"Compared with Kerry, George W. Bush is a coward. This is
not a reference to their respective activities during
Vietnam. It refers to the current election campaign. Bush
happily benefits from the slime his supporters are spreading
but refuses to take responsibility for it or to call
point-blank for it to stop. He got away with this when the
prime mover was the shadowy Swift boats group. Will he get
away with it when the accusers are his own vice president,
high officials of his own administration (Deputy Secretary
of State Richard Armitage) and members of Congress from his
own party (House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert or Sen. Orrin
Hatch)? The answer is yes: Based on recent experience, he
probably will get away with it."


He gets away with it because his suppporters applaud it. He knows darn well
which section of the electorate his campaign is directed toward- and relies on
the fact that intellect is prized because it is rare. Those who react on "gut
instinct" and "emotion" rather than with rational thought can be swayed with
the shakiest of arguments- and they are far more numerous. That's the winning
key- they are far more numerous.

To be sure there are a few intellectual right wingers. Not all of Bush's
supporters are making sound byte decisions- just the majority of what may turn
out to be the majority.