American Politics Journal -- Liddy Dole Sells Out



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Liddy Dole Sells Out
Endorses Bush, Paints Frat Boy As Achiever, Winner
by David J. Gonzo

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2000 -- NEW YORK (AmpolNS) -- News junkies were treated to Liddy Dole's endorsement of frat-boy-turned-politician George W. Bush this morning at 8PM EST in an announcement which was carried live on CNN.

Despite a few audio glitches, viewers were treated to the spectacle of Liddy praising her former rival in the most elaborate and disingenuous manner.

She first attempted to cast Bush as an education reformer and the architect of educational change when, in fact, Bush is a constitutionally weak governor of a large state which has in fact seen little real educational reform at the state level -- and leads a state that is slipping, not making progress, by many measures (including some embraced by not-so-liberal think tanks).

Liddy then turned to that favorite topic during election season -- the travails of our women and men in uniform. She talked about military families "on food stamps," as if this were some new phenomenon -- when in fact the same problem plagued the military during the Reagan and Bush Administrations, particularly among enlistees who already had families when they entered the service. Mrs. Dole then said that Bush would ensure that those serving in the military would have "the best training and equipment in the world" (something they already have) and then brought up the straw man promise of "the standard of living they deserve."

This spin is indicative of a planned GOP nonissue for the 2000 election. In the past, Republicans have praised members of the military for the "many sacrifices" (read: lousy, low wages and long work hours) they make in service to the nation. The issue looks to prove popular among Republicans -- but watch for Dems to point out the hypocrisy of the "new" GOP position.

Liddy then invoked the sainted name of Ronald Reagan, comparing him to George W.: "He made a name out of being underestimated" -- but that was because he was not exactly operationg at the Bill Buckley-Bill Kristol intellectual level, and his backers and handlers knew it. "[Reagan] was in a league of his own" -- namely, publicist and spokesman for the real decision-makers in his cabinet and administration, who actually called the shots.

Liddy also talked about BushDaddy's Desert Storm achievements, making mention of the coalition of fifteen nations that came together to battle Iraq -- and acting as if this were some sort of uncontestable success, when in fact events leading up to the confrontation and the aftermath of the campaign left the region unstable, and sold out Iraqi minorities that had been promised help by the US.

The ten minute speech was an overreaching exercise in spin. The now-familiar Bush smirk shined forth at the most inappropriate times during Liddy's statement -- and expression that does not so much say "See what I've achieved?" but instead telegraphs "Look what I got away with."

The announcement was also tailored to propel Liddy Dole back into the national psyche. It's no secret that Liddy's name is being bandied about as a possible running mate for Bush should he actually get the nomination, but this could prove a major strategic blunder -- remember, geography does matter, and a GOP Texas/Kansas ticket does not exactly resonate in the Northeast or California.

Liddy wrapped up by claiming that "conservatives became agents of change" -- which only served to recall Reagan's massive tax givebacks to the wealthy and stagnation of the economy, and Gingrich's "changes" which have yielded nearly five years of gridlock from Congress.

All in all, it was announcement that served to show the weaknesses of the GOP -- and a Bush campaign grasping for a message, choosing the wrong issues, perhaps showcasing the wrong supporters, and relying too much on invoking names instead of putting forward ideas that will resonate with the majority of voters.