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| Down to the Bitter End
by John M. Curtis Copyright November 2, 2000
Running a TV commercial showing an innocent girl picking the petals off a daisy with an ominous mushroom-shaped nuclear cloud in the background, the ad blamed the Clinton-Gore administration for selling U.S. nuclear secrets to communist China for campaign contributions. "The governor condemns those types of anonymous attack ads," said Bush communications’ director Karen Hughes, trying to distance herself from such underhanded tactics. Seeing the ad as a cheap shot, Gore’s running mate, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, expressed disgust calling the commercial "outrageously wrong" and "expression of panic either by the Bush campaign or by supporters of Bush and Cheney . . ." Today’s revelation about Bush’s DUI illustrates the high stakes and dirty pool now seeping into the campaign’s final days. With many battleground states a tossup, both candidates are biting and scratching, hoping, if nothing else, that they’re lucky enough to finally land that elusive knockout punch. Running a well-oiled campaign, Bush presented a convincing case—at least to his base—why it’s time for a change. Taking a page out GOP party-boss Bill Bennett’s play book, both Bush and Cheney urged the faithful that it’s time for America to "take a bath." Attaching Gore to Clinton’s scandals, Bush put Gore on the defensive from the get go. Sure, Gore had every opportunity to make his case and attack Bush’s program, but Gore’s been sprinting away from his administration’s record. Distancing himself from Clinton, Gore’s failed to make a compelling argument for continuity—up till now. Getting up to speed, he’s finally attacking Bush on the economy and Social Security. Whether it’s too late remains to be seen. Like a boxer recovering from temporary amnesia, Gore’s now getting his message across. Fighting too many battles, he spread himself too thin. Dealing with Bush is one thing, but simultaneously trying to corral Clinton’s grandiosity—including his untimely interview with Esquire Magazine—makes matters even more complicated. Not only must Gore sell his own case and attack Bush, he’s trying to contain self-defeating elements within his campaign. Even Gore’s running mate hasn’t, at times, helped matters. Shooting off his mouth about the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, Lieberman tripped on his own shoelaces. Alienating the Arab-Americans—especially in the key state of Michigan—inadvertently hurt his cause. Battling his own exaggerations, Gore’s still trying to reestablish credibility, enabling voters to see beyond the hype to his real plans and programs. Overdosed with issues, voters, in the final days of a torturous campaign, are more receptive to personal attacks than policy technicalities. Outside Gore’s control, Nader also looms large as the spoiler, siphoning off key votes in fiercely contested states. One thing’s for sure, Nader’s no longer seen as a nonpartisan consumer advocate. Recent questions about his sexual orientation certainly underscore the nasty side of politics. Certainly one’s background or lifestyle is legitimate fodder for public vetting. As Bush recently found out, past and current indiscretions are all grist for the mill. Sure, Bush would like to dismiss his past mistakes as "youthful indiscretions," but so would countless others seeking ordinary jobs who must disclose pertinent background information to prospective employers—including past arrests or alcohol and drug abuse. Calling for a change, Bush successfully put Gore on the defensive, redirecting the debate from substance and toward fed-bashing. Painting himself as a Washington outsider and Gore as a big spending Beltway boy, Bush forced Gore to ignore his impressive record on the economy and crime. In the remaining 4 days of the campaign, Gore’s now making a compelling case for continuing the White House legacy. Since the Democratic National Convention, he’s awkwardly explained why Bush’s programs would be harmful to the country. While it’s late in the game, he’s finally scoring some points, though Bush still leads in the polls. Fighting for his life, Gore’s pulled out all the stops questioning Bush’s fitness for the presidency. Whether the recent disclosure of Bush’s DUI amounts to more than a hill of beans is anyone’s guess. Marketing himself as the trustworthy choice, the Bush campaign is now busy explaining how and why this 'innocent' omission took place. Taking the defensive in the final rounds isn’t the best way to finish your opponent. If nothing else, Bush has allowed Gore to dictate the pace. Baffling the pollsters, election 2000 has dished up its share of surprises including the latest bombshell about Bush’s DUI. With all the fancy footwork, one group has been largely ignored, but may exert a decisive influence on next Tuesday. Throwing Florida’s GOP for a loop is Al Gore’s growing lead in the state. Bucking the state’s Republican trend are seniors who aren’t buying Bush’s plans for Social Security and Medicare. When your livelihood’s at stake, partisanship seems to take a back seat. Taking their civic duty seriously, many seniors will flock to the polls and vote for the status quo. Not all Nader supporters, too, will toss their votes to the wind when they set foot in the election booth. With the election hanging in the balance, revelations about Bush’s past haven’t helped matters. While the Texas jackrabbit’s stirred up some dust, the less charismatic tortoise still might limp to the finish line first. About the Author John M. Curtis is editor of OnlineColumnist.com. He’s also the director of a West Los Angeles think tank specializing in human behavior, health care and political research and media consultation. He’s a seminar trainer, columnist and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma. |
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lugging it out in the late rounds, Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush are landing low blows as they head inexorably toward election day. Going the distance, neither candidate has the firepower to put away his opponent, leaving the waning days of campaign 2000 a virtual free-for-all. Leaking Bush’s 1976 DUI to the press 5 days before the election, Gore officials emphatically deny that it stemmed from the campaign. "We had absolutely nothing to do with this," said Gore spokesman Chris Lehane, trying to disown the appearance of dirty tricks. "I’ve got my suspicions," said Bush reflecting on the timing of the release, but having to fend off questions why this disclosure wasn’t made early on in the campaign. Insisting that he’s the honest one, "I’ve been straightforward with the people, saying that I used to drink too much in the past. I’m straightforward with people saying I don’t drink now," explained Bush to a phalanx of frenzied reporters. Questioned during the campaign about his past cocaine abuse, Bush ducked the question saying that "he did some foolish things" during his 'youth,' but avoided filling in any details.|
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