Sunday, March 21, 2004 :::
Eric wants to talk about politics, which this blog used to do before college basketball playoff season started. My trip to Iowa — a swing state — gave me the chance to see a new Bush ad, and I approve of it. Another recent Bush ad was criticized for not moving polls, but that wasn't its point; its point was to create an environment. We're 8 months away. So the President puts out upbeat ads, acknowledging our challenges and highlighting opportunities. Expect more specific contest in September.I was just this weekend trying to think of the last negative candidate to have success running for President; I don't know much about Carter's 1976 campaign, or Nixon's '68 run, though I know the latter involved "law and order" themes. Even running against an incumbent, Clinton was never dreary; while it was "the worst economy in 50 years [sic]", there was an immediate segue into "don't stop thinking about tomorrow" — we're going to make things better. Kerry needs to put out some hopeful campaigns about how the world will be a better place when he's elected.
::: posted by dWj at 11:11 PM