President Bush, who doesn’t think America
    can win the war on terror …

George W. Bush liberates Poland.

So the President doesn’t think the war on terror is winnable? Yes, that may in fact be the case, but it was a dumb thing to say, and if the Democrats let Bush up off the mat this time they don’t deserve to win.

Every reference to Mr. Bush from now until Election Day, whatever the context, should including the phrase “President Bush, who doesn’t think America can win the war on terror.” Let him “clarify” to his heart’s content, and keep making references to his flip-flopping and the debate he seems to be having with himself.

[No, I’m not kidding, or exaggerating for effect: every reference. Yes, it gets boring, but that’s the way this sort of battle gets won. The (false) belief that George W. Bush, who doesn’t believe that America can win the war on terror, is a better or more dedicated leader against Islamist terrorism is his sole selling point for this election, and he just gave it away if his opponents have the wit and the tenacity to pounce on his gaffe.]

And John Kerry ought to add a line to his stump speech: “President Bush doesn’t think we can win the war on terror. I do, and I will.”

Or, in a longer version, “President Bush doesn’t think we can win the war on terror. Well, we sure can’t the way he’s fighting it. But I believe we can win the war on terror, and if I’m elected President we will. That’s a promise.”

Edwards can do the same, substituting “But John Kerry and I believe we can win the war on terror, and if you elect him President we will. That’s his promise, and mine.”

Author: Mark Kleiman

Professor of Public Policy at the NYU Marron Institute for Urban Management and editor of the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis. Teaches about the methods of policy analysis about drug abuse control and crime control policy, working out the implications of two principles: that swift and certain sanctions don't have to be severe to be effective, and that well-designed threats usually don't have to be carried out. Books: Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know (with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken) When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (Princeton, 2009; named one of the "books of the year" by The Economist Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results (Basic, 1993) Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control (Greenwood, 1989) UCLA Homepage Curriculum Vitae Contact: Markarkleiman-at-gmail.com

2 thoughts on “President Bush, who doesn’t think America
    can win the war on terror …”

  1. War on Other Nouns Will Also Be Lost

    I don't know what level or kind of cognitive dissonance is required to believe that John Kerry is a "flip flopper," and then to support a President who says this a month ago: We have a clear vision on how…

  2. Can we win the war on terror? GWB throws in the towel.

    When you struggle against something you think you are going to lose, do you behave differently than when you think you are going to win? Most people do. You might not really try, you might make decisions without adequate thought,

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