| Bush News December 29, 1999 http://www.georgewbush.com Contents: Polling Report State’s Lee Bandy, "Bush..Tops In SC Minds" 12/26/99: "...the Texas governor still holdsa commanding lead over his chief rival. "Bush, the GOP front-runner from Day 1, was favored by 54 percent... McCain...was favored by 21 percent in the most recent telephone poll done by KPC Research... "‘Bush has a 50-state strategy. He’s positioned to go the distance and win the presidency....’ [Grove City College analyst Chuck] Dunn siad. South Carolina Poll 54...Bush "The KPC Research telephone survery, taken Dec. 9-19, included...332 people who say they’ll vote in the Republican primary...[and had a] 5.4 percent...[margin of error]." In The News The Washington Times’ Bill Gertz, "Bush Adviser Says U.S. Should Not Be Timid With Beijing" 12/29/99: "The United States should ‘never be afraid to confront’ communist China, says [Condoleezza Rice,]a top adviser to Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush. "[She] sharply criticizes Clinton administration national security policies [in an article titled ‘Promoting the National Interest’ to be published] in the January-February issue of Foreign Affairs, arguing that the present U.S. stance toward Beijing must change. "Miss Rice would likely serve in a senior national security role if Mr. Bush is elected... She served as a Russia expert on the National Security Council staff under President Bush... "The next Republican president's foreign policies should derive from U.S. national interests and "not from the interests of an illusory international community," Miss Rice concludes...‘The president must remember that the military is a special instrument,’ she writes. ‘It is lethal, and it is meant to be. It is not a civilian police force. It is not a political referee. And it is certainly not designed to build a civilian society.’" For the full story go here: Weekly Standard’s Fred Barnes, "John McCain’s Southern Strategy " 12/27/99: Writing from South Carolina, Fred Barnes takes a look at McCain’s "momentum theory" for winning the GOP nomination – win New Hampshire and then win South Carolina. "There are two big problems with it. The first is history, which hasn’t treated the theory kindly in South Carolina. In 1996, Patrick Buchanan won in New Hampshire only to be clobbered by Bob Dole here. Ronald Reagan in 1980 and George Bush (the father) in 1988 got small boosts from winning the New Hampshire primary. But they were already far ahead in South Carolina and won easily. Second, there’s the nature of the state’s Republicans. They tend to be institutional voters, going along with the party’s top leaders, who are mostly for George W. And nearly half of the GOP electorate consists of evangelical Christians. The pastors at least, if not the members, of many large Baptist and charismatic churches are pro-Bush..." For the full story go here: http://www.weeklystandard.com/magazine/mag_5_15_99/barnes_art_5_15_99.html Associated Press’s Laura Meckler, "New Ads Spotlight Taxes and Education" 12/28/99: "The Bush campaign is...producing a series of "real-time" ads - documentary-style clips of Bush on the campaign trail, talking with voters... The idea is to capitalize on one of Bush's strengths - his ability to connect with voters one-on-one. "...Bush is rolling out a series of TV ads on education and tax cuts [focusing] ...on what Bush would do as president... "‘The New Hampshire way is to cut taxes, and I've got a plan to cut the taxes,’ Bush says... A narrator goes on to tout...his plan, which cuts tax rates at all levels, eliminates the marriage penalty and the estate tax. "In...the ads, Bush is...talking with small groups in some scenes; in other shots, he is...addressing an audience. Children, students and older people gather around him. "In three education spots, Bush touches on his support for everything from teaching phonics to setting "high standards" for children. And he emphasizes both local control over schools and accountability for results...‘I'm going to ask the question, are they learning? And if they're not, we will free the parents so they can make other choices," Bush... "The campaign plans to produce one of these spots every day that Bush is in New Hampshire." New York Times’ Frank Bruni, "Bush Makes Adjustments as McCain Gains Ground" 12/29/99: "...in New Hampshire over the next several weeks, Mr. Bush...will stage...free-wheeling, question-and-answer sessions... "Mr. Bush's television commercials will also take on a new look and feel. "[The] advertisements [will] bear the legend ‘campaign update’ and show uninterrupted, straightforward snippets of Mr. Bush engaging the state's voters. "...chief media adviser, Mark McKinnon [says]...these newsreel-like, miniature documentaries are intended to affirm "just how hard the governor is working to earn every vote in New Hampshire." "‘We've agreed upon steps that we're putting into place, mid-course corrections,’ said Karl Rove, Mr. Bush's chief strategist, speaking in particular of New Hampshire... "‘It'll be wall to wall in January,’ said Ari Fleischer, a campaign spokesman. ‘And it'll be geographically confined to the following states: Iowa, Iowa, Iowa and Iowa. New Hampshire, New Hampshire, New Hampshire and New Hampshire. And South Carolina, South Carolina and South Carolina.’ "...there is [not] anything even remotely resembling a sense of panic among those around Mr. Bush, whose position remains the envy of his five Republican opponents. "In national polls, he continues to trump Mr. McCain by dizzying double-digit margins of more than 40 percentage points. Outside of Arizona, Mr. McCain's home state, and New Hampshire, which Mr. McCain could claim as a second residence at this point, Mr. Bush seems to have a lead in every state with an early contest. "Additionally, his campaign's estimated haul of more than $65 million in contributions means that Mr. Bush has the financial resources to advertise heavily anywhere his lead seems to be slipping. Mr. McCain's tally is less than a third of that sum. "...Mr. Bush will more boldly underscore the distinctions between him and Mr. McCain, principally by focusing on two areas, taxes and education, where Mr. Bush and his team feel they have put forward more detailed, coherent and innovative proposals than Mr. McCain has. "Mr. Bush and his advisers also seem to see the way they campaign in New Hampshire over the coming weeks as an opportunity to repudiate some of the negative appraisals of Mr. Bush as an overly programmed and excessively cautious candidate... "Iowa and New Hampshire have a cherished history of punishing complacent front-runners," Mr. Reed said. "So all this activity conveys the message: I'm working hard, I'm not taking you for granted." For the full story go here: http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/122999wh-gop-bush.html Spread The Word! Governor Bush needs your help in bringing his positive vision for America to the people. Please forward this e-mail to family, friends and colleagues whom you think want to hear more about George W. Bush. How To Get Involved If you are interested in volunteering your time or contributing to Bush for President, use the following links. To Volunteer! To Contribute! Letter From The Governor: http://www.georgewbush.com/contribute/index.html |