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Dubya & the Dems Look Both Ways Before RunningBy Rick Horowitz
"I don't make any apologies for what I do on the campaign trail." George W. Bush, after Michigan.
Dubya loves Democrats. Just not yet. Dubya is delighted to have the support of independents. At the appropriate moment. Dubya wants to be everyone's candidate. When the time is right. Not right now, though. Right now wouldn't be right. And it certainly wouldn't be far right. Just call him a serial appealer. Poor Dubya, with the clenched jaw and the nervous laugh, insisting that everything's just fine, complaining that everything's gone ever-so-slightly off the track. He knows how this thing is supposed to work. First he wins the Republicans. Then, when the time is right -- but only when the time is right -- he wins the independents, and even some Democrats. That's the ballgame. Somebody forgot to tell John McCain. Have you ever seen such spinning in your life? Michigan hits Dubya in the mouth, just rises up and socks the boy square in the kisser, and the Dubya Brigades grab every microphone they can get hold of and start screaming, "Doesn't count! Doesn't count!" Which is to say, they didn't count. They didn't count on a totally humongous turnout of Democrats and independents, thousands and thousands of alien life forms wandering into Republican voting booths and casting their ballots for...someone else. For John McCain. Was it legal? Sure it was legal. It was an open Republican primary, open to anybody; Michigan's Republican honchos wanted it that way. But it wasn't nice! It wasn't fair! That's what the Dubya Brigades are screeching, and the head Dubya is saying the same thing his very own self -- or do you think the word "hijack" is a greeting? Those Democrats were mischief-makers, that's the Dubya line, out to cut down the Republicans' strongest general-election candidate. Who just happens to be, Dubya is convinced (and never mind the latest polls suggesting precisely the contrary): Dubya. Could those Democrats have been voting for McCain because they actually (gasp!) liked the man? His character? His biography? No way, says Dubya (and never mind the exit surveys suggesting...) -- those Democrats were nothing more than political saboteurs. They were out to do damage, that's all, and come November, they'll slither right back where they came from and vote for Al Gore. Once upon a time, of course -- and it's just like certain nasty minds to remember this -- it was Dubya who hoped to reach out to Democrats, to independents. He was the Republican who could expand the party, who could bring new people into the fold. Not so long ago, certain nasty minds can't quite forget, Dubya thought that was a good thing. Now John McCain had gone and done what Dubya had only talked about doing, and suddenly it's a bad thing. Huh? This was different, Dubya insists. He's perfectly willing to reach out to Democrats and independents -- but not yet. Later. After he's locked up the Republicans. After he's done whatever he has to do to secure his base. As if it were carved on tablets somewhere: "First secure your base." Then he'll reach out. After he's crawled as deep into Pat Robertson's pocket, stood as tall on Bob Jones' podium, as he needs to to lock up the nomination, then he'll move back toward the middle, where elections are won -- and he'll hope that the middle hasn't been paying attention. All in due time; that was Dubya's game plan. Except that John McCain decided not to wait. Now it gets interesting. Posted 2/24/00. You
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Rick Horowitz