Monday, March 08, 2004
Bush's election ads
I haven't seen many of the new advertisements for the Bush campaign (I am in Switzerland), but have read that some are complaining that they are using footage from the September 11th attacks. Apparently, some think the use of the footage a crass attempt to sway public opinion using the emotions stirred up by September 11th footage.
I don't agree. I think that it is JUST and PROPER for Bush to include footage from those attacks, simply because it is JUST and PROPER to judge the Bush administration's success (or lack thereof) within the context of what happened on September 11th.
I don't deny that a lot of people find that footage painful. Heck, I still do. It brings back those feelings of anger we all felt when we saw the twin towers collapse.
That, however, is the point. We are getting ready to decide whether or not to replace the president on whose watch September 11th occurred. I want ALL the cards on the table. I want to think, honestly, about EVERY aspect of his presidency. Like it or not, September 11th is a part of that presidency.
The president has the right to ask the American people to consider whether or not he has reacted properly within the context of September 11th. Some will conclude that he didn't, and vote to remove him. Others will go the other direction. Either way, I don't think we help ourselves to make a better decision in November by hiding our head in the sand and not letting ourselves get "shocked" by footage of September 11th. It makes the dialogue incomplete.
I can't say for whom I'm going to vote. Anyone who has read my blog knows that there are aspects to both Kerry and Bush I find appealing. I'm not going to make my decision artificially easier, though, by excising painful points from the debate. That's not intellectually honest.
I haven't seen many of the new advertisements for the Bush campaign (I am in Switzerland), but have read that some are complaining that they are using footage from the September 11th attacks. Apparently, some think the use of the footage a crass attempt to sway public opinion using the emotions stirred up by September 11th footage.
I don't agree. I think that it is JUST and PROPER for Bush to include footage from those attacks, simply because it is JUST and PROPER to judge the Bush administration's success (or lack thereof) within the context of what happened on September 11th.
I don't deny that a lot of people find that footage painful. Heck, I still do. It brings back those feelings of anger we all felt when we saw the twin towers collapse.
That, however, is the point. We are getting ready to decide whether or not to replace the president on whose watch September 11th occurred. I want ALL the cards on the table. I want to think, honestly, about EVERY aspect of his presidency. Like it or not, September 11th is a part of that presidency.
The president has the right to ask the American people to consider whether or not he has reacted properly within the context of September 11th. Some will conclude that he didn't, and vote to remove him. Others will go the other direction. Either way, I don't think we help ourselves to make a better decision in November by hiding our head in the sand and not letting ourselves get "shocked" by footage of September 11th. It makes the dialogue incomplete.
I can't say for whom I'm going to vote. Anyone who has read my blog knows that there are aspects to both Kerry and Bush I find appealing. I'm not going to make my decision artificially easier, though, by excising painful points from the debate. That's not intellectually honest.
