Gypsy
09-29-2004, 18:30
Interesting correlations made.
http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/kfobbs/2004/kf_0928.shtml
American Swagger Will Come Out in First Presidential Debate
By Kevin Fobbs
September 28, 2004
Presidential debates bring out many varying kinds of interests, emotions, political dramas, historical facts, contingency commentary, salient moments, poignant thoughts and even at times may determine the course of history.
20 years before the appearance of our 1960 presidential debates, there was another leader, a soon-to-be ally during World War II. On May 13th 1940 in a speech before the British House of Commons, Prime Minister Winston Churchill was dealing with a serious degree of hesitancy on the part of his fellow statesmen who felt managing Adolph Hitler could best be done through diplomatic channels, stern warnings and by bringing his heinous acts of aggression before the court of world opinion.
Churchill's debate on the floor of the House of Commons is instructive in how we in America will approach dealing with the first presidential debate after 9/11. You see, the British had already had their share of those who believed in simply appeasing Hitler. Why just two years earlier, then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain on his return from a peace conference in Munich commented, "This is the second time that there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honor. I believe it is peace in our time."
Well, I think what happened after that little comforting set of remarks is certainly not open for debate by anyone. Hitler, like Osama Bin Laden just continued to pursue his strategy of terror and destruction.
It also moved the new British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, to stress two years later "Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival."
Sixty plus years have gone by since Churchill spoke those words of warning. Will we allow history to repeat itself? This debate will be in part on the swagger of our American confidence. Firmness and resolve is what must be conveyed to the terrorists abroad and the terror cells that may be plotting in America.
Americans are concerned about national security and not necessarily looking for the political win on points in candidate Kerry's delivery. They are going to be looking for the assurance and confidence that is conveyed genuinely by President Bush. After the horrible images of the death and destruction meted out by terrorists at the elementary school in Russia, where hundreds of innocent children and parents were murdered, Security Moms in America don't want to see this tragedy played out in their neighborhood schools.
There will be other types of Americans watching as well. There will be those who merely dabble in the politics of election cycles, I can understand how they would be churning in their martini glasses, waiting and wondering and watching for the first slip of Bush against Senator Kerry's tendency of confusing straight talk with meandering fiction which can take any point, as long it is the point he stands on for that moment. These temporary participants in the body politic will view this debate as a simple verbal boxing match which will provide them much discussion fodder either on Internet blogs or the next day around the office cooler. And, that's alright, because at least they will be watching and hopefully doing more than commenting on who won on debate points, but will actually also take the time to vote.
As with all history there is a genesis point. It could be measured from the floor of the House of Commons in the War on Nazi inspired terror. It could be the more contemporary terror which according to Swift Boat advertisements and Senator Kerry's "Reporting For Duty" acceptance speech in Boston at his convention, actually tie directly back to the Vietnam jungles and the real truth of this war of policy over politics from over 30 years ago.
So for many, the debates should bring the fragmented pieces of history together and hopefully also finally bring closure to almost a lifetime of debate about leaving no one behind on the field of battle. We don't want to repeat history by walking out of harms way in Iraq only to deliver harms way to our nation's cities.
History will not repeat itself this time on that stage because President Bush has stood squarely on the side of defying the naysayers who feel that an attack on our nation in 9/11 should be met the terrorists a decision on their guilt determined in a United Nation's courtroom instead of in a mountain cave in Afghanistan or a rat hole in Iraq.
On September 30th with this presidential debate, our enemies will be watching, waiting, and wondering will our resolve to defeat them become a victim to historically predicable last minute cave-in politics? The terrorist cells that are actively seeking a way to harm us even on the eve of our election are following each question asked, every answer given to see if there is a moment of hesitation.
History will not repeat itself. Instead a new history will be made. The perpetrators of attack in the War on Terror will not make our presidential debates or our upcoming Nov. 2nd election another notch on their gunbelt of terror.
So as we Americans watch as well, and listen or take part in commenting with the pundits, the strategists, the pollsters, and even the arm chair quarterbacks we will know what all Americans will understand, but especially the Security Moms" that our land, our freedom and our families security will not be compromised.
Freedom will not be compromised because of threats and intimidation, which worked in Spain on the eve of their national elections. The debates will not be a signal to the terrorists that we have somehow lost our direction and have become distracted, desperate and disillusioned. No, quite the opposite. It is fitting that national security is the first issue, because Americans will be reinforced by a President who will not permit us to simply walk away and abandon the lessons learned in the aftermath of 9/11.
Well, those who are watching the debate out there waiting to attack us and look for weakness and hesitation should look to our same British allies who stand firmly with similar resolve as they did during World War Two. You see Prime Minister Tony Blair understand as did his predecessor Churchill, they then and as they do now, are fighting for their country's survival, as we are fighting to keep our freedoms in tact and prevent the war on terror from coming to our homeland shores.
The first presidential debate is truly about our nation's survival. So you have to pardon those of us who like the President who has a swagger. Victims don't walk with a swagger. Americans are never victims and we put a high price on freedom and liberty. We do it because it is part of our soul, and we don't surrender it. It is our moral compass.
We walk like that in America because there is liberty in that swagger and the more liberty that is shared and fought for abroad and the more terror is ended the more perfect our liberty becomes at home. In Texas they call the swagger walking. We Americans call it standing Texas Tall against terrorism, because without victory there is no survival.
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http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/kfobbs/2004/kf_0928.shtml
American Swagger Will Come Out in First Presidential Debate
By Kevin Fobbs
September 28, 2004
Presidential debates bring out many varying kinds of interests, emotions, political dramas, historical facts, contingency commentary, salient moments, poignant thoughts and even at times may determine the course of history.
20 years before the appearance of our 1960 presidential debates, there was another leader, a soon-to-be ally during World War II. On May 13th 1940 in a speech before the British House of Commons, Prime Minister Winston Churchill was dealing with a serious degree of hesitancy on the part of his fellow statesmen who felt managing Adolph Hitler could best be done through diplomatic channels, stern warnings and by bringing his heinous acts of aggression before the court of world opinion.
Churchill's debate on the floor of the House of Commons is instructive in how we in America will approach dealing with the first presidential debate after 9/11. You see, the British had already had their share of those who believed in simply appeasing Hitler. Why just two years earlier, then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain on his return from a peace conference in Munich commented, "This is the second time that there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honor. I believe it is peace in our time."
Well, I think what happened after that little comforting set of remarks is certainly not open for debate by anyone. Hitler, like Osama Bin Laden just continued to pursue his strategy of terror and destruction.
It also moved the new British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, to stress two years later "Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival."
Sixty plus years have gone by since Churchill spoke those words of warning. Will we allow history to repeat itself? This debate will be in part on the swagger of our American confidence. Firmness and resolve is what must be conveyed to the terrorists abroad and the terror cells that may be plotting in America.
Americans are concerned about national security and not necessarily looking for the political win on points in candidate Kerry's delivery. They are going to be looking for the assurance and confidence that is conveyed genuinely by President Bush. After the horrible images of the death and destruction meted out by terrorists at the elementary school in Russia, where hundreds of innocent children and parents were murdered, Security Moms in America don't want to see this tragedy played out in their neighborhood schools.
There will be other types of Americans watching as well. There will be those who merely dabble in the politics of election cycles, I can understand how they would be churning in their martini glasses, waiting and wondering and watching for the first slip of Bush against Senator Kerry's tendency of confusing straight talk with meandering fiction which can take any point, as long it is the point he stands on for that moment. These temporary participants in the body politic will view this debate as a simple verbal boxing match which will provide them much discussion fodder either on Internet blogs or the next day around the office cooler. And, that's alright, because at least they will be watching and hopefully doing more than commenting on who won on debate points, but will actually also take the time to vote.
As with all history there is a genesis point. It could be measured from the floor of the House of Commons in the War on Nazi inspired terror. It could be the more contemporary terror which according to Swift Boat advertisements and Senator Kerry's "Reporting For Duty" acceptance speech in Boston at his convention, actually tie directly back to the Vietnam jungles and the real truth of this war of policy over politics from over 30 years ago.
So for many, the debates should bring the fragmented pieces of history together and hopefully also finally bring closure to almost a lifetime of debate about leaving no one behind on the field of battle. We don't want to repeat history by walking out of harms way in Iraq only to deliver harms way to our nation's cities.
History will not repeat itself this time on that stage because President Bush has stood squarely on the side of defying the naysayers who feel that an attack on our nation in 9/11 should be met the terrorists a decision on their guilt determined in a United Nation's courtroom instead of in a mountain cave in Afghanistan or a rat hole in Iraq.
On September 30th with this presidential debate, our enemies will be watching, waiting, and wondering will our resolve to defeat them become a victim to historically predicable last minute cave-in politics? The terrorist cells that are actively seeking a way to harm us even on the eve of our election are following each question asked, every answer given to see if there is a moment of hesitation.
History will not repeat itself. Instead a new history will be made. The perpetrators of attack in the War on Terror will not make our presidential debates or our upcoming Nov. 2nd election another notch on their gunbelt of terror.
So as we Americans watch as well, and listen or take part in commenting with the pundits, the strategists, the pollsters, and even the arm chair quarterbacks we will know what all Americans will understand, but especially the Security Moms" that our land, our freedom and our families security will not be compromised.
Freedom will not be compromised because of threats and intimidation, which worked in Spain on the eve of their national elections. The debates will not be a signal to the terrorists that we have somehow lost our direction and have become distracted, desperate and disillusioned. No, quite the opposite. It is fitting that national security is the first issue, because Americans will be reinforced by a President who will not permit us to simply walk away and abandon the lessons learned in the aftermath of 9/11.
Well, those who are watching the debate out there waiting to attack us and look for weakness and hesitation should look to our same British allies who stand firmly with similar resolve as they did during World War Two. You see Prime Minister Tony Blair understand as did his predecessor Churchill, they then and as they do now, are fighting for their country's survival, as we are fighting to keep our freedoms in tact and prevent the war on terror from coming to our homeland shores.
The first presidential debate is truly about our nation's survival. So you have to pardon those of us who like the President who has a swagger. Victims don't walk with a swagger. Americans are never victims and we put a high price on freedom and liberty. We do it because it is part of our soul, and we don't surrender it. It is our moral compass.
We walk like that in America because there is liberty in that swagger and the more liberty that is shared and fought for abroad and the more terror is ended the more perfect our liberty becomes at home. In Texas they call the swagger walking. We Americans call it standing Texas Tall against terrorism, because without victory there is no survival.
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