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October 25, 2006 | South Carolina Headlines

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It's The Leadership, Stupid
Jimmy Moore
July 26, 2004

We are now less than 100 days from what some have described as the most important presidential election in U.S. history.  While that phrase has been used quite often during election years, the dramatic events of the past few years certainly lends credence to it being apt this time around.

During the last presidential election in 2000, you will recall that America was a very different place than it is today. 

There was no talk about terrorism.  In fact, most people had never even heard of al-Qaeda, Usama bin Laden or the Taliban. 

And while the United States had been tested by evil leaders before, such as Iraq's Saddam Hussein and Cuba's Fidel Castro, this nation for the most part had become very complacent about the real threat that was imminent just months later.

And then it happened - September 11, 2001. 

It is a day none of us will soon forget where we were when it happened.  We all watched in shock and horror as the plans of the terrorists were successfully executed and thousands of American civilians were murdered in cold blood by radical followers of Islam.

Yet, in the midst of this utter chaos and uncertainty, there was one image on our television screens that stood strong and resolute, giving comfort and guidance to millions of Americans during this difficult time. 

His name is President George W. Bush.

"Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America," Bush told the American people just hours after the planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon on that tragic day.  "These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve."

These gentle words of reassurance from the man who was duly elected to serve this country, albeit by a slim majority, were exactly what the country needed at the time.  At that moment and in the months and years to follow, President Bush showed the world that he genuinely cared about this country and was able to provide the leadership necessary to defend America from attack. 

His decisive action to scatter the Taliban in Afghanistan and to remove Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq showed Bush's tremendous courage and fearlessness in the presence of dangerous enemy combatants.  The president could have chosen to sit back and do nothing, but instead he boldly led the United States into an organized war against the forces who want to destroy us.  Bush's choice took inherent leadership to accomplish.

Many have said the world changed on September 11, 2001.  And indeed it did.

But in the nearly three years since the terrorists struck, it seems some of Bush's opponents have completely forgotten about the real threat of terrorism to our way of life. 

This attitude of complacency is due in part to the outstanding job President Bush and his administration have been doing to protect this country from another attack. 

Had President Bush delayed his response to the threat of terrorism, would America still be standing erect today?

If the United States simply ignored the terrorist attacks, do you think this nation would be safer than if it had not?

Finally, with the patriotism and unity of American government leaders behind President Bush just after the terrorist attacks, why are the president's opponents so viciously vilifying him now?

The answer lies in President Bush's leadership.  He has shown it to be his most valuable asset. 

When he was campaigning for president in 2000, some questioned whether Bush would be able to handle the pressure of being the leader of the free world.  But most of us agree that issue was settled in the days following September 11, 2001.

But President Bush has also proven his ability to lead on other issues besides the war on terrorism.

Just look at the economy, for example. 

While the Democrats have been hoping the economy would continue to dwindle from the recession which started while President Bill Clinton was still in office, the fallout of corporate scandals, the terrorist attacks on September 11 and the cost of fighting two wars, something interesting happened to ruin those sadistic plans.

Thanks to the wisdom of two strategic tax cuts by President Bush in 2001 and 2003, the economy has improved to the best it has been since the late President Ronald Reagan was in office in 1984, who coincidentally also passed tax cuts at the time that bolstered revenues and grew jobs.

The improvements in the economy in just the past year have led employers to hire new employees after several years of uncertainty and a sluggish economy.  As a result, nearly 1.5 million new jobs have been added to the workforce in just the past 10 months, an average of 150,000 per month.  And the jobs are still being created and unemployment is expected to fall despite the pessimism from Bush's opponents about the economy.

If you listen to what the Democrats are saying, one would think the economy is irreparably doomed because they mindlessly describe it as "the worst economy since the Great Depression."  Yet nothing could be further from the truth.

Even worse, Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry has already promised the American people that if he is elected president in November, he will most certainly raise your taxes to pay for other people's health care, retirement, education, and any other government program he can think of because he thinks you make too much money and do not deserve it. 

Describing anyone who makes over $35,000 per year as "rich," Kerry and the Democrats believe you should have to pay even more taxes to fund free government programs for the "poor" because you can afford it and they cannot.

The tremendous economic progress that has been seen in the past year would quickly vanish if Kerry is allowed to raise your taxes.

What is perhaps most interesting about President Bush's leadership is how he has attempted to befriend Democratic members of Congress by promoting issues that they have previously endorsed, despite their strong and sometimes contentious opposition to him personally.

The No Child Left Behind Act, which Bush teamed up with Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) to draft, provided greater accountability for education standards in this country.

The Medicare prescription law passed last year gives seniors and the disabled discounts on medications where it has previous not been provided, another issue the Democrats have long promoted.

The illegal alien amnesty program, giving undocumented workers the ability to work in the United States without penalty, shows Bush conceding the Democratic point that something needs to be done about the problem of illegal immigration.

These three examples of Bush reaching beyond partisanship have been criticized by Republicans and Democrats alike.  But President Bush believes they were the right things to do and he did them.  Again, that is true leadership.

This election will culminate on November 2, 2004 and is indeed very important.  There seems to be a lot more at stake this time with two men offering two very different views on the future direction of the United States.

President Bush has already proven himself to be the kind of leader who can make tough choices out of the conviction of his heart.

John F. Kerry, on the other hand, has not demonstrated an ability to grasp the concept of leadership that is so desperately needed during these still uncertain times.

In 1992, then-candidate Bill Clinton told voters, "It's the economy, stupid."  In 2004, the new campaign montra for President Bush is, "It's the leadership, stupid."

That is why it is so important for people to get involved in this election.  Whether it is donating money, making telephone calls, or writing letters to the editor, each person who cares about this country must do their part to continue the current leadership of this country. 

Involvement means stepping forward and doing what it takes to make sure the United States is not shaped by those who do not have America's best interests in mind.  At the same time, it means investing your talents and resources to keep a strong leader in office.

Let's work hard to elect a leader who has shown he has what it takes to keep America strong and moving in the right direction.  Working together, we can reelect President George W. Bush in November and maintain this country's status as the greatest country in the world.




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Comments


Jimmy's lies can always motivate me. Thanks Jimmy! Lie #1: "John F. Kerry has already promised the American people that if he is elected president in November, he will most certainly raise your taxes to pay for other people's health care, retirement, education, and any other government program he can think of because he thinks you make too much money and do not deserve it." Truth: JFK has not promised he will raise YOUR taxes. . . .

Read the rest.





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