4. 9/11 was the best idea they ever had.

Even if Bush & co didn't invent it, they sure didn't prevent it. And they rode it to triumph.

[tarheel_voter]

6. Profiting from death, so cynical I could puke

911 was the best thing that happened for Bush. No doubt.

It makes me so sick to hear that people who never leave their homes in these little towns with one stop light are "scared of the terrorists." Like they would be freaking targets.

Just who is scaring us everyday? The government is doing it for advantage and people don't fucking know it.