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Just 13 Days Left
The Crowd-Pleaser: George W. Bush

By Mark Grueter

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“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” – H.L. Mencken

John Kerry’s national poll numbers were, it appears, adversely affected by his solid performance in the final debate. This is surprising because “likely” voters overwhelmingly agree that he won not only the final debate, but all three of the contests. So how is it that these victories hurt the senator? The question is a frustrating one for the Democrats, but it is not without an answer. Many Americans are simply impervious to evidence and argumentation. They like their Bush, and they don’t care what you intellectuals say.

It was obvious that Kerry had much more to say than Bush during those redundant contests, and that he said it all more eloquently and persuasively. I watched the third debate with a committed Republican who couldn’t escape the simple fact that Kerry sounds like he knows what the hell he’s talking about, where as Bush does not. Kerry appears more trustworthy. The following morning, another Republican complained to me about Bush’s inability to defend the tax cut with an actual argument.

However, none of this matters because Americans want a “leader” and not a debater, say the pollsters. I had never known the American people had such refined talents for distinguishing between leadership and public speaking abilities. Word had not gotten ‘round to me.

I’d like to suggest an alternative explanation for the sudden turn for Bush: people are easily duped. Anyone who buys into the ‘Bush is a good leader because he doesn’t waver’ line does not understand the concept of leadership. Acting resolutely without fully considering implications are the actions of a poor leader and a poor thinker.

Nevertheless, the common people seem to want Bush again, and it appears that could be what they’re about to get: along with more war and death, even lower real wages, a broken health care system, inflation, continued destruction of the environment, an official education policy of leaving children behind, further alienation from the world and so on and so forth.

Not so fast, say the Dems. While Kerry’s national numbers take a dive, his numbers in the swing states remain viable. The GOP machine has done the job of placing the fear of God into the American psyche, rallying and solidifying their base with demagogic pleas. But it may only lead to larger victories in states he was going to win anyway. And that’s what we’re seeing in the national polls. Or, at least, that’s what the Democrats say.

And man, what a disappointment John Edwards turned out to be. Watching Cheney kick the crap out of Edwards’ during that painful debate, I couldn’t help but think about how solid Joe Biden would’ve looked up there, staring down Cheney. Edwards’ simply doesn’t have enough experience in government to compete with Cheney on the details and the substance. Biden, on the other hand, in his appearances on television, has been the most thoroughly persuasive anti-war politician in the country.

So, advantage Bush, but again, it all comes back to Florida, or maybe Ohio or Pennsylvania or even Minnesota now. Or perhaps New Hampshire, where I pretend to live. On November 2nd in New Hampshire, I will cast my ballot for Ralph Nader, the only candidate opposed to the “corporate socialism” that is responsible for so many ills and injustices. But I’m just one vote; I won’t make a difference, really. But if I do, then you have permission to kill me.

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And You Thought 2000 was Corrupt

As election-day eerily approaches, consider this: I often complain about how undemocratic America is and how unfair it is that Ralph Nader and other alternative voices to be excluded from the process. And I am perfectly correct in doing so, by the way, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t made incremental progress in our nation’s history.

Recall 1876, when the Democratic Governor of New York, Samuel Tilden, beat Rutherford B. Hayes, a Republican by 250,000 votes - a far greater percentage of the vote than Gore beat Bush by in 2000, given population totals. Tilden also had a clear victory in the Electoral College. But right after the vote, the race was quickly thrown into doubt when Republican power brokers began to, literally and directly, buy off certain electors in order to reverse the popular will. The Hayes junta. Certain politicians and federal judges were actually paid handsome sums in order to coronate Hayes and to overturn the election. Congress voted to set up a special commission to decide it, and those members were bribed from there. The president, ultimately Hayes, was not chosen until March of 1877.

Grueter's column on the presidential election runs every Wednesday.
Click here to see his previous column.

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Mark Grueter is a writer living in New York City. He can be contacted at grueter@methree.net.

© 2004 Me Three