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Al-Ahram Weekly 10 - 16 August 2000 Issue No. 494 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 10 - 16 August 2000 Issue No. 494
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Books Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons No beating around the Bush
By Thomas Gorguissian
Republican nominee George W Bush has picked up some speed in the preliminary race for American presidency. With Vice President Al Gore's bid for the position increasingly generating criticism, Bush's prospects are looking better. Taking on a boost after the Grand Old Party (GOP) convention in Philadelphia, a Newsweek magazine poll revealed that "W," as he was affectionately called in Philadelphia, enjoyed an 11-point lead over his Democratic rival. With 13 weeks to go to the finish line, there is no doubt that the governor of Texas has become a star. At this crucial juncture, public focus has been riveted on the character of the running candidates rather than the issues. It is the moral fortitude of the man, which may determine the ultimate outcome -- the next president of the United States.
"Our generation has a chance to reclaim some essential values, to show we have grown up before we grow old. But when the moment for leadership came, this administration did not teach our children, it disillusioned them. They had their chance. They have not led. We will. And now they come asking for another chance, another shot. Our answer: Not this time, not this year. This is not the time for third chances; it is the time for new beginnings," said Bush in his acceptance speech.
After Bush delivered his 52-minute speech, a single, vital question was brought to the fore: "How will Gore fight back?" No great ideological chasm separates Bush from Gore. The two rival presidential candidates share many economic, social and political viewpoints. The Republicans, it seems, want the presidential battle to focus on personal charm and charisma. "We leave the convention as a unified party that's able to spend a lot of its time and energy reaching out to independents, Democrats and swing voters," said Karl Rove, Bush's chief strategist.
At the Philadelphia Convention, the highly scripted and expertly-orchestrated Bush campaign set up a show that could best be described as "illusive inclusion," drawing a large number of African Americans, Latinos and women. The expression "Bush's Convention," rather than that of the GOP, was frequently used even by Republican political pundits. On the road to the White House mainly endorsement speeches were allowed. It was a one-man show, comprising of Bush the man and Bush the next president, as many observers described him. "He will bring to the White House that same passion for inclusion. I know that he can help bridge our racial divides," retired General Colin Powell told the delegates of which 83 per cent were white. Powell has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the post of secretary of state if Bush is elected.
"If you believe that patriotism is more than a soundbite and public service should be more than a photo-op, then vote for Governor Bush," said Bush's one-time contender and rival Senator John McCain. There was no mention of campaign finance reform, the main issue in McCain's campaign.
Republican strategists, in their staging of the expected First Lady Laura Bush, are bent on showing that "she will not be another Hillary." According to the Republican public relations officers, Laura Bush is a far cry from the unabashedly fatuous Barbara Bush, the would-be president's mother.
Republicans in Philadelphia showed a new face. The stress on Latino personalities and themes (otherwise dubbed "The Ricky Martin factor") dominated the stage. The governor's nephew, George P Bush, was a key player in vying to attract the Latino voters, especially in swing states.
Foreign policy, never a Republican top priority, hardly featured. Bush's advisers stressed the ebbing of American credibility and influence in the world, and the necessity of increasing the readiness and boosting the morale of the American troops. They did, however, reiterate the urgent need for a missile defense system. And, as one of Bush's many foreign policy advisers noted, Clinton's foreign policy lacked a "strategic approach, decisiveness and vision."
"George W Bush is a man of his word. Friend and foe will know he tells the truth," said Condoleezza Rice. Rice, Bush's chief foreign policy adviser, who could become the nation's first African American national security adviser if Bush is elected, added: "He recognises that the magnificent men and women of America's armed forces are not a global police force."
