Politics: Loathesome Politics
I have a wretched prediction. This statement today by President Bush and earlier comments to the same effect mean that the White House will probably actually -- and rightly -- get involved in Liberia, albeit in some limited way. What I'm concerned about is that the decision has been made, but the White House political office is holding up the final word until President Bush is in Africa. I first scratched at this idea when having a conversation with Aaron over at Naw about the Bush campaign and minority voters. After this curtain-raiser on his upcoming trip to Africa, Bush looked to be homing in on African-American voters as a couple realities settled in.
The first reality is that Bush isn't infallible. He's a popular but beatable president. I don't think Rove ever allows himself to believe for one second that Bush is doing anything less than constantly fighting for his political life. The second reality that the past two years of struggling with getting a message across to Latino voters has been a failure, largely because of the attacks on immigrants and the cool relations with Mexican President Vicente Fox.
That leaves African American voters. And next week is the president's first trip to Africa.
My grotesque prediction is that Bush will get to Africa and then make a "historic announcement" that we are going to get involved in Liberia. By standard rules of imperial inheritance, Liberia's problems fall squarely in our lap. Deciding to intervene to stop the death and dying there shouldn't be a political decision. I hope I'm wrong.
I have a wretched prediction. This statement today by President Bush and earlier comments to the same effect mean that the White House will probably actually -- and rightly -- get involved in Liberia, albeit in some limited way. What I'm concerned about is that the decision has been made, but the White House political office is holding up the final word until President Bush is in Africa. I first scratched at this idea when having a conversation with Aaron over at Naw about the Bush campaign and minority voters. After this curtain-raiser on his upcoming trip to Africa, Bush looked to be homing in on African-American voters as a couple realities settled in.
The first reality is that Bush isn't infallible. He's a popular but beatable president. I don't think Rove ever allows himself to believe for one second that Bush is doing anything less than constantly fighting for his political life. The second reality that the past two years of struggling with getting a message across to Latino voters has been a failure, largely because of the attacks on immigrants and the cool relations with Mexican President Vicente Fox.
That leaves African American voters. And next week is the president's first trip to Africa.
My grotesque prediction is that Bush will get to Africa and then make a "historic announcement" that we are going to get involved in Liberia. By standard rules of imperial inheritance, Liberia's problems fall squarely in our lap. Deciding to intervene to stop the death and dying there shouldn't be a political decision. I hope I'm wrong.
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