Posted by
orbit1 on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 3:29:13 PM
I was inspired to write this story after a democrat friend laughingly showed me a caricature of President Bush with a caption that read, "Like a rock, only dumber" I replied, "More like a stonewall".
She obviously didn't understand the distinction, so I hope this story will illustrate. Feel free to respond, or to forward...Dave B
STONEWALL BUSH (or, why we vote)
In this political season, it seems that everywhere, on every front, defeat is looming for the republicans. As scandals, low approval ratings and bad news from Iraq are reported ad nauseum, amplified by the wishful thinking of the mainstream media, the message to republican voters seems to be, "stay home, your cause is lost". In key contests,polls show republicans trailing behind democrats, and the question asked repeatedly is not whether the republicans will win or lose control of congress, but only how badly they’ll lose. On the front lines, Democrats smell blood and attack on all fronts, even as republicans lose heart and start to panic.
But, just behind them is President George W. Bush, standing like a stone wall.
Just like General "Stonewall" Jackson at the battle of Manassas, for all you civil war buffs.
In times like this, it is worth remembering George W. Bush’s first Presidential moment, in another discouraging circumstance, on election night, 2000. Early in the evening, exit polls had just projected that Vice President Al Gore had carried Florida, with all of it’s electoral votes, making a Gore presidential victory all but certain. A news correspondant asked candidate Bush for his reaction to the news, and got this calm, but firm reply:
”We don't accept... that Vice President Gore has carried Florida”.
The reporter reacted as if he’d just run into a stone wall, WHICH HE HAD.
In response to this statement, as well as returns which continued to show George W. Bush with a slim lead in overall votes, the news networks, which had projected Al Gore the winner of Florida began retracting their projections, one by one. Like dominoes, they fell until Florida, and the election, were again both too close to call. We all know the final result.
One has to wonder, though, what would have happened if Mr.Bush had wavered, or had no comment, or been anything but resolute in his response to the question at that crucial moment. Instead, that question, and George W. Bush's answer to it, captured the essence of Stonewall Bush, a man who says what he means, and means what he says. Just the kind of leader you can count on when the chips are down, as was proved again on September 11th, 2001.
At that moment, I knew that he would be the next President.
So, when the media reported a couple of days ago that President Bush had no plan in the event of a democratic takeover of Congress, I, for one, was encouraged that ol' Stonewall doesn't plan to lose. Remember these words: "We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail."
And, as long as republicans get out and vote on election day, these words will hold true.