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Bush in the News January 8, 2000 Contents: BUSH HITS ANOTHER "HOMERUN" IN SOUTH CAROLINA DEBATE Post debate reviews give Bush four stars for his strong performance "…hit a homerun…another strong performance…successfully delivered his message." – Norah O’Donnell, Hardball post debate analysis, January 7. "…McCain used essentially Democratic rhetoric against Bush’s tax plan…Bush won the war…a very good week." – Lisa Meyers, The News with Brian Williams, post debate analysis, January 7. "…if it had been a stock car race, Bush would have lapped everyone." – Michael Graham (South Carolina talk show host), Hardball post debate analysis, January 7. "…almost totally at ease." – Alison Mitchell, The New York Times, January 8. "…spoke to cheers from the boisterous crowd." – Terry Neal, The Washington Post, January 8. "…(the crowd) cheered his answers." – Maria L. La Ganga and Anne-Marie O’Connor, The Los Angeles Time, January 8. "…vigorously defended his plan to cut federal taxes." – Rick Pearson, The Chicago Tribune, January 8. "…relaxed on stage, often employing the wry humor he has displayed at the Governor’s Mansion." – Jena Heath and Scott S. Greenberger, The Austin American-Statesman Governor Bush’s Statement On Reports That The Surplus Will Be Larger Than Expected: "News reports indicating that the surplus is expected to be far larger than anticipated underscore the need for a substantial tax cut. It would be risky to leave all this money in Washington where the politicians will spend it on bigger government." Gore Uses McCain’s "Fiscally Irresponsible" Attack In Saturday’s Democrat Debate on CNN Vice President Al Gore used Sen. John McCain’s attack line on Governor Bush’s tax cut plan: "Even John McCain, on the Republican side of this race has said that it's fiscally irresponsible to put out a budget plan that spends all of the surplus either on some tax scheme or some spending proposal without setting aside money for Medicare." In The News Boston Herald’s Wayne Woodlief, "N.H. May Bounce Bush's Way: Strong Win Might Clinch Nomination" 01/09/00: "George W. Bush, surging again in the Republican presidential race, has a golden chance to play ‘Comeback Kid 2’ in New Hampshire and effectively clinch the nomination with a win in the first primary there Feb. 1. "Bush has just finished a super week. "He performed superbly in the New Hampshire TV debate Thursday night. Bold, quick-thinking, candid, down-to-earth. "Bush was endorsed on Tuesday by Elizabeth Dole. That's sure to win him votes among women and some Bob Dole loyalists. "And McCain...was dogged all week by revelations that he may have given special treatment to one of the special-interest big donors whose influence McCain has decried on the stump. "...a strong finish now would make Bush look even better. And it probably would finish off war hero McCain, his only strong rival. "McCain's game plan has been to upset Bush in New Hampshire and win again in veteran-laden South Carolina Feb. 19, thus gaining momentum and money to contest Bush the rest of the way. "But all that goes up in smoke if Bush wins in New Hampshire... "Bush was...prepared to mix it up... He said McCain risks ‘unilateral disarmament’ of the Republican party with his proposed ban on so-called ‘soft money’ for the national parties. Bush said that hurts Republicans when there's no law against labor unions raising political money through members' dues. "The new Bush is combative, fast on his feet and increasingly confident. He could wrap this thing up early. And if he does, look out Democrats, look out. "Boston Herald’s Joe Battenfeld, "McCain Hits Wall In Tight Granite State Race" 01/08/00: "GOP presidential contender John McCain's momentum has screeched to a halt in New Hampshire...a new Boston Herald/WCVB-TV Channel 5 poll shows."Bush and McCain remain locked in a dead-heat contest in the leadoff primary state, with Bush drawing 33 percent support of likely GOP voters and McCain getting 32 percent, according to the poll. "...since the last poll, McCain has failed to attract any new voters while his favorability rating has plummeted by 24 points. "The poll reveals signs of the Texas governor regaining his strength in the Granite State... Bush also appears to have gotten a boost from Thursday night's debate. "...45 percent of the likely GOP voters who watched the debate viewed Bush more positively after the televised encounter. McCain was viewed more favorably by only 23 percent who watched the debate. "The poll shows Bush was declared the winner of the debate by 21 percent of Republican viewers, easily besting McCain, who got only 9 percent. "‘Although they remain tied, the dynamic of the race seems to have turned and is now in Bush's favor,’ said Herald pollster R. Kelly Myers, director of RKM Research and Communications. "‘Based on his performance in the debate, I believe the momentum has shifted back in Bush's favor and voters are going to reconsider whether they want to vote for McCain,’ Myers added. ‘I think (Bush) has an opportunity to start having his numbers move back upward.’ "Bush's more aggressive stance against McCain and his improved debate style appear to be part of the reason for the shift in the race. "Among voters who saw the debate, Bush holds a 10-point lead over McCain. But among non-debate watchers, McCain has a 36-32 percent lead over Bush. "‘The strongest aspect of (Bush's) performance in the debate is that he seemed more genuine and approachable than he has in previous debates,’ Myers said. ‘He showed better humor and less likelihood of a bad temper.’ "Bush also continues to do much better among registered Republicans in New Hampshire, holding a 10-point lead over McCain. "Des Moines Register’s Jon McCormick, "Bush Remains Far Ahead In Iowa GOP, Poll Finds" 01/08/00: "George W. Bush continues to hold a massive lead among Republicans likely to attend the Jan. 24 presidential caucuses...according to a new Iowa Poll."The Texas governor is the favorite of 45 percent of Iowa Republicans... "Publisher Steve Forbes has experienced a leveling off in his popularity in the poll, dropping from 20 percent in November to 18 percent... "Conservative commentator Alan Keyes, U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and conservative activist Gary Bauer are in a statistical tie for third place, given the poll's 4.4 percentage-point margin of error. "Des Moines Register’s John McCormick, "Key Groups In Iowa GOP Support Bush 01/08/00: " He holds a 27-percentage-point lead over his nearest competitor, but there's more good news than that for George W. Bush in the latest Iowa Poll."The Texas governor has strong support from two groups that have historically done a good job of turning out for Iowa's precinct caucuses: older voters and those with higher incomes. "Bush has the support of 54 percent of Republican poll participants 65 and older, a group that represents 20 percent of the likely Republican caucus participants, according to the scientific survey. "Among poll participants with household incomes greater than $75,000, 57 percent support Bush. "It was easy to find Bush supporters among the poll's participants." New York Times’s Frank Bruni, "Voters Can Now Curl Up With The Policies Of Bush"01/09/00: "Voters who attended speeches by Gov. George W. Bush this week in New Hampshire and Iowa got more than just a handshake, a promise and a heady brush with a political celebrity." They got a bound, paperback copy of his collected works."‘A Fresh Start for America: Policy Addresses of George W. Bush’ brings together Mr. Bush's entire canon: his November reflections on foreign policy, ...his October musings on education, ...his July comments on the role of religious organizations in social work... "But ‘A Fresh Start for America,’ which came out this week, revisits the hits, in a portable volume that allows the more discerning, attentive types of people who vote in state primaries to take measure of Mr. Bush. "The book accurately conveys what the Bush campaign intends it to: ...he has clearly stated his views on an array of issues and has put forward several concrete proposals. "But 'A Fresh Start for America' is also a near-perfect emblem of the style, methods and gestalt of the Bush campaign, which is amazingly thorough, astonishingly organized, opulently packaged and a bit overemphatic in its response to any insinuation that Mr. Bush lacks the gravitas to govern a nation. "So 'A Fresh Start for America' is a bonus, published by the campaign itself, at a cost of nearly $1 per copy. Aides said that 50,000 copies have already been printed. "Mr. Bush held one aloft at an appearance on Thursday. "'For people having trouble sleeping at night,' he said, 'I suggest Chapter Three.'" A .pdf version of "A Fresh Start" is available for download
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