Juice

Condoleeza Rice has President Bush calling her "44" and web sites are springing up, and so an air of excitement - even inevitablity - is building.

But what the hell does she stand for?

Before any candidate runs for any office, we need to know:

• What's the plan?
• Can you show that it's a feasible plan?
• Why are you and your team qualified to execute your plan?

Republicans and conservatives and anyone else getting all woozy over her potential run for the White House should gear back a bit and ask these questions, as we should for any candidate.

The last thing the Republicans need is a cult of personality around Condi.

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Tags: politics
by Brett Rogers, 2/27/2005 11:41:31 AM
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Economic Blue Skies

BusinessWeek reports that our economy is rock solid.

The economy clocked in at a 3.8 percent pace in the final quarter of 2004 -- faster than initially thought -- and is now cruising at that speed or better. That could be good news for jobless people hoping for companies to increase hiring.

In the newest reading on the economy's fitness, the gross domestic product exceeded a previous estimate of a 3.1 percent annual growth rate for the October-to-December quarter, the Commerce Department reported Friday. GDP measures the value of all goods and services produced within the United States.

"We are now at a comfortable cruising altitude," said Lynn Reaser, chief economist at Banc of America Capital Management. "What is significant is that all parts of the economy were pulling their own weight."

I mentioned in yesterday's post that a former client called me to work on a project. That client, whom I will not name, last used my services in 2001. They owed me about $7,000 when the project was over, but it was fall and 9/11 had just occurred. Some of their clients were in lower Manhattan, and because they weren't getting paid, I wasn't getting paid. It took about 6 months to collect all of the money due me.

If I asked you to fill in the blank, would you get the right answer? Here's the oft-repeated statement: "Markets hate _______________."

If you said "uncertainty," then you would be right. And 9/11 was a horrendously de-stabilizing force that created uncertainty.

But today, we haven't had a terrorist attack in over 3 years. In fact, we're on the offensive, and we're installing democratic thoughts in the Middle East. Even Lebanon, as told to a journalist for the Washington Post and cited in the Quad City Times.

Over the years, I've often heard him denouncing America and Israel; but these days, in the aftermath of Hariri's death, he's sounding almost like a neoconservative.

He says he's determined to defy the Syrians until their troops leave Lebanon and the Lahoud government is replaced.

"It's strange for me to say it, but this process of change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq," explains Jumblatt. "I was cynical about Iraq. But when I saw the Iraqi people voting three weeks ago, eight million of them, it was the start of a new Arab world."

Jumblatt says this spark of democratic revolt is spreading. "The Syrian people, the Egyptian people, all say that something is changing. The Berlin Wall has fallen. We can see it."

Partially, but not as much, I give the credit to tax cuts.

Partially, I give credit to the Federal Reserve's handling of interest rates post 9/11. Very helpful.

All of this builds confidence, which spurs people to feel safer to spend money, which is why when I took this gig with my former client, I didn't have any concerns about payment. This is a different, and better, time.

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Tags: economy | bush | america | politics
by Brett Rogers, 2/26/2005 10:36:54 AM
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King Dean

Now that Howard Dean has been christened King of the Democratic Party, I think it's harder for the Democrats to do exactly what the former governor sets out to do: rebuild the party and make it popular among voters again.

Personally, I like Dean's style. He's honest, and that's always a good first impression with me. That obviously played well with the thousands of people who lifted Dean to almost usurp John Kerry's expected role of Democrat challenger in the last presidential election.

But he's the face of the radical left. Which is fine if that sells, except that it doesn't. The Democrats lost seats everywhere.

I don't know that Dean can get past his reputation. Forget the scream. That's a hand overplayed. It's more than that.

Dean's base, the Deaniacs, are the radicals. They're the "George Bush is evil" left. The article I cite above talks about how Dean seems to suggest that he will pull the party more to the center.

Dean said yesterday he will spend much of his time in coming months in the red states of the South and West. "I think that's where we need a lot of work," he said. "I think that's where people are most skeptical about the Democratic Party, and I think the way to get people not to be skeptical about you is to show up and talk and say what you believe."

Listening to Laura Ingraham on the way home from dinner with my folks last night, she had David Corn on, who authored "Bush Lies." David's position: the Democrats don't need to change. They just need to get their message out in a more effective way.

Which is what Howard says as well - in effect, "Get to the Red States and speak what we believe." Exactly what they did in 2004. Which is fine if it sells. Except that it didn't.

I like a good debate. I'm hoping that the Democrats rebound if only to make for healthy debate in our country. But I don't think the radical left can provide a serious debate because their central premise and huge blind spot is: George Bush is evil. They can't see any good in what he is doing, even if it is objectively good.

NATO Secretary General Japp de Hoop Scheffer said:

"Europe realizes now in this moment, after the successful elections -- and we must admit that President Bush was right there and the cynics were wrong . . . that this is the moment to support the political process from all angles."

Which would be great if he would. Except that he probably won't. He'd lose the Deaniacs if he did.

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Tags: politics
by Brett Rogers, 2/14/2005 6:34:17 AM
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