The GOP's 20% Problem
How do candidates distance themselves from Bush without alienating his die-hards?
By PEGGY NOONAN
OpinionJournal.com
Fred Thompson gives "a very incoherent and not very concise stump speech," peaked months ago, and is the campaign's "biggest dud." Mitt Romney has "an authenticity problem"; he is "almost too mechanical about the issues." John McCain faces "enormous hurdles," and the "irony" of his quest is that he may just be repeating 2000. Mike Huckabee has "the obvious problems--being from Hope, Ark., and quite frankly having the last name Huckabee." The craven Republicans are "terrified about losing the presidency after losing Congress." All this comes from Terry McAuliffe, longtime Democratic Party mover, maven and moneyman, who's obviously hoping for a Democratic win.
Only kidding. It comes from Mr. McAuliffe's new podium partner on the Washington speech circuit, longtime Bush operative Dan Bartlett, recently departed after years as White House communications director. Mr. Bartlett has taken the old place of Ed Gillespie, the lobbyist, who used to appear with Mr. McAuliffe and is now back at the White House in Mr. Bartlett's old job. This is why the late Drew Pearson called his column "Washington Merry-Go-Round."
They serve and rarely leave. So often people work in government and make it more of a swamp; then they leave and become mosquitoes living off the pond scum, buzzing off the surface, eating well, issuing their little stings.
I am harsh. But it's something I often wonder: Why don't people in Washington go home anymore? I'm reading Michael Korda's serene and gracious tribute to Dwight Eisenhower, "Ike: An American Hero," and stopped dead at this part. The day his White House successor, JFK, was inaugurated, "in the middle of a heavy snowstorm, [Ike] and Mamie left quietly and unobtrusively . . . grateful that they were no longer the focus of attention, and drove the eighty miles to Gettysburg." Oh for those days. And that sort.
By PEGGY NOONAN
OpinionJournal.com
Fred Thompson gives "a very incoherent and not very concise stump speech," peaked months ago, and is the campaign's "biggest dud." Mitt Romney has "an authenticity problem"; he is "almost too mechanical about the issues." John McCain faces "enormous hurdles," and the "irony" of his quest is that he may just be repeating 2000. Mike Huckabee has "the obvious problems--being from Hope, Ark., and quite frankly having the last name Huckabee." The craven Republicans are "terrified about losing the presidency after losing Congress." All this comes from Terry McAuliffe, longtime Democratic Party mover, maven and moneyman, who's obviously hoping for a Democratic win.
Only kidding. It comes from Mr. McAuliffe's new podium partner on the Washington speech circuit, longtime Bush operative Dan Bartlett, recently departed after years as White House communications director. Mr. Bartlett has taken the old place of Ed Gillespie, the lobbyist, who used to appear with Mr. McAuliffe and is now back at the White House in Mr. Bartlett's old job. This is why the late Drew Pearson called his column "Washington Merry-Go-Round."
They serve and rarely leave. So often people work in government and make it more of a swamp; then they leave and become mosquitoes living off the pond scum, buzzing off the surface, eating well, issuing their little stings.
I am harsh. But it's something I often wonder: Why don't people in Washington go home anymore? I'm reading Michael Korda's serene and gracious tribute to Dwight Eisenhower, "Ike: An American Hero," and stopped dead at this part. The day his White House successor, JFK, was inaugurated, "in the middle of a heavy snowstorm, [Ike] and Mamie left quietly and unobtrusively . . . grateful that they were no longer the focus of attention, and drove the eighty miles to Gettysburg." Oh for those days. And that sort.
posted by Andy W. Rogers | 10:30 PM
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