Posted on 11/02/2004 9:17:19 AM PST by Former Military Chick
THE SCARIEST THING about this election is not the prospect of a contested outcome with no winner declared for weeks, just as in 2000. No, the most scary thing is the sense of entitlement that many Democrats and their allies have about tomorrow's election. It goes like this: Bush stole the presidency four years ago, then proceeded to act as if he had a mandate, so now we're entitled to do whatever it takes to defeat him, to say whatever we want.
You see it in the bumper stickers that call for the "re-defeat" of President Bush. You see it in the destruction of Bush yard signs and posters all across the country. You see it in the harassment, at least in blue states, of anyone wearing a Bush pin or button. You see it in the hatred of Bush by his opponents, who think they're only venting righteous indignation.
You see it in the religious bigotry against the president, a born-again Christian, and against his conservative Christian supporters. Without any evidence, Bush's opponents accuse him of believing that he has a direct line to God and that God gives him instructions, such as when to invade Iraq, and that any criticism of him is illegitimate. You see the bigotry as well in the belittling of Christians who support Bush as if their political views have no standing or worth because they may have been influenced by their religious faith.
You see it in the now exposed plans of Democrats to claim intimidation of minority voters even if no intimidation actually occurs. You see it in the voter registration efforts by Democrats that have made the number of people on the voting rolls in some jurisdictions larger than the voting age population. You see it in the plans of Democratic lawyers to file lawsuits all over the country, challenging the outcome unless Bush is defeated.
You see that same sense of entitlement in elements of the national media--especially CBS News--who jettison the normal rules of journalism when Bush is the target. CBS not only rushed out with forged documents to torpedo the Bush campaign in September, the network intended to take another bite at Bush two days before the election by airing a dubious story about stolen explosives in Iraq. Would CBS have dared to do this against any other public figure but Bush? No.
And you see it in the victimization that is claimed for John Kerry. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth? Anything they say about Kerry is automatically a smear and thus doesn't have to be examined or even considered. And Kerry has no obligation to answer questions about his Vietnam experience, though he's played it up in the campaign. Bush's record in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam war, however, is fair game.
And you see the feeling of entitlement in comments by the Democratic candidates and their backers, who seem to feel they're free to say anything they want about Bush and Vice President Cheney. So we get the targeting of Mary Cheney as a lesbian and the criticism of Laura Bush for having worked in jobs that weren't real jobs. And when anyone accuses Democrats of debasing the campaign, the answer is always: it's Bush's fault. Bush is hardly without fault, but the shabby style and substance of this campaign is the fault of his opponents.
Fred Barnes is executive editor of The Weekly Standard.
© Copyright 2004, News Corporation, Weekly Standard, All Rights Reserved.
I like him. I saw his show this weekend with Kondrake and I feel that those two are class acts. Naturally they called a Bush win.
I don't know if he has NEVER been wrong but he hit the bullseye on this one.
Go Fred, I they think because we "cheated" in 2000, they have a right to cheat this year. I pray we make voter fraud a major issue this cycle and prosecute. Make an example to those in the future, ONE AMERICAN, ONE VOTE!
blah I hope he's wrong about Daschle!
They will not success IF YOU WANT.
Volunteers in every polling place to watch and FIGHT.
KERRY,for electoral reasons,brought INSIDE USA the war which is going on OUTSIDE.This election is a fight
I would like to be with you
FRENCH FOR BUSH AND FREEDOM AND AGAINST CHIRAC AND TERRORISM
I they = they
"I saw his show this weekend with Kondrake and I feel that those two are class acts."
Agreed, Barns almost always writes good analysis and is a class act on TV.
I saw one of the Democrat operatives on Fox and he actually said, "The only important thing is winning."
It was one of those clarifying moments. Remember when Gore said on Larry King, "Handguns have no place in American society"?
Thhey will say and do anything to get your vote and they will take your guns. That's all I need to know about Democrats.
Same goes for Mort as well. Don't always agree with him but I never dismiss him out of hand, the way I do with most lefties.
ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF FREEDOM. We must be ever watchful and never give up fighting for our freedoms that so many in this country are willing to take from us.
Not now, not ever.
Thank-you Freepeers
They feel entitled to win because they are forced to cheat harder this time.
Hopefully, this will be an election that repudiates those who manipulate the public. A new, revitalized dem party that deals with issues forthrightly will be good for America.
If things fall the other way, I fear for the future.
The democrats are a party of unabashed totalitarianism and any remnants of integrity went out the window in 1992.
I just hope the Republicans have the stomach to fight the (s)uckers!
Welcome! Are you using Babelfish for translation?
A very good editorial by Barnes.
Every election cycle the liberals become more vicious, more lies are told and now we're seeing outright violence.
This will continue until there is a backlash by the public. Until then the democrats jihad, win by any mean necessary, mentality will only get worse.
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