The Note
W A S H I N G T O N, May 4—<br> -- TODAY SCHEDULE (all times ET)
FUTURES CALENDAR
NEWS SUMMARY
Apparently, it is only May, but the candidates Bush and Kerry are out there campaigning incessantly in battleground states like it is October.
Blah, blah, blah, unpredictable world events might decide who wins in November, instead of the moves of the campaigns.
Blah, blah, blah, this President Bush has learned the lessons of his father's defeat and is working hard for re-election and to show he understands the economic concerns of the American people.
Blah, blah, blah, John Kerry might have waited three weeks (!) too long to start running bio spots.
Blah, blah, blah, national security is the President's big strength with the voters.
Blah, blah, blah, turnout will be key in this election, with a premium put on turning out "the base" and, simultaneously, appealing to the very small number of swing voters -- who live in just 17 (19?) states and who will be bombarded with commercials, direct mail, and phone calls all year.
Blah, blah, blah, the Bush campaign is going to try to paint John Kerry as a tax raising, weak-on-defense flip flopper.
Blah, blah, blah, the Kerry campaign is repeating many of the mistakes of the Gore campaign, and is headed by a Gore-like figure.
Blah, blah, blah, the Democrats will argue that Karl Rove and Co. will do ANYTHING it takes to win, while Republicans will claim that the coordination between the Kerry campaign and the liberal 527s is patently illegal.
Blah, blah, blah, those of goo-goo sentiment will claim that there is too much money in politics.
Goodness -- where does a working journalist go to have an original thought these days?
Speaking of original, what could be more so than to continue on a bus trip through the heartland, as President Bush does today . . .
He'll be in Ohio, speaking at a pancake breakfast in Maumee before participating in a Q&A session in Dayton. Bush then visits the Golden Lamb Inn in Lebanon, then speaks at a rally at the Cincinnati Gardens in Roseland, Ohio.
Sen. Kerry visits a classroom at Longfellow Elementary School and speaks about increasing high school graduation rates in Albuquerque, N.M.
Teresa Heinz Kerry is in New York City.
The Senate resumes consideration of consideration of the corporate tax cuts bill. The Harkin Over-Time amendment will be pending. Roll call votes are expected.
ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:
The AP's Ron Fournier wraps Bush's day on the road, including his acknowledgement "that the region is still in the throes of an ailing economy" and his warning that "Democratic challenger John Kerry is not the steady leader America needs." LINK
According to Bush campaign advisors, Bush's "shift in tactics" from a heavy advertising campaign to a retail campaign "reflects concern that the trappings of the White House put Bush in danger of looking out of touch, and that crucial industrial states could slip out of reach because of unemployment," reports the Washington Post's Mike Allen. LINK
Allen couldn't resist a description of the campaign bus as "swank" -- a far cry from the Oldsmobile during the 1978 congressional campaign that First Lady Laura Bush reminisced about. Also revealed Monday: Bush is reading "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.
The New York Times' Elisabeth Bumiller Notes that Bush had "the intensity of a man running as if the election were six days away rather than six months." LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Wallsten, writing on the bus tour, found "something striking" about the President and First Lady "climbing aboard a rock-star style motor coach so early in the year." LINK
USA Today's Benedetto and Keen have an awesome analysis of the buses themselves. LINK
"Each has three passenger compartments, two bathrooms, a galley, flip-down TV screens with satellite programming and a leather recliner for Bush. Campaign officials wouldn't describe security modifications. Bush aides use the second VIP bus. Reporters ride in regular buses."
The Boston Globe's Anne Kornblut Notes that the President consistently knocked what he sees as Kerry's inconsistencies while in Michigan yesterday. LINK
The Cincinnati Enquirer's Gregory Korte previews the buses rolling into Ohio today. LINK
President Bush will start his day in very blue Ohio territory. Lucas County (home to Toledo) in the Northwest portion of the state will likely not be an ultra competitive county this November. The last time Lucas County voted for a Republican presidential candidate was for Ronald Regan's re-elect in 1984 and that was by a very slim margin.
The President will then travel to some friendlier turf as heads through competitive Montgomery County (Dayton) and the comfortably red Warren and Hamilton counties.
Here's a look at how the 2000 vote broke down along the President's campaign trail route today.
Lucas County:Gore 57.8%Bush 39.1%
Montgomery County:Gore 49.6%Bush 47.5%
Warren County:Bush 69.9%Gore 27.7%
Hamilton County:Bush 54%Gore 42.8%
The Cincinnati Enquirer on Sunday took a look at the Golden Lamb's presidential history. George W. Bush will make number 12 to visit, but the first to do so as a sitting president. LINK
Monday, the Enquirer took a look at capacity crowds at the Cincinnati Gardens. The Richard Nixon/Henry Cabot Lodge rally in October 1960 still holds the record with 19,000 attendees. LINK
While the President was in Michigan knocking Kerry's inconsistency, Vice President Cheney was in Arkansas asserting that Kerry had consistently voted against tax reductions and tax credits. Bloomberg and the AP report on his speech at a Wal-Mart distribution center in Arkansas. LINK and LINK
The Note had an insider's view on the Vice President's trip to the Wal-Mart plant on Monday, witnessing along with him the thousands of gallons of Dr. Thunder, piles of Sanyo 27" flat screens, and mountains of Angel Soft bathroom tissue that served as a backdrop for his remarks to the extremely enthusiastic Wal-Mart employees.
The visit was a quick one to say the least as the Vice President was literally on the ground in Arkansas for about two hours and then back to D.C. Accompanied by Mrs. Cheney, the Vice President chatted with several of the workers at the distribution center, and the two of them were introduced to the Wal-Mart faithful to the tune of Van Halen's "Right Now," a copy of which could very well have been found somewhere in the shelves of the 1.2 million square-foot facility.
[Note Note: One word to describe the Air Force Two lunch of a taco salad and a Klondike Bar: yahtzee!]
ABC News Vote 2004: Bush vs. Kerry:
The Los Angeles Times writes about 2004 as the "country's first $1-billion political campaign" and reports on the flush days for those who count campaign cash, chronicling "the RNC plans to pour at least $50 million into the presidential campaign; the DNC is confident it will spend at least that much as well. Another $100 million will be spent on the political conventions. Independent groups known as 527s say they will spend $145 million. And MoveOn.org has announced a $50-million fundraising goal for its political action committee." LINK
