Demagogue

Yesterday, President Bush promoted his Social Security reform plan with these far-fetched words:

"I campaigned on this issue of Social Security, and the need to strengthen it and reform it .... This is part of fulfilling a campaign pledge."

For starters, the issue came up during only one of the three presidential debates -- roughly halfway through the final debate.

On the campaign trail, Social Security was virtually ignored until the final month of the campaign. And even when Bush did refer to Social Security, it was essentially to respond to Kerry's attacks that seniors' future benefits would be at risk during a 2nd Bush term. Consider this mid-October article by the Los Angeles Times:

Amid signs the presidential race is in a dead heat, President Bush targeted his campaign on the battleground state of Florida today, defending his record on Social Security, healthcare and even the shortage of flu vaccine from John F. Kerry's attacks.

For his part, Kerry has seized on the future of Social Security as a potent campaign issue, hammering on it all week in Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania.

... In particular, the president said the Massachusetts senator is trying to scare Americans into believing a second Bush term would ruin Social Security and bring back the draft.

"We will keep the promise of Social Security for all our seniors," Bush said in St. Petersburg. "We will not have a draft. We'll keep the all-volunteer army."

Before audiences heavily composed of retirees, Bush promised repeatedly that their Social Security benefits would not change under his plans for Social Security and accused Democrats of reviving an old "scare tactic."

Did Bush speak vaguely of Social Security reform and counter-punch at John Kerry? You bet. But the notion that American voters: a) had a clear sense of how Bush's reform plan would work, and b) supported him because of this plan is laughable.