The Moose asks whether W. stands for Wimp?
The President's plummeting poll numbers have been attributed to a number of factors - Iraq, Katrina, Libby and gas pains. Also, the President who pledged to bring integrity and honor to the Oval Office is suffering from a LBJ-like credibility gap.
Obviously, those are all significant factors, but the Moose would add another - the President appears increasingly weak and indecisive. W. has attempted to project himself as one tough, swaggering Texan. Yet, why does there appear to be no cattle in Crawford? As they say back in Central Texas where the Moose comes from, this man appears to be "All hat and no cattle." The President appears less like a Cowboy quarterback confidently standing in the pocket and more like a Kilgore Rangerette dancing with two left feet.
The President performed his tough-guy "top gun" landing on the Lincoln back in May of "03, but he went to war with an insufficient number of troops and was completely unprepared for the occupation. He did not seal the Iraq borders with Syria and Iran. Rather than vanquish the evil doers, they continue to run wild in Iraq. And Iran is moving forward with their nuclear program while the Administration seems hapless.
Upon examining this situation, one wonders whether this President is a Reaganite or a Carterite (or Rangerette)? Is the Bush Doctrine a rhetorical illusion that obscures the reality of a weakened American defense posture? For instance, W. has made a greater priority eliminating the estate tax than expanding the military.
And on the domestic front, W, is similarly wimpy. In a true test of manhood, the President let down a lady in the face of a mob of scribblers. Prior to the Miers cave, the Katrina disaster represented both Bushie domestic incompetence and haplessness. Lately, W. does not exactly project an image of a bastion of strength and order.
But despite Bush's weaknesses, polls continue to indicate that Republicans, as a party, enjoy a distinct advantage over the Democrats when it comes to strength. While the war in Iraq is going badly, Americans realize that there is a continued terrorist threat and they demand tough leaders. And as the Moose has pointed out, a party that appears gullible and feckless will not be seen as a credible alternative to the GOP.
"We were duped" is not exactly an inspiring, reassuring slogan for a party that is viewed as soft on security. Together, Democrats, we can do better.
As W. looks more and more like a plutocratic weakling, this is an opportunity for muscular progressives to emerge. In particular, the Democrats must offer a credible, hawkish alternative to the GOP on national security. Have any national Democratic leaders recently even mentioned the enemy of jihadist terror? The real scandal of this Administration is failing to provide adequate resources for the military and planning for the post-war period. Yet, all of the Democratic focus is on re-litigating the war.
The Moose is looking for a few tough, hawkish donkeys. -- | 
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