Special Election Edition - November 5, 2004
November
5,
2004
Special Election Edition
Just Call Him "Carnac" Krugman
"If the election were held today and the votes were counted fairly, Senator John Kerry would probably win. But the votes won't be counted fairly, and the disenfranchisement of minority voters may determine the outcome.Electoral College projections based on state polls also show a dead heat. Projections assuming that undecided voters will break for the challenger in typical proportions give Mr. Kerry more than 300 electoral votes."
- Paul Krugman, October 22.
A Curtain Call for Tom Daschle, "A Man of Decency"
"The soft-spoken leader has often been described by his fellow Democrats as a man of decency. On Wednesday, Senator Jon Corzine of New Jersey, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, called him 'a patriot and a statesman,' and said he would be 'remembered as one of the giants to ever grace the Senate stage.' But in the acrimonious environment of the Senate, where Democrats have blocked Republican legislation and held up some of Mr. Bush's judicial appointees, the majority has vilified Mr. Daschle as 'the chief obstructionist' to the White House agenda. On Wednesday, as they tallied their Senate victories, the Republicans were
jubilant."
- Sheryl Gay Stolberg, November 4.
Hillary Clinton, Moderate-Conservative?
"Mrs. Clinton may face another obstacle if she decides to seek her party's nomination: The last thing the Democrats may be looking for right now is a politically polarizing Northeastern senator who is regarded as a liberal in many political quarters. But her aides point out that since arriving in the Senate, Mrs. Clinton has staked out moderate-to-conservative positions on a host of issues, from welfare to the war in Iraq, much to the chagrin of her liberal supporters and the satisfaction of some Republicans."
- Raymond Hernandez, November 4.
"Code Words" for Christians from Bush
"And while Mr. Bush could use code words like 'culture of life' and 'armies of compassion' to motivate evangelicals, Mr. Kerry found himself preaching the separation of church and state from pulpits."
- White House reporter Elisabeth Bumiller (from a story with reporting by David Halbfinger and David Rosenbaum), November 4.
Bush "Most Polarizing" Prez Since Nixon
"Already, through his aggressive handling of terrorism and foreign policy, he has made himself not only the most polarizing president since Richard M. Nixon but also guaranteed himself a prominent place in the history books, and historical debate, for years to come."
- Todd Purdum, November 3.
Huh?
"A surprise Thanksgiving visit by the president to the troops turned out to feature a 'show' turkey supplied by Halliburton."
- From an October 31 column by Arts Editor Frank Rich.
Who Won the Election, Anyway?
"The survey of voters leaving the polls found that Mr. Bush did indeed enjoy a big advantage over Mr. Kerry on the issue of terrorism. But it also showed that a majority now believed that the war had gone badly off course, and had jeopardized the long-term security of the United States. And while Mr. Bush was seen as much better able to protect the nation from terrorist attacks than Mr. Kerry was, the survey suggested that in the end, domestic issues - like health care and job creation - were critical factors in the choices of many Americans, and many of those voters were going to Mr. Kerry."
- Adam Nagourney, November 3.
"Bombastic" Rove
"Late last week at a campaign rally in a dark Pennsylvania pasture, thousands of supporters listened raptly to President Bush and then watched fireworks explode overhead. But other pyrotechnics were going off in a distant corner, where a giant scrum of reporters ignored the candidate but hung on to every word of a bombastic, deceptively cherub-faced man Democrats love to hate."
- Elisabeth Bumiller, November 1.
How in the World Did Kerry Lose?
"Mr. Kerry seemed as loose on stage as those around him, engaging his audiences at every step, mugging for laughs as he mocked Mr. Bush's debate body language and basking in every yelled 'You're the man, John!' and 'We love you!'.But it was in Milwaukee that Mr. Kerry seemed most relaxed, most self-deprecating, most glad and grateful to have made the long journey that was at last coming to a close. He jokingly threatened to give one of his stentorian speeches. And had it not been for the rain, he might have seemed almost misty-eyed."
- David Halbfinger, November 2.
"A Looser, More Jovial Kerry Prepares for Voters' Choice - Relaxed, playful and workmanlike, and hopelessly superstitious."
- Headline and cut-out line to Jodi Wilgoren's November 1 story from the Kerry camp.
"Rock Stars Are Highlight, But Kerry Is the Headliner -The candidate's ideas seem to galvanize thousands at rallies."
- Headline and cut-out line to Deborah Sontag's October 31 story from the Kerry camp.
vs.
"Putting Tension Aside, Bush Resolutely Enjoys Himself - Any crack in the faade could be fatal at the polls. So there isn't one."
- Headline and cut-out line to Richard Stevenson's November 1 story from the Bush camp.
"Earlier Monday Mr. Bush's aides, after asserting for weeks that they were confident and calm, finally admitted in the last marathon stretch that they were on edge. But they said the president was serene.Notably, [Bush media aide Mark] McKinnon spoke about the recent polls with less bravado than other Bush advisers in the closing days of the campaign, and made no promises of the outcome."
- Elisabeth Bumiller, November 2. Bush won by 3.5 million votes.
