May 25, 2004
Stay On Target
Bush speech mixed bag...
President Bush's address on Monday evening reviewed the Iraq conflict, addressed where we've been, and detailed some where might be going.
As a speech, it was a mixed bag. Carefully stating that things may get worse before they get better, Bush made clear his unalterable course on the transfer of power on June 30th, and the continued US security presence in Iraq. But missing was the name "Hussein" when reviewing where the conflict has come from. These days, Saddam seems also-ran news, but to reiterate that removing him was the key objective in the Iraq war cannot be too frequently stated.
The speech picked up toward the end, and the President always seems more comfortable and effective talking about positions than particulars. He's not a hands on executive, he's a big picture guy, so you can see the light bulb go on when he talks about liberty, freedom, and security, and the light bulb go off when he's talking about process, regional councils, and a 5 step program...
The White House still has communication problems. The President has a strong hand, but his speeches have yet to play it. This could be a case of waiting to make the big bet when it matters later in the game...
Posted by MEC2 at May 25, 2004 09:51 PM