[Mia T]

The left has successfully demagogued, marginalized and Halliburtonized Cheney. But I hasten to add that the Bush camp, by keeping Cheney effectively muzzled and hogtied for four years, has done its best to assist the Left in its effort.

One of the failures of Bush--and it may prove to be his fatal failure--is his failure to communicate. The Bush Doctrine is correct, courageous, even brilliant, but Bush never sold it to America. The Bush economic strategy is successful, but Bush doesn't adequately inform America of its success. Bush's rhetorical inadequacy leaves an informational vacuum in the electorate that the Left solicitously fills with its lies.

Cheney could have been the voice of the administration. He speaks lucidly and convincingly, but is rarely allowed to speak. Why is that? The fear, I suppose, is that if Cheney took on that role, it would confirm the Left's claim, which is that he is the one actually running the place.

And so we have one man who cannot communicate his brilliant, courageous policy, and another, who dares not communicate it. This is not a good team. It is a recipe for electoral disaster.

And by the way, the Bush ad, "pessimism never created a job" exemplifies this rhetorical lameness. The message is much too oblique, too soft. What they mean to say, I think, is that Kerry is talking down the economy (and the war) and imperiling us all.

It's time to stop pulling the punches and start telling it like it is. Giuliani would do that.

[jla]

Put someone like Rudy G. on the ticket and the Dems will be making Inaugural Ball reservations.
The G.O.P. will not win a Presidential election without the support of the Christian Right.

[nopardons]

V.P.s are almost NEVER seen,let alone heard from.

Yes, President Bush and his team haven't done and really don't do a good job of " selling". WHERE IS LEE ATWATER WHEN ONE REALLY NEEDS HIM?

The left demonize ALL GOPers,so their tarring Cheney with Halliburton is really no biggie.Why? Because they do it so heavy handedly, that the majority of the great unwashed haven't a clue as to what they're talking about.And as far as Cheney's being the "real" power behind the throne,that too only resonates with the kooks;both on the left and the right.

Sooooooooooo,what would Rudy bring to the ticket? A voice for the administration? No,he'd be labeled as the "new puppet master" and worse.Many people would see the change as something sinister,not to mention the fact that a lot of FREEPERS hate Rudy,because he isn't a Conservative and some here are such regionalists,that a Northerner,any Northerner,is viewed as the anti-Christ.

Cheney will do superlatively well in the debates;so will the president and most people won't even begin to pay attention,until after Labor Day.

Giulliani should replace Tennet.