As the 2008 general election looms ever closer, most Democrats have been taking comfort in the fact that their candidate will never have to run against George W. Bush. Not that anyone would ever want to run against that man again.
We all remember the results of the election of 2000, but I have a feeling that many of us have forgotten the campaign promises that Bush made when he was first running. He pledged to bring about an age of responsible government and to end the politics of fear, among many other things. Of course, once elected, Bush showed the country that he really didn’t have the potential to become anything better than a mediocre president, and he fell far short of fulfilling any of his promises that did not involve tax cuts. Then, on September 11th, 2001, all of George Bush’s Christmases came at once.
Yes, I know that is a very insensitive thing to say, and it probably isn’t fully accurate either. See, there’s a very good chance that the 9/11 attacks could have been stopped if President Bush had actually reacted to a daily briefing that specifically warned of the plot. However, he didn’t react at all, and as a result he was given the perfect excuse to become yet another member of the “war president” club.
Why was this so good for him?
Well, historically, Americans tend to stick behind our leaders when we are attacked, and 9/11 was no exception. In fact, just after the attack Bush had an approval rating of almost 90%, which was the kind of support he needed to launch the “War on Terror” in Afghanistan, and later Iraq. Unfortunately for Bush, Americans have also traditionally had little taste for expensive, bloody wars without end. As his first term came to a close, many Americans were tired of their “war president” and everything he had shoved down the nation’s throat.
The election of 2004 should have put smiles on the faces of Democrats. They had so much ammunition to use against Bush, like the war, the sinking economy, the failed No Child Left Behind Act, and the controversial Patriot Act. They had also nominated John Kerry, the junior Senator from Massachusetts and Vietnam War veteran, to be their presidential candidate. However, Bush & Co. had an important weapon as well, which had been handed to him by the terrorists that attacked America. This weapon was fear. It did not matter what John Kerry said about the Bush administration and all the mistakes it had made. It did not matter that he laid out a comprehensive plan for economic growth and a more responsible foreign policy. It did not even matter that he was a decorated war hero. The Bush campaign used smear tactics and, in many cases, downright lies in order to label Kerry as a weak, liberal flip-flopper who would open the door for numerous terrorist attacks on American soil. At the same time, Bush was labeled as the only leader strong enough to fight terror at home and abroad (regardless of the fact that 9/11 happened on his watch). So, in the end, when voters went to the polls on election day, all of Kerry’s long, intelligent speeches were pushed out of their heads by Bush’s simple, tough rhetoric that promised safety. We all remember who won.
For the sake of all Democrats, the party must remember November 2nd, 2004. The Republican Party may be down, but it is far from out of this coming election. It is rare to hear a Republican candidate speak without saying something about the threat of terrorism and how his party is the only party that can deal with it. They know that fear attracts votes, and they are quite good at spreading the message. I know this too, because for a time, I fell for this message.
Yes readers, I’ll admit it. I once held the view that the Iraq War was just, because I believed the Bush administration when it told America that Saddam Hussein was our greatest threat. I believed this for the same reason that nearly everyone else did, because I wanted to trust my president, and because I feared another terrorist attack. I’ll also admit that I held the same view for longer than most Americans, because I could not stand to see America retreat in the face of those that attacked us.
Call me a flip-flopper, call me whatever you want, but I can no longer hold this view. Although I have come to this conclusion much later than many of my fellow Americans, I understand that we cannot allow ourselves to live in fear any longer. While we live in fear, our government pours billions of dollars into a war that has no justification whatsoever, while simultaneously ignoring the real war on terror in Afghanistan and draining our economy to unprecedented depths. While we live in fear, we put politicians in power who promise to protect us, but betray us by removing our civil liberties and defiling the Constitution. I cannot stand it anymore.
Democrats, its time you showed America that we have nothing to fear. Its time you showed the people that your party can keep our people safe while respecting the rule of law. Most importantly, its time you exposed the Republicans in power as the liars and criminals that they are. I know you can do this, because throughout these past years you have proven yourselves as members of a party of honesty and sense. Be prepared to attack the Republican candidates, but be prepared to defend yourselves. They can be the party of fear, but you must be the party of hope.
Democrats, you must do this, because you are the last chance, the last hope for America.
