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They like Bush, and they are not stupid (Superb piece; Must Read)
The Age ^ | Friday, January 23, 2004 | CAROLINE OVERINGTON

Posted on 01/23/2004 12:24:00 AM PST by JohnHuang2

They like Bush, and they are not stupid

January 21, 2004

Most Americans still think Bush did the right thing in getting rid of Saddam Hussein, writes Caroline Overington.

There is going to be a presidential election in the United States in November and George Bush is going to win. President Bush's approval rating is around 60 per cent. That's comparable with Ronald Reagan in 1984, who redefined the term "landslide" when he won 49 of the 50 states.

Naturally, this makes some people crazy. How can Americans vote for a guy who went to war over weapons of mass destruction that did not exist?

First, the US economy is growing at an estimated 5 per cent a year. Interest rates are low. Bush's tax cuts are in people's pockets, and they are spending happily.

Second, Americans like Bush. They see him as patriotic, family-centred and self-disciplined. He is also teetotal, conservative, and Christian. He supports marriage, and opposes abortion and homosexual marriage. There are people who think this makes him a bit old-fashioned but millions of Americans like old-fashioned values.

Most Americans also support Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq. They are not stupid. They know that the so-called intelligence about Saddam Hussein was wrong. Despite this, 67 per cent still believe the US did the right thing.

Because I live in New York, I rarely get to hear the voice of this majority. Instead, I get magazines such as Vanity Fair, which last month had a column by the editor angrily listing statistics from the war in Iraq. Such as: number of American soldiers killed: 500. Number of weapons of mass destruction found: 0.

But, as some readers pointed out, there were statistics missing from the list. These include: number of mass graves uncovered in Iraq: around 260, containing as many as 20,000 bodies. Number of people liberated from brutal, murderous leadership: 12 million. And number of times Bush lied about receiving oral sex from a White House intern: 0.

The Iraq war has cost the lives of about 500 American soldiers. Some would have you believe that this makes Iraq a quagmire. But the truth is, if Western nations have come to the point where 500 deaths is an unbearable war-time loss, then we should also say we are no longer prepared to fight wars, because about the same number of soldiers die every year, in peacetime.

Americans are not casual about casualties. Each and every one of the lives lost was precious to them. I remember sitting on a small plane, travelling from North Carolina to New York, when the war was a few weeks old. I was reading USA Today and, as I opened it to study a map of Iraq, one half of the newspaper fell into the lap of my fellow passenger. I turned to apologise, but he said: "No problem. Actually, do you mind if I have a look?"

Together we studied the picture, trying to work out how far the Americans were from seizing power. It was clear from the diagrams that troops were near Saddam's airport, and close to the centre of Baghdad. I turned to my seat mate and said: "I don't think this is going to be a long battle, after all."

It was only then that I noticed, with horror, that he had started to cry. And then I noticed something else: a photograph, wrapped in plastic, pinned to his lapel. It was a picture of his 20-year-old son, a young marine who died in the first days of the war. The man's wife was sitting across the aisle from us. She had a round bowl on her lap, filled with water and some drooping tulips. The movement of the aircraft was making the water slop around. She was trying to wipe her hands, and her tears.

The couple told me they had just been to a private meeting with Bush to discuss the loss of their son. At the time, it was already clear that Saddam didn't have any weapons of mass destruction.

"But I never thought it was about the weapons," my seat mate said. And, although I can't remember his exact words, he also said something like: "We have always stood up for freedom, in our own country, and for other people."

Any student of history knows that this is true. America saved the Western world from communism. America saved Australia and, for that matter, France from a system that would stop you from reading this newspaper.

Americans support the war in Iraq and, by extension, Bush because they see it as part of a bigger picture. Like everybody, they now know that Saddam was not the threat they thought he was (at least, not to them) but they still think it was a good idea to deal with him, before he became one.

The price of freedom is high. You might think you would not sacrifice your life for it, but maybe you don't have to. After all, 20-year-old Americans are doing it for you, every day.

Caroline Overington is New York correspondent for The Age.

This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/20/1074360761144.html


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: electionpresident; iraqifreedom
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Friday, January 23, 2004

Quote of the Day by Dolphy

1 posted on 01/23/2004 12:24:00 AM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: xm177e2; mercy; Wait4Truth; hole_n_one; GretchenEE; Clinton's a rapist; buffyt; ladyinred; Angel; ..

2 posted on 01/23/2004 12:25:04 AM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2
Excellent Post, John!!!!:-)
3 posted on 01/23/2004 12:26:46 AM PST by Defender2 (Defending Our Bill of Rights, Our Constitution, Our Country and Our Freedom!!!!)
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To: Defender2
Glad you liked it -- Caroline Overington hit a homerun here.
4 posted on 01/23/2004 12:28:53 AM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2
Yes, She sure did!!!!:-) She hit it out of the Park!!!!:-)
5 posted on 01/23/2004 12:30:01 AM PST by Defender2 (Defending Our Bill of Rights, Our Constitution, Our Country and Our Freedom!!!!)
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To: rintense; MJY1288; RedBloodedAmerican; twyn1; kitkat; justshe; ladyinred; lonestar; ...
PING
6 posted on 01/23/2004 12:30:18 AM PST by Mo1 (Join the dollar a day crowd now!)
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To: Defender2
Very, very moving; in the closing paragraphs, I was choking back tears.
7 posted on 01/23/2004 12:32:30 AM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2
Same here
8 posted on 01/23/2004 12:34:59 AM PST by Mo1 (Join the dollar a day crowd now!)
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To: JohnHuang2
I didn't manage to choke all of mine back.

Wonderful, well-written piece, John. Thanks for posting it.

9 posted on 01/23/2004 12:35:13 AM PST by kayak (Have you prayed for our President and our troops today?)
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To: JohnHuang2
Same here.:-)
10 posted on 01/23/2004 12:35:25 AM PST by Defender2 (Defending Our Bill of Rights, Our Constitution, Our Country and Our Freedom!!!!)
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To: JohnHuang2
I had read this earlier and found my glasses fogged up.God bless our armed forces.Some gave all.
11 posted on 01/23/2004 12:36:14 AM PST by MEG33
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To: kayak
You're welcome, my friend.
12 posted on 01/23/2004 12:37:02 AM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: MEG33
Amen -- God bless every one of our brave heroes.
13 posted on 01/23/2004 12:37:28 AM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2
Americans support the war in Iraq and, by extension, Bush because they see it as part of a bigger picture. Like everybody, they now know that Saddam was not the threat they thought he was (at least, not to them) but they still think it was a good idea to deal with him, before he became one.

But for how long ? Vietnam is always relevant. Even a rumour -- however ill-founded -- that attrition of U.S. ground forces, owing to casualties and deaths in Iraq (already about 2 - 3% in 7 months), and insufficient enlistments in the National Guard and Reserves, will require institution of the draft, could cause public support to plummet very quickly.

14 posted on 01/23/2004 12:37:45 AM PST by I. M. Trenchant
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To: JohnHuang2
All I can say is "Wow!"
15 posted on 01/23/2004 12:40:54 AM PST by expatguy
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To: I. M. Trenchant
Democrats are praying for the President to reinstitute the draft. Some of them are actually calling for it -- it's fairer, you see. (And then we get to pull your testicles out, through your nose!)

They are desperate for the President to bring back the draft, because they think it would cost him the election.

Never mind the equities, the merits, or the policy ramifications. Just beat Bush!

Someone once, in an eggheaded vein, wondered out loud whether it would be possible for one-dimensional life to exist. I think it does.

16 posted on 01/23/2004 12:49:00 AM PST by lentulusgracchus (Et praeterea caeterum censeo, delenda est Carthago. -- M. Porcius Cato)
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To: I. M. Trenchant
Hmm. You know, I'm really sick and tired of the comparison of Iraq to Vietnam.. Every time one of my RAT associates brings it up, I club them over the head with one basic fact:

Iraq's government is gone. The war is over, has been for quite some time. We're just there keepin' the streets clean until they can do it themselves.

So I have to say, no, Vietnam is not relevant. We went in with volunteer soldiers, kicked rump, and we'll be leaving soon enough. As to enlistments in the Guard and Reserves - what of it? Their numbers are down by the same amount as the increase in retention that the Army, Marines and Navy are enjoying.

Vietnam, Vietnam -- can we finally burn this strawman, please?
17 posted on 01/23/2004 12:50:43 AM PST by kingu (Remember: Politicians and members of the press are going to read what you write today.)
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To: JohnHuang2
bump
18 posted on 01/23/2004 1:09:25 AM PST by ThePythonicCow (Mooo !!!!)
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To: JohnHuang2
My "Jason Blair" alarm went off as I read this commentary.
Anyone else?




19 posted on 01/23/2004 1:10:57 AM PST by My Dog Likes Me
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To: JohnHuang2
I still believe the intel. There is a stockpile of Saddam's WMD hidden somewhere .. and we will find it.

I have no evidence to support it .. just a gut feeling!
20 posted on 01/23/2004 1:19:48 AM PST by CyberAnt ("America is the GREATEST NATION on the face of the earth")
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