Battle of the Sound Bites
I think now that the RNC convention is over, exposing itself as the hatchet job on John Kerry that it was, with still nary an intelligent debate to be seen in sight, the course of election politics will sadly be played strategically over sound bites in the next couple of weeks. For instance, tonight’s glance at the evening news produced these short snippets of info:
John Kerry said of the war in Iraq that we’re in the “wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Bush retaliated with, “My opponent woke up this morning with new campaign advisers and yet another new position. Suddenly he’s against it again.”
Cameras pan the crowd doing a Jerry Springer-esque flip-flop chant.
This is a convenient position for Bush, who succeeded what everyone predicted would be a slight bump in the polls following the convention. He can effectively react to whatever Kerry sound bite offensive is being pushed out into the media on any given day—undoubtedly more so than he would talking issues during an actual debate. So, in short, I think Karl Rove is seeing this and he’s saying to himself that it’s a good thing.
And with Kerry doing a supposed shuffle of advisors, the conservative pinhead TV bunch will have plenty to aid in the discrediting of a perfectly down-the-line man.
I wonder, though, how long this appeal to the most base of instincts can last. I think it’s only a matter of time before current events catch up to George W. Bush in a significant way. If that can happen in the next two months, which I think it can, no sound bite will do the job of deflecting it. And if it has to do with a point Kerry’s been straight-on critical of the president with (the economy, Iraq, the war on terrorism, etc.), he’ll wind up taking advantage of time’s ultimate checkmate to a couple of pawn moves.
No, I’m not tired of politics just yet.
