Bush's Iraq coup unlikely to boost US polls

[Sticky]

Friday, 28 November , 2003, 05:48

Washington: US President George W. Bush's surprise visit to troops in Iraq on Thursday was a public relations coup, but is unlikely to boost sagging domestic support for US involvement in Iraq, analysts said.

snip

"It's public relations for the American public. It's a symbolic action," said Stephen Zunes, a professor of political science and a Middle East specialist at the University of San Francisco.


Although troop morale in Iraq received a hearty boost from the visit, analysts doubted the trip would brigthen Bush's fortunes back home, where recent polls show sagging support for the occupation.

Kipper said Bush's visit to what the president has called the central front in the global war on terrorism might "temporarily" lift his public opinion ratings on the home front with the 2004 election less than a year away.

"Something like this, holiday season, economy is getting better, a lot of losses every day. In that sense, it helps. It is not something that gives a fix for the election" though, Kipper said.

http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=13319936

[Gloria]

1. Maybe I'll get some sleep tonight.....

thanks for posting.....

[bookman]

2. If...

..Iraq is the central front in the war on terrorism, we will not make any progress in the War on Terrorism.

Wesley Clark was right on when he said it was Bush's Sideshow.

[nofurylike]

3. encouraging. thank you. n/t

[Sticky]

4. Marketing a useless president

The little man's visit is just a blip on the radar screen. Just another * attempt at dressing up and pretendng he's got a heart and soul. We all know he's a fake - at least 51% of Americans will know it too when the time comes.

[Gman]

5. How many people really knew about this today?

For one, didn't know about this until I got home from a short out of town trip to visit relatives.

No one there knew anything about this between the turkey, football and visiting. Lord knows the trashing of Bush would have started there had we known.

[Supormom]

6. Most of the networks

interrupted their programing with "Breaking News" from Iraq. We thought it was going to be another attack.

[pfitz59]

7. It was!

A Rovian stealth attack on common sense and decency!

[Norbert]

9. At dinner one of my relatives wondered

if bu$h returned from his trip to Bagdhad yet.

My reaction, "What trip." There were several of us at the dinner table "out of the loop" on that one. Just my opinion but I wouldn't consider my situation a rarity by any stretch.

Thanksgiving is a time for day long cooking of meals and family get togethers. This takes precidence over the news of the world. The news must be earth-shaking to get our own thinking out of our social circles. I really don't think shrubs whirlwind trip is one of these news stories.

In the end the news shows will settle down Friday to what really matters in the world, namely, what is the latest on Michael Jackson, of course.

[LizW]

10. The kids were watching the dog show

and "Breaking News" logo came on. Everyone paused and said, "Uh-oh." (Thinking there was bad news, you know?) When we saw what it was, several of the adults said, "Huh? He's where?" Then, basically, everyone went back to what they were doing getting the meal on the table. My conservative brothers and nephews spoke approvingly of the visit. I refrained from calling Bush* "Bubble-Boy", and blessedly the subject dropped and never came up again the whole day.

It was a nice test of our family promise to avoid the subjects of politics, football and religion during family get-togethers.

Edited for wrong punctuation.

[rumguy]

8. The ONLY people really excited about this stunt

were freeper-types, they all wet themselves...the rest of us see it for what it is...

People doubting the wisdom of the entire Iraq venture will not be swayed by his stunt.

[Triana]

17. watching some of those freeper dufuses

dirty their diapers over this has been somewhat amusing...but what dimwits. I guess this is the mentality of those who voted for Bu$h - believe anything that's shoved in front of them without question. Whatever media propOganda shows up in front of their unfocused eyes first. sheeesh...

[LiberalFighter]

19. I wish they did wet themselves...

All the time!!!!

[dArKeR]

11. The 'Secret' is the 10,000 wouned that are being hidden by Bush!

Let's hear the Media Whores publisize that secret!

[MrPrax]

12. Notice the Media managed to 'edit' out his remarks

El Dumbo also said
"You are defeating the terrorists here in Iraq so we don't have to face them in our own country," Bush said. "You're defeating Saddam's henchmen so that the people of Iraq can live in peace and freedom."

Iraqis terrorists/henchmen were threatening Main Street, USA? With what again? All them weapons they had?

[dbt]

13. 'Symbolic Action," my shiny metal ass!

'Act of Political Desperation' is more like it. You know the White Haus went into panic mode the minute that the news of Senator Clinton's visit emerged.

bu$h's handlers are all too aware of the political price of letting a Clinton upstage a member of the Imperial Family.

:evilgrin:
dbt

[ima_sinnic]

14. If any of the Dem candidates can't use this as an opportunity

. . . they don't have what it takes.

The smart ones will capitalize on this and expose it for the cheap yellow-belly chickenhawk stunt that it is. "Concerned about the troops? I don't think so; what about cuts in veterans' benefits, etc. etc." "Bagdhad is so 'secure' the President of the United States had to sneak in like a thief in the night--the same way he had to sneak from one side of Buckingham Palace to the other, in a limousine for 100 yards, to protect him from the angry masses of the world." "It's our boys and girls who have to go back out and fight Bush's war for him while he slinks back to Crawford with his tail between his legs after staging his election stunt." etc. etc.

PR success for the Chimp?? Remember: a problem is also an opportunity. Any candidate who can't work up some great material from this is just not made out of the right stuff.

[LiberalFighter]

20. He should be in a straight-jacket

and locked away for good

[havocmom]

15. Two and a half hours at the Baghdad airport does not satisfiy his TNG

duty committment!

Besides Hillary going into the theatres of engagement, Rove is facing increased use of the AWOL handle for his lil puppet. Seeing AWOL more and more in letters to editors across the nation.

And anyone with military experience and most of their families will know the Turkey Stunt was likely to have been added work and logistics hell for the troops there. So how many personell were stranded for how long at that airport?

There are lots of ways we can bend, spindle and mutilate this PR stunt and render it as usless to their campagne as the carrier landing! And we need to keep up noise about the costs of these little photo op trips at a time when the federal deficit is mortaging our grandkid's future along with the security of our retired parents!

[dusty64]

16. Yes, but I've NEVER

seen such media fawning over a political photo op before. I was watching the dog show on nbc and they repeatedly broke in with reports of the "incredible" visit by the pResident. It made it hard to down my meal with all the whoring going on. I do not remember anything like this when President Clinton had a holiday meal with soldiers in Kosovo.

[Ernesto]

18. Hearty troop morale boost?

Sheeeeeit.... Those troops were already assembled to eat and then Bozo the clown arrives to tell a few Bob Hope style one-liners. How in the hell does that improve "morale"? I got to drive three infantry lieutenants into Danang to see Bob Hope in '67. Hope appeared so far away from any real danger that the audience was 90% Air Force (non-combatents). To suggest that Hope was entertaining real warriors was viewed as a cruel hoax by most of my Marine Corps buddies. Another day, another kick in the teeth... Big deal! When we got back to the field, I had to go out on ambush that night because I got to see Raquel Welch that afternoon. My morale was not boosted.