Josh Bolten's 5 point plan to save Bush
Much has been made around the minor White House changes engineered by Josh Bolten that they represent changing the messengers and not changing the underlying policies. Well, Time magazine has an article outlining Bolten's 5 point "recovery" plan, and it just reinforces that belief.
In the "five points," visible border enforcement measures, further tax cuts to bribe Wall Street, "Brag more," reassert the "security" theme, and court the press, there is no substantial change in policy.
This White House really believes that their problems and low poll numbers are due only to a lack of communication. This is terrifying to me. These are the folks running my country and they think all that is needed are a few photo ops and happy talk?
Also, note that the best case, most optimistic plan that this out of touch White House is hoping for is to simply not lose ground in the midterms and "pushing him up slightly in the opinion polls." If all of their focus, time, and money is spent simply defending their base, they're going to be in a lot of trouble.
Of course, on a national level, I guess that's about all the White House can offer local candidates. It's not like Bush is going to be pulling vast numbers of independent voters into the Republican fold.
But the musical chairs is just the first of a two-act makeover. Friends and colleagues of Bolten told Time about an informal, five-point "recovery plan" for Bush that is aimed at pushing him up slightly in opinion polls and reassuring Republican activists, whose disaffection could cost him dearly in November. The White House has no visions of expanding the g.o.p.'s position in the midterms; the mission is just to hold on to control of Congress by playing to the base. Here is the Bolten plan:
(Take a look about 2/3 of the way down the article, powerpoint bullets in italics. - Mike)
In the "five points," visible border enforcement measures, further tax cuts to bribe Wall Street, "Brag more," reassert the "security" theme, and court the press, there is no substantial change in policy.
This White House really believes that their problems and low poll numbers are due only to a lack of communication. This is terrifying to me. These are the folks running my country and they think all that is needed are a few photo ops and happy talk?
Also, note that the best case, most optimistic plan that this out of touch White House is hoping for is to simply not lose ground in the midterms and "pushing him up slightly in the opinion polls." If all of their focus, time, and money is spent simply defending their base, they're going to be in a lot of trouble.
Of course, on a national level, I guess that's about all the White House can offer local candidates. It's not like Bush is going to be pulling vast numbers of independent voters into the Republican fold.
posted by mikevotes at
2:10 PM
6 Comments:
I wonder if Bolton's plan won't be overtyaken by Republican distress. The open calls for Cheney and Rumsfelt will only keep growing now.
Given it is congress candidates, and not the White House who have their arses on the line, the fireworks should be entertaining.
By
Cartledge, at 3:14 PM
The LaTimes had an editorial calling for Cheney's leaving. I don't think happy talk is going to do it at this point.
And it will be an interesting battle between congress and the president. Congress is coming back from listening to their constituents for two weeks. They're officially back Tuesday.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 4:31 PM
C'mon guys, you're just being negative nellies. Switching press guys, spreading happy talk and making tax cuts for the investment class permanent sounds like a great strategy to me.
On a serious note, it is scary that they always think the problem is communications, not reality or facts on the ground. But I guess that's what happens when the main people running your administration are politicos and pr people (Rove, Hughes, etc.)
By
Reality-Based Educator, at 5:09 PM
Roughly translated their "communication problems" are no one's buying their lies any more.
By
Lew Scannon, at 5:29 PM
That's pretty much it. But it's unbelievable to me that that's what they think is wrong.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 5:43 PM
For them, it is a communications problem. When you're convinced that everything your doing is right, and that it's all the press' fault for not reporting the "good news" then yeah, blame Scotty.
I'm not hopful. I mean, Wacko didn't end well... I don't see this bag of crooked hammers any more amenable to regime change. Elections be damned.
By
-epm, at 9:50 AM
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