by Nicholas Wilbur
I called the 2004 election for George W. Bush on October 8, the night of his second debate with John Kerry.
Political analysts and media critics said the town hall debate ranked as a tie (the previous and following meetings were solid Kerry victories), but by the end of the night it didn’t matter if they ever met on stage again.
The moment I knew Bush would coast into another four-year term occurred during an exchange about tax rates on small businesses. Kerry said Bush’s policy made “small businesses” out of everything and everyone. He cited a report about Bush’s tax filings showing the president had an $84-dollar income from a timber company, a meager amount that nonetheless qualified Bush as a small business owner.
Bush’s response sealed any lingering hope I had that he would lose.
“I own a timber company?” he asked the crowd. “That’s news to me.” And with a pause that should be studied by every politician wanting to master the art of public speaking, Bush added, “Need some wood?”
Read More