The Man I Saw
By A.M. Siriano (10/04/04)
Minutes after the first presidential debate in Coral Gables, Florida, Matt Drudge went live with this headline: “Let the spin begin!” The RNC went right to work, calling John Kerry out on his lie that he had never used the word “lie” in his attacks on President Bush.
The DNC started listing polls in favor of Kerry almost immediately. Conservative pundits were a little surprised at Kerry’s articulate, affecting style; liberal pundits noted that Bush seemed to be “running out of material.” None of them talked much about substance—maybe that will come later, after these great analysts forget the dazzle and actually read the text. Image, they seemed to be saying, is more important to the American people than truth.
I was not surprised by Kerry’s performance. I expect it from any man who embraces dishonesty as his modus operandi. I have known many charlatans in my lifetime, worked with some of them directly: They were all smooth operators. They were all masters of half-truths and outright lies. They were suave men with good tans and manicured nails, coifed and poised to make you believe, at least for a time, that what they said they were was what they really were.
The astute Dick Morris assured us that Bush had won the debate on substance, while Kerry had won it on style. It pained me to admit that he was right, but which quality would Americans hold dear? Kerry was as fluent as ever, which made it hard to focus on the fact that almost everything he said was false. Bush was sometimes passionate, but sometimes slow to react, sometimes stumbling into his next word. He stayed on message, but to such a degree that he indeed seemed to be running out of material.
And that is exactly why I revere George W. Bush, why I hold him in my head and in my heart as a great man. I have had enough of charlatans in my life; I am sick to death of them. I don’t want to hear well-delivered rhetoric; I would rather hear the straight talk of a man of action. I don’t want eloquence, I want engagement. I don’t want pretense, I want purpose. I don’t want sweet talk, I want sincerity—no matter how rough or indelicate it may be.
The man I saw on that stage was what I imagined he might be in private whenever he is told by his aides of the day’s trashing of his good name, or of some idiot comparing him to Hitler, or of some pundit ripping him to shreds for taking us to war, which has, by the way, freed millions of people. And now, after a long day of comforting people in Florida and pushing for quick action from Congress to help them, here he was, putting up with another public pounding, in front of a somewhat hostile audience and millions of people, and by one of the most reprehensible elitists this country has ever produced.
It was almost agonizing to watch. My exasperation at hearing Kerry’s lies was surely a hundredfold in the mind of the President—and it was showing in his posture, in his face, even in his tone of voice. He assured us of his optimism—and by all accounts we know this to be his nature—but it was the optimism of a man who, having taken a beating almost every day, seemed to be having some trouble lifting his head.
I want to be an optimist, too. I want to believe this country will say thank you on November 2 to the man I saw: frustrated, tired, hanging tough, a tower of nobility and resolve—and yes, a little less than articulate. I want to believe this country will see past image, see through a con-artist’s easy manner, and honor instead a great man who believes in liberty for all, freedom through strength.
I hope to God that in a world on the brink of disaster, with our enemies eager to destroy the life we have come to take for granted, we will embrace the vision of George W. Bush and vote our appreciation for everything he has done for us. By giving the President four more years, we will prove to the world that truth, not spin, is what America is all about.
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