"Excuse Presidency" - Why it's perfect.

In Kerry's speech in Detroit yesterday, he brought out a new line of attack, calling the Bush Administration the "Excuse Presidency" for its refusal to take responsibility for the economic problems of the last 3.5 years, instead blaming everyone and everything else.

This line of attack is absolutely brilliant.  Why?  Because it has no defense.  The only possible ways to deny the charge are to either take responsibility for the problems (thus, admitting that there ARE problems) or to make yet another excuse, both of which play directly into the attack.  "Bush is STILL making excuses," etc.  It is a line perfect for the debates.  

Don't expect to see either of these two responses from the Bush Administration, however.  They will instead go to the third option, which is roughly: "9/11, 9/11, terror, flip-flopper, 9/11, terror, terror, orange alert, 9/11, flip-flopper, TAX CUT!"  In a debate setting, however, changing the subject like this will probably still look like just another excuse.

Whoever thought up that line, nicely done!  Now, repeat it as much as possible!

•  You beat me to the post

  I agree this is the best material that the Kerry campaign has. George Bush the excuses president.

  by TexasLiberal on Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 06:36:37 AM PDT

•  George Dubya Bush.

  Worse.  EXCUSE. of a president. Ever.

  by VickiStein on Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 06:40:48 AM PDT

•  asdf

  I agree with the concept but think the phrase is awkward. Doesn't roll of the tongue. How about "A Presidency of excuses"

  by BOHICA on Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 06:40:50 AM PDT

  •  presidency of excuses

    Good point.  The problem is the word "excuse."   It doesn't flow well.  How about the "don't blame me" president?  

    I thought an especially strong touch was the (paraphrased) "it's not where the buck stops, but where the blame starts."  Poetic and nicely references Truman, too.  

    by SLKRR on Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 06:59:52 AM PDT

•  Not a big fan

  It seems to me that Bush doesn't make excuses, and that he's actually proud of his record... so the "Excuse Presidency" doesn't ring quite right to me.  

  Kerry also said that the buck doesn't stop at his desk but that the blame starts from his desk. Well, one of the main characteristics of his presidency is that he never blames anybody for anything... so I'm not sure I get this one either.

  To me, "Blind Presidency" or "Bubble Presidency" seems more apt.  I'm not saying it's good, I'm just saying it's more reflective of my perception of his tenure.

  by TVOR on Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 06:50:27 AM PDT

  •  It seems to be resonating in the mainstream media

    I heard a nice sound bite on NPR this morning. I think its got legs

    by TexasLiberal on Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 07:05:59 AM PDT

    •  I agree...

      Over the past 18 hours, I've heard that line on NPR, MSNBC (several times), and my local newscast. I too think it has legs.

      by BleedingHeartLiberal on Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 07:30:38 AM PDT

  •  no blame?

    He doesn't blame anyone?!  What was "the Clinton recession" about then?  What about Clinton never catching bin Laden?  What about the "march to war" by the media causing the economy to suffer?  When no WMD were found, the CIA was blamed for "bad intelligence."  When tax cuts hurt the economy and ramped up the deficit, the blame was that there should have been MORE tax cuts (therefore the Dems' fault).    

    We can go on and on.  This admin slings blame around almost as much as it does slime.

    "Blind" or "bubble" presidency are pretty good, too, but they don't lead to the absolutely beautiful trap that "excuse presidency" creates.  

    by SLKRR on Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 07:07:26 AM PDT

  •  You underestimate the power

    It's not how Bush sees himself, it's how we define Bush. It's similar to the "Kerry is a flip-flopper" attack; it's about impressions, not deep analysis.

    It has all sorts of crunchy goodness. Any comment can be inferred as an excuse. People who make excuses do aren't brave, or they wouldn't need excuses. Excuses imply a sort of impotence, an inability to take chage. And boy, Bush is ripe for the stereotype, no matter how what he thinks.

    With luck, this could be a "the emperor has no clothes!" moment. It could be the filter through which all future actions are judged.

    by Saint Fnordius on Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 07:09:02 AM PDT

  •  George W. Bush has been a blamer

    All of his life, and he has blamed everything and everybody for the failures of his presidency.

    The economy?  "Not my fault, a trifecta, hehheheheheh(see his shoulders bobbing up an down, with that goofy, simpleton grin) Clinton's fault.  Bubble burst just as he was leaving, what was I supposed to do, heheheheheh, make it better? Couldn't, got hit with that trifecta.  Not my fault."

    The Iraq debacle?  "Not my fault Saddam was a madman that pretended to have weapons that I used as an argument for war. So he doesn't have them?  Not my fault.  Everybody thought he had them. Not my fault.  Clinton's fault.  So we got a memo that spelled it out for us, so the Clinton people warned us.  Still, not my fault. They should have done something about it.  It's not my fault."

    The deficit? "Not my fault.  The trifecta, again."

    Uniter not a Divider?  "Heh, it's Washington. Not my fault.  Washington doesn't want mah unitin'way.  See, they like di-vi-sion they hate mah freedom lovin' unitin'  Not my fault."

    And the pride in his record?  It's just another way of saying nothing is his fault.  Fire somebody?  No, that would be admitting blame.  Everything is fine when nothing's your fault.

    It really is perfect.

    by Cathy on Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 07:11:26 AM PDT

•  What's even better

  is that the story is being reported faithfully by the pickler of all people.

  by maxomai on Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 06:52:32 AM PDT

•  meme

  I am not a great tracker or judge of memes, but I also think the "Blameless President" meme is a potentially good one.  Things like "Bubble" or "Blind" aren't really going to appeal to people, but everyone knows someone in their life who never takes the blame for anything they do.  Americans know that things are bad, and by saying Bush never takes the blame or offers only excuses, it calls more attention to that fact.

  I think a sarcastic round of "Blameless George" would work even better than "The Excuse President."

  by NYCO on Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 07:16:07 AM PDT

•  It is perfect

  Its simple. Its short. Its true.

  To make it work... to make it stick, everyone is going to have to keep saying it. From Kerry to Edwards to James Carville to you and me when talking to our friends... we have to make it stick hard. This is the reason that "flip-flopper" has been so effective.. because they keep saying it NO MATTER WHAT. We do the same - Dubya can't take responsibility for anything, he can only give excuses.

  George W. Bush - the Excuse President.

  John F. Kerry - No more excuses.

  by Faust on Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 07:35:12 AM PDT