welcome to election '04

I have a final tomorrow so this is gonna be quick. Without critiquing any of Bush's proposals or statements, this speech was the beginning of his presidential campaign. On foreign policy he highlighted his successes and vision of a free world based on the democratic peace. He sounded tough on national security and portrayed those who criticize him (aka Democrats) as weak. On domestic policy he took many of the traditional Democratic issues as his own. He highlighted his major education and health care/senior "successes" - Leave No Child Behind and Prescription Drugs - and proposed new education, family and health care policies. These areas, in which he knows Democrats are strong, he tried to take for himself. On social policy he did a little pandering and a little smart politicking. He threw a bone to the religious right with the abstinence and anti-gay marriage shit (oops, I said no critiquing). Government funding of faith-based charities is a popular position so Bush was smart to throw it in there, especially in painting critics of it (again Democrats) as bigots.