THE WHITE House is up for grabs. This is what many of the Democratic candidates for the 2004 presidential election will try to convince the people of the United States. On issues including the war in Iraq and the economy, these candidates haven't failed to take shots at President George W. Bush.
The Democrats underestimate President Bush. It is true that tensions have been extremely high in the Middle East and the economy has been slow as of late, but these things will likely change over the course of the next year.
First off, the Democratic candidates like to throw out words like "quagmire" and "unjustified" in regard to the situation in Iraq; this is not true. President Bush has led the United States through one of the most successful military campaigns in history, reaching Baghdad and ousting the Baath party in little more then a month. Members of the Iraqi army surrendered or fell extremely quickly, and, despite what Howard Dean or Wesley Clark would tell you, the casualties of the war in Iraq were minimal. Most estimates place Iraqi deaths as a result of Saddam Hussein's rule anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 a year, and this does not even include Kuwaitis, Iranians, and Americans murdered by this bloody regime. That number has fallen dramatically, even accounting for the war, and there is no doubt that the death toll will continue to decrease in the next year. These are not the only facts that President Bush's opponents won't divulge; the Iraqi people also enjoy an improved power system, better schools and basic human rights that were not allowed for most of the last two decades.
There are another four words the Democrats will throw out a lot: weapons of mass destruction. The biggest complaint by all opponents of the war was that the United States never managed to find any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. No nuclear, biological or chemical weapons were found, but programs did exist, which were also in clear violation of U.N. Resolution 1441. The chief investigator for such weapons, David Kay, has stated that much evidence exists that there are missiles and anthrax still waiting to be found. In one Iraqi researcher's refrigerator, a vial of live botulinum bacteria was found. That researcher went on to say that he was also asked to keep strains of anthrax, but "after a couple of days he turned them back because he said they were too dangerous" ("Kay: Clues Exist on Anthrax, Missiles Still in Iraq," FoxNews.com). It must also be noted that Hussein had nearly half a year to hide such weapons while President Bush was working through the United Nations to enforce the weapon restrictions in Iraq. With nearly a year before the election, it is likely that at least some of these weapons will be found, which will be a big boost for President Bush's poll numbers.
The economy has been another big shot used by the Democratic hopefuls against President Bush. They complain that the economy has gone by the wayside since Bill Clinton left office. There was a recession that started in March 2001, only two months after President Bush took office. The recession is long since over, and even though the economy has continued to run slow, how much longer will it take to accelerate? In recent months, signs of improvement have been appearing. Unemployment growth has halted, and with the recent tax cuts, it should decrease over the course of the next year. The stock market and consumer confidence are both on the rise. Right now, the economy may appear to be a very enticing attack, but in a year, the Democratic candidate will regret the decision to do so.
President Bush will not be able to rely on failures by his opponents alone, and he has wasted no time in recognizing this fact. Fundraising has begun, and many contributors have already shown their support for the president. Not only does this give President Bush money to start working on his campaign, but the events themselves also give him more face time.
Speaking of face time, President Bush must and will remain constantly in public sight. His weekly radio address and occasional televised discourses show that he desires success for the country. Forget the president's difficulty in being quick-witted; press conferences also work in his favor, showing that he can be very personable. He also has shown that he remains unwavering in his beliefs. As it seems that people have a greater respect for those who stand firm and are decisive, this will work very well for the president.
The upcoming presidential election will be no cakewalk; President Bush will still have to work very hard to ensure that he is able to go on for a second term. But if the Democratic candidates cannot come up with better reasoning to limit the incumbent's terms to one, President Bush's road to the White House will be an open highway.
(Chris Rivera is a member of the College Republicans. He is a second-year College student.)
Read More
EDITORIAL: Carla Williams deserves her seat at the table
By Editorial Board | 16 hours agoLooking beyond basketball and football reveals that Virginia Athletics is, in many ways, thriving.
UPADHYAYA: The Great and not-so-Good sides of U.Va.’s 2030 housing plan
By Apal Upadhyaya | 3 days agoInstead of improving the dire state of existing infrastructure, however, the University has shifted attention away from it and chosen to expand.
EDITORIAL: Support low-barrier shelters in Charlottesville
By Editorial Board | 4 days agoInvesting in low-barrier shelters now will pay off in increased stability for the homeless, which will undoubtedly improve the safety of shelters and the community writ large.
