Bush’s Campaign Strategy

It’s quite simple really. He gave us a preview during his visit to the Fort Polk National Guard base in Louisiana the other day:

FT. POLK, La. — President Bush warned on Tuesday that the country should not become complacent about the danger of terrorism, telling a spirited audience of National Guard and regular Army troops that since the Sept. 11 attacks, his focus as president has been to keep the country safe.

In line with the current White House emphasis on the president’s wartime leadership, Bush mentioned the Sept. 11 attacks six times in the 25-minute speech. The president also emphasized his “resolve” — a word he used four times and a theme reprised in various ways throughout the speech… He [also] used the words “danger” or “dangerous” 11 times during the speech.

There’s nothing like running on a platform of fear and danger. The thing is, his advisors are quite right that those are powerful, powerful motivators for the electorate. Which is why Bush still has a good chance of winning.

Kash