Bush Supporters Misread Many of His Foreign Policy Positions, Kerry Supporters Largely Accurate
Swing voters also misread Bush, but not Kerry.
Study by the Program on International Policy Attitudes. PIPA is a joint program of the Center on Policy Attitudes (COPA) and the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM), School of Public Affairs, University of Maryland.
A big part of style is looks. The Bush camp's spin on Kerry's looks has a number of facets - they've called him Lurch, made fun of his hair, they've got their partisans checking for any tiny bead of sweat, and they're even trying to make fun of his tan.
All of this blather, like most Republican attacks, draws attention away from the fact that their candidate isn't so hot in the looks game these days.
Have you seen him? I've been cable-less for the past year, so it was a shock to catch a quick news blip of one of Bush's campaign stops. He looks terrible.
His skin hangs on his face. His hair looks like wire. There's a bone-deep tiredness behind his eyes.
The presidency ages people. Who can forget the `before' and `after' photos of Jimmy Carter?
If the past four years have aged Bush this much, wouldn't it be kinder to make sure that he doesn't have to endure four more? If he looks older than Poppy now, in four years he'd be approaching Crypt Keeper.
Bush's handlers can make him up seven ways from Sunday, but that has problems of its own. Any girl can tell you that too much makeup is worse than none at all. And nothing can entirely disguise the fact that he's a lot older and worn down than he was when he faced Al Gore.
The nets will be playing shots of that old debate. So use that contrast to build your frame. "He looked so young then. He looks so tired and worn-out now."
Bush - tired, run-down, unhealthy.
Kerry - strong, tanned, fit.
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