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Tuesday, Sep 07, 2004

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FEAR AND SMEAR

UNITED STATES PRESIDENT George W. Bush has apparently decided that he can secure a second term only through a campaign based on fear and smear. The speeches delivered at the Republican Party's convention last week were devoted either to the vilification of the Democratic candidate, John Kerry, or to the fostering of the myth that the foremost issue before American voters was the challenge posed by terrorism. While convention theatrics did galvanise the party faithful, it is far from certain that a campaign of this sort will win over uncommitted voters who hold the balance in a highly polarised electorate. The most recent opinion polls show that only four per cent of the electorate thinks that terrorism is the most important issue; in comparison, 32 per cent put the state of the economy at the top of the list while 28 per cent gave priority to the war in Iraq. The Bush campaign overlooked these figures. Instead it focussed its efforts on highlighting the President's performance since September 11, 2001 for two reasons. First, the Republican Party appears to be caught up in an intense bout of "group think" that makes it believe the concerns of its rank and file are shared by all Americans in equal measure. Secondly, Mr. Bush's performance in office has been so abysmal in every area of significance that his supporters have few other talking points. Undecided voters who have over the past three years been bombarded with 9/11 rhetoric might not be impressed. With no major attacks taking place over this period, they have reason to believe that the terrorism threat has receded. They also know that the President deviated from the campaign against terror by launching a brutal and costly war against Iraq. Discerning voters will also be aware that Mr. Bush has not formulated any serious plans to tackle problems created by the deeply flawed policies of his first term. Among these problems are the marked increase in poverty and unemployment, sharp decrease in the number of people with access to healthcare, burgeoning budget deficits, and the precipitous decline in the country's standing in the international community.

Since the Democratic candidate enjoys a sizable lead on social and economic issues, the Republicans desperately tried to project the issue at stake in this election as one of choosing a war-time President. To this end, Mr. Bush and his supporters repeatedly asserted that the challenger was unfit to serve as commander-in-chief. Mr. Kerry had drawn level with his opponent in this contest as well; he showcased his military record before the Democratic convention, which was held a month earlier. The Republican attacks did push the challenger on to the backfoot for a while. Mr. Kerry hit back by asserting that those (such as Mr. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney) who did not serve in the military as they should have during the Vietnam war and have now misled the country into a conflict in West Asia have no right to question his credentials to command the nation's forces. If the Democrat can sustain the counter-attack and take on the ruthless political campaign of his opponent, he will prove that he has the heart of a fighter.

The Republicans confirmed through their campaign rhetoric that they have no intention of abandoning a unilateralist approach to international affairs, particularly the doctrine of pre-emptive war. The Bush administration's chief achievement is making the world a far more dangerous place than it found it four years ago. While people outside the U.S. cannot of course determine the result of the election, they do most definitely have a big stake in the outcome.

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