The medias reflections of Bush´s acceptance speech (Transcript, Video) is quite cold. They mostly agree that Bush had some points on national security, but the echo on his domestic proposels is full of question marks. A press review:
New York Times
Bush Outlines Plan for a 2nd Term and Attacks Kerry’s Record
After four days in which speaker after speaker attacked Mr. Kerry’s credibility, credentials and even his patriotism, and focused almost entirely on national security, Mr. Bush expanded his appeal with a discussion of domestic policy.
… most of the proposals, on issues like affordable housing and community college job training, were relatively modest and not of a scale likely to redefine the presidential race. His package lacked the freshness and sweep of the agenda he ran in 2000, presumably in part because the growing federal budget deficit constrained him from proposing big new programs
The president made no mention of the foreign figure who arguably most influenced his first term in the White House: Osama bin Laden, the yet-to-be-captured leader of Al Qaeda.
Mr. Bush’s speech drew as ecstatic a reaction as he has found while campaigning, and for long moments, he stood and gazed at the cheering crowd, smiling just slightly.
Analysis: Bold Strokes, Few Details
Mr. Bush spoke confidently but saved his passion for national security issues, and sounded a tone of defiance at critics of his decision to invade Iraq…
Mr. Bush devoted the first half of his speech to domestic policy. But his biggest ideas were not really new, and he left the daunting details of the agenda items…
Washington Post
Bush Promises ‘a Safer World’
… a lofty speech casting his reelection as crucial to the spread of democracy across the world and to the security of Americans at home.
Bush’s address combined many passages from his usual stump speech, familiar slogans such as “compassionate conservative” from his 2000 campaign, and mocking, dismissive jabs at Kerry.
The speech continued the efforts of other convention speakers … to conflate the war in Iraq, which is generally unpopular, with the war on terrorism, for which Bush still receives strong marks.
Analysis: Domestic Questions Remain
… an acceptance speech long on ambitions but far shorter on the ways or the means to accomplish them.
What the domestic agenda lacked was both a sense of priorities that has been the hallmark of his political style and the passion that animated the second half of his speech, when he turned to foreign policy.
Nowhere did he confront directly … the loss of jobs during his presidency and uneven economic recovery that casts a shadow over his hopes for reelection.
Bush’s desire to reform Social Security collides with his call to make permanent his tax cuts, and outside budget experts say it is unrealistic to expect to do both without further enlarging the deficit.
… few doubt his willingness to act and act aggressively in the face of terrorist threats. But after nearly four years in office, questions remain about his passion or commitment to the economy or domestic policy.
USA Today
Analysis: 2nd term staked on war on terrorism
his prime-time address made clear that the heart of his administration for the next four years would be the battle against al-Qaeda and the search for safety from those who would do Americans harm. On this issue he will claim a second term, or lose it.
Knight Ridder
Bush casts himself as strong leader
Delivering a message of fear and hope, President Bush presented himself to America Thursday night as a wartime leader who can guide the nation through dangerous times.
The speech excerpts released by the White House didn’t include any reference to Iraq, jobs or Osama bin Laden.
MSNBC
Bush promises: ‘Nothing will hold us back’
Bush made no mention of a plan to raise the money to pay for any of those proposals, much less pay down the record budget deficits that have been created since he took office. Instead, he referred anyone wanting more details to his Web site.
Not until almost two-thirds of the way through his address did Bush turn to the war on terrorism, the cornerstone of his re-election campaign. And even then, al-Qaida — the terrorist organization behind the Sept. 11 attacks, which continues to launch terrorist strikes in the Arab world and elsewhere — was noted lightly, almost as if in passing.
He did not mention Osama bin Laden — the al-Qaida leader whom U.S. forces have not apprehended three years after his strike on America — at all.
Josh Marshall
Talking Points
I thought the president tonight was better than his speech. And what I mean by that is that he seemed confident, assured, and at ease — all the qualities that he should have conveyed and embodied. But the speech itself, while good, seemed like less than it could have been.
Andrew Sulivan
A SUPERB SPEECH
It was the second best speech I have ever heard George W. Bush give – intelligently packaged, deftly structured, strong and yet also revealing of the president’s obviously big heart.
They presented a moderate face, while proposing the most hard-right platform ever put forward by a GOP convention. They smeared and slimed Kerry – last night with disgusting attacks on his sincerity, patriotism and integrity. And yet they managed to seem positive after tonight. That’s no easy feat. But they pulled it off. Some of this, I have to say, was Orwellian. When your convention pushes so many different messages, and is united with screaming chants of “U.S.A.”, and built around what was becoming almost a cult of the Great Leader, skeptical conservatives have reason to raise an eyebrow or two.
The chutzpah is amazing. At this point, however, it isn’t just chutzpah. It’s deception. To propose all this knowing full well that we cannot even begin to afford it is irresponsible in the deepest degree. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the only difference between Republicans and Democrats now is that the Bush Republicans believe in Big Insolvent Government and the Kerry Democrats believe in Big Solvent Government.
On CNN´s website readers give Bush a C+ for this speech PUNDITS SCORECARD.
I think it was worse, a C-, and the speech left three major attack points open. Bad execution in Iraq , irresponsible budget policy and the economic downturn are open wounds. Kerry will have to rub salt into theses.