US Elections: George Bush, Cocky And Confident: "I Am Not Going To Come In Second"
By Sanjay Sharma, Section International News
Posted on Sun Aug 29, 2004 at 04:58:58 AM EST
As President George W. Bush prepares for the Republican convention in New York next week, he says losing the election has never crossed his mind and the Iraq war was worth putting his political future at risk. Bush said he believes voters won't deny him a second term even if they disagree with the war. (Doesn't it remind you of BJP always insisting during the Elections 2004 that Gujarat riots would not affect their predestined victory?) Asked if his style and his policies, particularly the war with Iraq, contributed to the divisive atmosphere, Bush said, "Let's speak about war in Iraq." "I believe the decision to go to war was the right decision, particularly after September the 11th. And in this great country people are entitled to express their concerns, and I fully understand that."
Bush defended Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, whose resignation Kerry has called for in the wake of two reports this week criticizing top military commanders for abuse of prisoners in Iraq. He stands by Rumsfeld despite the two reports released this week criticizing the Pentagon's management of Iraqi prisons. "Secretary Rumsfeld has done a really good job. I'm proud of his service for the country. He has been a valuable member of my national security team and I'm proud to have him by my side," Bush said. (Doesn't it remind you of BJP defending Narendra Modi even as Gujarat was on fire?)
Bush was most animated when he was asked about how he would react to losing his last campaign. He was asked if he and his wife, Laura, hadn't said that they would be fine if Kerry wins. Bush interrupted sharply. "I have never said that," he insisted. In a June interview, however, Laura Bush said she has "of course" considered the possibility that there might not be a second term. "No matter what happens in the election," she said, "we'll be OK." "I have not said that," Bush repeated, "because I am not going to come in second. We'll prevail. I don't think that way. I believe we're going to win." (Doesn't this inability to accept that he might be defeated remind you of BJP? They are in the pits even today because they still haven't been able to come to terms with their defeat. If Bush loses, a similar scenario will play out in the U.S.) In the interview, Bush declined every opening to take shots at Kerry. He deflected a question about what he would most worry about in a Kerry presidency with a quick retort: "I don't believe there's going to be a Kerry presidency." (Doesn't it remind you how the BJP was unable to answer any question about what to do if the lost Elections 2004 - they always said that it wouldn't happen - well, it did happen.)
(Click on "Full Story" for more.)
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A new USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll found a reason for Bush to be confident. It showed him leading Kerry 50%-47% among likely voters. It also showed Kerry losing gains he made after the Democratic convention on leadership qualities and national security. (Doesn't it remind you of the BJP when all the opinion polls were giving them an edge - an edge that the opinion polls maintained right till the votes were counted and the opposite turned out to be the case.)
Given the accusations, mostly from Democrats, that he needlessly put Americans' lives at risk in Iraq, and given the polarized state of politics, why put up with it all? "That is a legitimate question," he said. And the answer is because the stakes are high. Because there is more work to be done to make the world a freer and more peaceful place. It is essential that America lead in the 21st century in order to defeat the ideologues who use terror as a weapon, in order to secure the homeland, but also in order to spread liberty." (Doesn't this remind you of the empty BJP slogans of "India Shining" and "Feel Good?" - all abstract slogans and hollow to the bone.)
"I know what needs to be done, I see clearly where we need to go, and I want to spend four years leading toward that goal. And I believe the American people will give me that opportunity," Mr. Bush said. (Doesn't this remind you of Atal Bihari Vajpayee who also believed that people will give him another 5 years "to do all the work that had not been done.")
"The decisions we have made and the sacrifices Americans have made will make the world a more peaceful place," he said. "Peace is something I long for, peace is something every mom and dad in America want for their children. ... We've accomplished a lot but there is more to do." (Doesn't it amaze you that it is all lies and Mr. Bush said it with a straight face? Well, it shouldn't surprise you because you have just recently seen the BJP - Bharat Jalao Party - do the same just recently!)
From USA Today - August 27, 2004 - By Judy Keen and Richard Benedetto, USA TODAY
Bush: 'I am not going to come in second'
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