IMHO, Bush Running Out of Time, Throwing "Hail Mary "Passes

[louis c]

To use a football metaphor, the Bush team knows it can't win this election by conventional means.

They realize, as most pundits and experts do, that an incumbent President is judged by two measures, simply put, peace and prosperity. If the sitting President has both, as Clinton did in 1996, he can't lose, if he has neither, as Carter did in 1980, he can't win.

There's no way this economy will turn around by the election, so the prosperity card is securely in the hands of the challenger.

The attacks against Kerry are a long shot, and seem to be backfiring. The phony terror threats are hollow and transparent, and are not working.

That leaves one last ditch attempt at a "Hail Mary" pass for a winning touchdown, Najef. He has to take the gamble (with young American lives) to stabilize Iraq early enough to claim peace, or the clock will run out, and we'll have a new President.

Kerry, on the other hand, just has to not fumble, stay focused, and reassure Americans that he is a safe alternative.

Anyway, that's my take of the campaign at this stage, and I reserve the right to change my mind.

[Atman]

1. I agree with the concept, but...

"That leaves one last ditch attempt at a "Hail Mary" pass for a winning touchdown, Najef. He has to take the gamble (with young American lives) to stabilize Iraq early enough to claim peace, or the clock will run out, and we'll have a new President."

I don't think America cares about Najef. BushCo has already cut us off from news. They could have just remained quiet and not even told us about Najef; how would we have known? MSNBCNNBS won't report real news. Iraq isn't our problem anymore, remember? Bush can't hope to hang his fortunes on a battle that he also claims isn't ours anymore. Amurka don't care.

Amurka is a stupid idiot.

[AlinPA]

4. That swift boat thing is getting hotter. Then there is the small thing

about naming a new VP candidate (McCain, Powel or Guliani), then faking another terrorist attack.... For the football analogy: We still have to play another half at least and need to get the ground game working.

[Gman]

2. Its only the third quarter

with the fourth quarter beginning Labor Day. Rest assured Bush has not even begun his offensive yet.

[louis c]

3. Historically

the economy takes about three months to sink in to the American Psyche. With bad jobs' numbers and only two more reports left, that issue is now solid Kerry.

He has to quell all disturbances in Iraq now. He can't just have peace for one month before the election, that will be determined as just a lull. He needs a decisive victory that gives him three months of calm, or he loses the issue of the war, too, and then it's all over.