the Sugar Conspiracy

Thursday, October 07, 2004

Cheating

Yesterday, the White House announced that President Bush would be delivering a "major policy address" on terrorism today. The cable news networks broadcast it live and in full. Yet the "address" turned out to be a standard campaign stump speech before a Pennsylvania crowd that seemed pumped on peyote, cheering, screaming, or whooping at every sentence.

The president announced no new policy, uttered not one new word about terrorism, foreign policy, or anything else. He did all the things he wanted to do in last Thursday's debate—accuse his opponent of weakness, bad judgment, vacillation, and other forms of flip-floppery—though this time without a moderator to hush the audience, much less an opponent to bite back.

In short, the cable networks were lured into airing an hourlong free campaign ad for George W. Bush.

Under campaign rules, the cable networks have to give Kerry equal time for something like this. They and the White House will get out of it, however, on this "major policy speech" technicality. When you flounder on live TV against a worthy opponent, it's best to go back to what you know best: a well-practiced stump speech before an adoring audience.

UPDATE: Not near as much attention was paid to this speech as to the first debate.

posted by chris at 1:27 PM
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