No bush bashing? Was I watching a different convention?

[vi5]

Both before the convention started and even the post-1st night coverage, all I'm hearing is how they were going to avoid and how they did avoid bush bashing. I wasn't even necessarily against this because I do think it is a smart tactic (although some red meat would be nice).

But last night, every speech I heard from Gore, to Carter, to both Clintons had plenty of digs in at you know who. Granted, it was somewhat subtle, but it was hardly a touchy feely, don't even aknowledge the other guy approach. I actually thought it hit all the right notes and all the right tones. Don't deny that the other guy exists, and don't try to pretend things aren't bad, but also don't dwell on it and don't get specific. At the same time it built Kerry up in a big way.

I'm just loving the fact that because everyone talked so much before hand about how little bashing there would be, that the coverage after the fact has been keeping with that party line, even though I heard what I saw as quite a bit of attacking. But it was done in such a subtle and such a good way, and the media has become so unable to veer from any script that the "lovefest" train just kept right on going even if it wasn't actually that much of a lovefest.

[DenverDem]

1. Nobody said busholini's name.

It was publican bashing.

[JI7]

2. i think by not wanting "bush bashing" they meant

don't go out there and start saying things like "bush is a dumbass" "bush is so stupid ......." "bush is a coward who didn't go to war like kerry did" and things which are mostly about making the base happy to say and hear without it being about actual policy and which could turn off swing voters who tend to get turned off with too much personal attacks. getting the point across that it's bush's policices that are the problem and we need a new direction is the important thing to do. not making ourselves feel good by bashing bush.

but criticism of policy without making it personal is ok. this is how bill clinton won. he never tried to attack bush and doles war records or character as bush is doing with kerry. in fact clinton praised them on being good people. he even defended dole when someone questioned whether he was too old to be president. he always made sure to get across that it was POLICY that he had a disagreement with.

carter praising kerry for his military service and saying how kerry SHOWED UP for service was a good way to do it because the words were only about kerry and praising him, but there was a subtle "attack" against bush without having to mention bush.

[KurtNYC]

3. Drawing a contrast necessitates some

criticism of the way things are. I thought they did well for the most part criticising the policy failures and avoid personal attacks. My take was the strategy and media buys are centered around peeling people away from Bush. The series of video clips was all 'publicans who were switching. Reagans will speak tonight. We are using stem cell research as a wedge issue to separate some righties from Bush. Could be effective. Glad to see them use a wedge issue.

I'm starting to get jealous of these swing voters. Everyone is courting them.

[ACK]

4. Thank you for noticing toning it down does not = turning it off

Reactionaries here all day yesterday were going absolutely ape shit.

[derby378]

5. Mentioning Bush's record is mandatory

Remember what Gore said about taking those emotions from the 2000 "election" and channeling them into getting Kerry elected? We'd better remember what happened over the past four years. I wouldn't wish four more years of Bush on my worst enemy.

[MichiganVote]

6. This was Bushbashing lite

for the sake of the tender swing voters. Ok. Go for it Democrats. But it doesn't change a thing among the Bush voters who would like to tear Kerry apart.

Does Kerry have a history of drinking? No.
Womanizer? No.
Inexperienced? No.
Irreverant? No.
Boring? Hardly. When was the last election that was soooo energized?
Untidy finances? No.
Skeletons in the closet? No.

So, why should the Democrats trash Bush? He has had 4 years to do it for us and I am certain that he and his Nixonian team will screw up yet before the election.

Best speech? Jimmy Carter hands down and he has the seniority and life experience prior to and after his administration to be credible.

If it looks like a goat in designer woolens....

[Tom Rinaldo]

7. That was a mix I can dance to.

If every night comes across more or less like last night, I have no problem with the "management" of the Convention. What was missing was the old Ann Richards type moments about Bush (Senior in that case) being born with a Silver Spoon in his mouth. It didn't get personal in that way. That's OK with me. Bill Clinton did just fine differentiating the priorities of the National Democratic and Republican parties, quite starkly. I like that script. Gore Carter and Clinton all in one or more ways pounded home how Bush blew both his chance and promise to unify our people, and later the world behind us after 9/11.

And as much as the media tries to keep stirring the pot, attempting to contrast and even pit a "pro-IWR" ticket against anti war delegates, we are too wise to fall into that trap. Kerry and Edwards may or may not have done everything they could have done to keep George Bush from getting us into this mess, that has and maybe always will be debated. But neither man would have gotten us into this mess themselves. Bush did. And almost every Democrat understands how dangerous it will be to the entire world if Iraq slides into total chaos, or under the control of the most rabid and extreme religious elements. That would be akin to Afghanistan under the Taliban, with Al Quada training camps operating openly, and we all know where that led to. So we know that the repercussions of the Iraq invasion can't simply be undone by pulling every American soldier out of Iraq tomorrow without solid international cooperation and planning to manage the aftermath. And we know that President Kerry is infinitely more likely to pull that off than President Bush.

It isn't an illusion of unity that the Democratic Party is portraying at this Convention. It is reality. It's all boiled down to Kerry vs. Bush now, and there is absolutely no confusion or hesitation about what we need to do now or why. Send John Kerry to the White House.

[yellowcanine]

8. The bashing was there but it was nuanced - which means that Bush will

probably miss it entirely. Bush probably thought the Big Dog was praising HIM when he said that it is possible to have Wisdom AND Strength.

[yellowcanine]

9. No one said "Bush was born on 3rd base and thought he hit a triple." -

still one of my favorite lines from the 88 convention - which WAS a Bush (Old Silver Foot) bashing event.

[faithnotgreed]

14. hey - who said that? i was a bit young then to pay close attention...

thats a pretty great line

[roseba]

18. Didn't Wes say that

In NY a few weeks ago with Charlie Rangel? I was there.

[hatrack]

10. Razors, not baseball bats

It (the "Bush-bashing") was there, and clear, but never explicitly spelled out in My Pet Goat fashion in any of the speeches. His name never came up, and it never had to.

I thought what I heard (from Carter through the Big Dog) was brilliant.

[DrFunkenstein]

11. Russert Marvelled How Clinton Called Bush Out, But Nothing Personal

Bush bashing is attacking Bush - the coke-sniffing/draft-dodging/Harken-scamming/election-stealing asswipe - whereas Clinton said he liked the guy as a person, but that he was wrong on every single issue.

[elperromagico]

12. The difference: The Bush digs were about POLICY.

There wasn't an Ann Richards "Poor George; he was born with a silver foot in his mouth" moment. The Bush-bashing was about the Bush Administration's direction (or lack of direction) for the country. In other words, it wasn't bashing at all, but rather serious discussion about the differences between the Bush/Republican direction and the Kerry/Democratic direction.

And of course, the Republicans hate that.

[apnu]

13. Hell yeah! big difference

Attack away on Shrub's policy! 2nd elections are, after all, referendums on the incumbent.

[REVOLT823]

15. I thought they pulled it off perfectly

No one went over the line, they called him out on policy and duty to country, but never got nasty, and they backed it up with facts. The only time I got nervous was when Gore started talking about the last election, but he made his point in a very humorous way. He had me laughing last night, which is something I never thought Gore capable of doing, but he was brilliant. Everyone did very well, but Clinton, as expected, stole the show. My God, he blew the lid off the Fleet Center!! He nailed the Bush Admin on every major issue, and called the American public to action. The best political speech I have ever seen! Hopefully that is short-lived, and Kerry assumes that title when he speaks Thurs.

[Parche]

16. bush bashing

Like what Admiral Halsey said in 1945
"It looks like the war is over, but if any enemy planes appear
shoot them down in a friendly fashion"

We dont want to be the negative party
We want to uplift the people and move forward
they did that last night, with a few jabs, but nothing nasty
just telling the truth, like it is.

[DaveofCali]

17. The format of this convention is pretty good

The format of this convention is I believe the most excellent format, since the speakers are talking about all the problems of America that have been virtually created by the Bush Administration and while not overtly bashing Bush, also talk about how Kerry would do better and channel that fury about the problems now into hope for the future with Kerry. And certainly, im hearing these speeches and MANY of these speeches are extraordinary!