Analysis: Bush's choice of words is telling

[papau]

Bush's "repeat a few simple arguments that will stick in people's minds and maybe prompt them to act" rule includes changing the words when they do not work! And who gets credit for the awfull (IMHO) FIX DON'T NIX Dem slogan de jure?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=716&e=24&u=/usatoday/20050311/ts_usatoday/analysisbushschoiceofwordsistelling

Analysis: Bush's choice of words is telling

Fri Mar 11, 6:23 AM ET

By Judy Keen, USA TODAY

The vocabulary President Bush uses to describe his plan to overhaul Social Security is evolving as he responds to public opinion.

Social Security as a "safety net" is the newest twist in his campaign to allow younger workers to divert some payroll taxes into stocks and bonds. "There is a hole in the safety net for a younger generation coming up," Bush said Thursday.


The new language, which Bush first used a week ago, reflects a new rationale: The government's long-standing commitment to provide economic security for all Americans is at risk, Bush says.


The phrase is a simple one that hearkens back to Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. It is meant to overcome skepticism about his earlier assertions, now gone from his speeches, that Social Security faces a "crisis" and will soon be "flat bust." <snip>


Since his 2000 campaign, he has talked about "reforming" the system to put across the idea of making it better. He has been careful to call his plan "personal" accounts, although he slipped last month in Tampa and used the adjective "private" three times.<snip>



•Now (Thursday): "They say certain people aren't capable of investing. ... Sounds to me like a certain race of people living in a certain area."

•Then (Dec. 16): "The crisis is now."

•Now (March 4): "I've been ... seeing some folks saying, 'There's not a problem, he's just exaggerating.' Well, I'm going to keep telling people we've got a problem until it sinks in." <snip>


•Then (Oct. 15): With personal investment accounts, "the compounding rate of interest effect will make it more likely that the Social Security system is solvent for our children and our grandchildren."

•Now (March 4): "As part of a Social Security reform package, younger workers ought to be allowed to take some of their own money ... and set it aside in a personal savings account."

•Behind the words: Before November's election, Bush presented private accounts as a solution to Social Security's problems. He has since acknowledged that the accounts alone would have little effect on the system's bottom line and more changes will be needed.<snip>

[despairing optimist]

1. I didn't know that cowboy boots flip-flopped louder than Birkenstocks

You learn something new every day.

Now, back to my sushi and tree hugging.

[papau]

2. LOL --- nicely said! :-) n/t

:-)