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SEIFFE:  Denounce Carter

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

By Ralf Seiffe

Republicans have the chance to take the kind of jab at Democrats that the Democrats have served up to our side forever.  The question is whether the Republicans will recognize the opportunity and have the sang froid to exploit it.

Jimmy Carter, who poorly emulates Woodrow Wilson’s grasp of the good intentions of despots, indicts the U.S. and Israel for failing to support Hamas because he believes these terrorists “won” the elections in the formerly occupied territories.   Carter’s remarks have been widely reported and are breathtakingly foolish.  They show that the international sponsor of Ayatollah Khomeini and Yassir Arafat’s partner in peace still does not understand the dangers to the United States and to western values a religious-based political movement engenders.  One wonders if Carter is suffering the ravages of Alzheimer’s without exercising the good judgment his successor demonstrated when he was struck by that disease.

Carter’s ravings need to be denounced in the strongest possible terms.  Republicans presidential candidates should step up and use this opportunity to show Americans that Republican common sense trumps the anti-America views that have captured the Left and are now apparently championed by the failed, former president.  Starting today and certainly by the next debate, Republican hopefuls should remind Americans of Carter’s incompetence.  They should pointedly ask when the Democrat candidates will also recognize Carter’s shortcomings or if they agree with Carter.  By positioning this as a binary choice, they will perform the public service of forcing the Democrats to reveal their real thinking about the Islam-fascist threat.  Then, they should make the case that Democrat’s posturing on the malignancy of Hamas cannot be done without first denouncing Carter.

This is the kind of trick-box one imagines that talented Democrat strategists spend their waking hours devising.  A good example is the demonization of Dick Cheney’s association with Halliburton to rally their base.  Never have they shown any impropriety and they pointedly ignore the facts of Cheney’s charity.  Nevertheless, these empty charges have proven politically effective.  Now, the Democrat’s association with the former president presents the same opportunity to Republicans--the difference is that this time, the Republicans have a true bill.

© 2007 Ralf Seiffe

Ralf Seiffe advises business start-ups and product launches from Chicago, Illinois and is a political analyst and columnist for the Illinois Leader and Illinois Review.

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