The Bush campaign saw this as a time for action. Their guy had tanked in a national debate, the polls were slipping, the war in Iraq is getting worse, violence in Afghanistan is increasing, and their opponent is getting stronger as time goes on. It was time, the campaign told everyone, for a “significant speech.”
They got both words wrong. It wasn’t “significant”; it was the same claptrap Bush has been reciting for months. And it wasn’t even a speech; it was a 50-minute campaign commercial that the campaign hoodwinked the news networks to broadcast for free.
Consider how the media billed the speech on Monday.
* “President Bush heads to [Pennsylvania] for what is billed as a major speech.” — MSNBC
* “President Bush heading to Pennsylvania for what’s called a significant speech on the economy and the war on terror.” — CNN
* “President Bush is making what’s being called a significant speech on Iraq and the economy.” — Fox News
None of this was true. In this case, however, it wasn’t entirely the networks’ fault. They were told this would be a major address on key issues, but just as it has lied to the voters, the campaign lied to the news media.
But even after the con had begun, the networks stuck with the president. As Salon’s Eric Boehlert noted:
The question is, why did all three news channels cover the attack speech for nearly an hour? In the past, they have occasionally cut away to both candidates’ stump speeches for five or ten minutes, but certainly never for 50 minutes. When it became apparent that Bush’s policy speech was not going to be as advertised, but was instead a tirade against Kerry, did that still constitute news? And the more pressing question for the cable outlets is: When are they going to give Kerry nearly an hour of uninterrupted time to ridicule and mock Bush’s record?
Good question. One of many.
Slate’s Fred Kaplan raised another point that was just as compelling: why wasn’t this a significant speech?
Most presidents would want to deliver, right about now, a major address on the war against terror and the war in Iraq. In the last few days, one blow after another has struck the very foundations of Bush’s policies. The fact that, under the circumstances, Bush didn’t deliver a major policy address after all, despite his advance word, should embarrass not only CNN and MSNBC but, still more, President Bush.
[…]
So, President Bush may well need to deliver a major policy address on [the debacle in Iraq] sometime soon. Today, though, he just told the cheering throngs that he’s strong and resolute while his opponent’s a flip-flopper.
It’s a good point. When I heard that this was a going to be a momentous address, I assumed the campaign was taking their predicament seriously and was prepared to start campaigning like a president should. That’s clearly not the case. They got nearly an hour of free airtime and all Bush has left is deceptive attacks, nonsensical quips, and excuses for a failed presidency.
I have a feeling that Kerry, if and when he gets his 50 free and uninterrupted minutes on all three major news networks, will make better use of the opportunity.