Bush goes to Baghdad

[Undertoad]

Syc asked me the other day what I thought of this, and I said, it's a home run in every sense.

As a carefully planned political event, what a coup. This is a non-partisan observation; I used to think that of Clinton. Clinton really developed the practice of staging events like this and sometimes one would be taken aback by the sheer audacity in the staging.

The carrier landing was meant to be that kind of thing, but I think it failed. It was too far over the top and thus was easy for the opposition to attack.

This one couldn't be faulted in the same way, because it was for the troops. So attacking it makes you look bitter; it can only polarize the opposition. (Smart campaigns sensed this and said nothing; Clark did a little carping; Kucinich foamed at the mouth as usual.)

It was timed to be digested by tens of millions over the Thanksgiving meal. Think about that. Somehow they worked out how to get the timing down so well that reporters couldn't announce what was happening until the holiday morning, creating a buzz. But not for political purposes; for purposes of national security. And a few hours later the video arrived, right on time.

No wonder the whole thing was to be shelved if the secret went out. If the timing was off in any way, it wouldn't be a perfect political event, and instead would look like a dangerous muff.

So you've got the holiday TV attention of tens of millions of bloated turkey-eatin', civic-minded votin' types. And through satellite TV and word-of-mouth, millions of Iraqis. What do you say? You keep it short. Bush's words repeated the strong resolve to stay the course. They gave the Iraqis reassurance. They were strong but positive. They were genuine, backed up by a sincere, teary entrance. And the bottom line, which I guess still matters, is that it was the right thing to do.

Staged: well of course, we are a marketing-driven, TV-driven people. Relentlessly political: well of course, everything is. But it felt like it felt when Clinton went to China and advocated freedom to the students: whatever else it might have been, it was the right thing to do. You go in, maybe work a little harder and take a little risk, for the sake of pumping up the troops and sending the policy message you need to send.

On Meet The Press this morning it came out that Bush was in the cockpit when they landed in Baghdad. I take this as a Bartlett/West Wing sort of vibe, not a political/leaked item for the sake of making the guy look like a cowboy. I'm sure the pilots would rather have the guy secured down in the tail where he couldn't do any harm. But he's the President, dammit, and he can sit where he wants. Wouldn't you demand to sit up there?