Bait and Switch

Bob Herbert has figured out that the Bush administration is long on rhetoric and short on results. Reacting to Bush's State of the Union address, Herbert says:

As the most powerful nation on earth, and the world's only superpower, the United States has a particular obligation to use its might wisely abroad and to distribute its benefits fairly at home.

That is not an easy mission for a hard-right-wing administration, which is why the Bush administration puts such a premium on the rhetoric of compassion.

Behind the veil of rhetoric is a Darwinian political philosophy that, if clearly understood, would repel the majority of Americans.

As a political strategy, this kind of bait-and-switch is effective. For example, Bush pushed through his "bold" education plan, then slashed the funding. Passage of the bill results in a page one, "Bush Leads" headline; the gutting of that bill gets buried in the back, and is further obscured by pundits debating budget numbers that most people don't understand. Bottom line: Bush gets his headline, and the rest is lost in the shuffle.

But Herbert is right — this isn't governing. It's demeaning and insulting to the voters. But will the voters notice? Not until a whole lot more people start speaking out loudly every time it happens.