This is not an entry. lol
Mandy Espey
November 4, 2004
Block 4
There are a multitude of reasons why George W. Bush won the presidency in his 2004 campaign against senator John Kerry. Many of these reasons can be compared and contrasted with the book "The Prince" by Machiavelli. Some of the more obvious reasons do not need much explanation, but there are some that can be elaborated on. Many people can form their own opinions and ignorant reasons why one candidate was better than the other, but if we take a closer and deeper look, we see that there are also clear economical reasons that the republican party will remain in office.
Possibly the biggest reason why George Bush won is because of his morals and family values in which a number of Americans can relate. Everyone wants a commander-in-cheif they can connect with. This goes hand-in-hand with being loved instead of feared, a topic discussed in chapter 17 of "The Prince". The book states that a ruler must strive to be "merciful" without being cruel, and to make sure not to misuse and abuse the mercifulness. This is a very touch-and-go thing to do seeing as how if you're too kind, you will eventually allow problems to arise and become somewhat of a "pushover" , so to speak. This is something that President Bush masterd very well. He was abled to be very straight foward with his decision to go into Iraq, but he was also able to convince the Americans that everything would be okay, and that they had a President that they could trust. Trust. It's another thing that Americans look for in a President. Do you want somebody in office who has a plan of action or do you want somebody in office who will decide the plan when the time comes? George Bush was never unsure of his actions, a quality that is almost necesarry for a presidency. He always made decisions based on what he felt was the right thing to do, and never looked back on them or had thoughts about changing them; he didn't dwell on the past. Senator Kerry could not seem to make a solid decision about anything, changing his mind from day to day, not letting Americans know what he really stood for. This is possibly one of the biggest reasons that Bush was victorious.
A reputation is something that everyone earns, but it is important for a president to make sure that his repuation is a good one, especially if he plans on running for re-election. There are many things a president can do in order to obtain a bad repuation and very few things he can do to turn it around and make it a good one, so it is very important for a president to show confidence and pride in the things he does and the country he's running. In chapter 21 of the book, Machiavelli elaborates on the way a Prince should act in order to gain some sort of reputation. One of the things that really stood out was that a ruler needs to be either a true friend or a true enemy, depending on who he has declared favor in and who he hasn't. Imediatley i thought of the war in Iraq, and how the President acted, although Iraq started as an enemy and became a friend. President Bush did not hesitate to send the troops into Iraq and, most importantly, keep them there. What kind of message would it be sending do the rest of the world if President Bush (or better yet, Senator Kerry) were to pull the troops out of the Middle East in the middle of a war? Would that not send the message that America does not finish what they start? And would it not make other countries think that America is somewhat weak in the sense that if they keep fighting us we're going to eventually just give up and leave? That's not the kind of reputation a President needs, let alone the entire country of the United States.
sorry guys i needed a place to put this where i coudld get to it at school.
♥ mandy
November 4, 2004
Block 4
There are a multitude of reasons why George W. Bush won the presidency in his 2004 campaign against senator John Kerry. Many of these reasons can be compared and contrasted with the book "The Prince" by Machiavelli. Some of the more obvious reasons do not need much explanation, but there are some that can be elaborated on. Many people can form their own opinions and ignorant reasons why one candidate was better than the other, but if we take a closer and deeper look, we see that there are also clear economical reasons that the republican party will remain in office.
Possibly the biggest reason why George Bush won is because of his morals and family values in which a number of Americans can relate. Everyone wants a commander-in-cheif they can connect with. This goes hand-in-hand with being loved instead of feared, a topic discussed in chapter 17 of "The Prince". The book states that a ruler must strive to be "merciful" without being cruel, and to make sure not to misuse and abuse the mercifulness. This is a very touch-and-go thing to do seeing as how if you're too kind, you will eventually allow problems to arise and become somewhat of a "pushover" , so to speak. This is something that President Bush masterd very well. He was abled to be very straight foward with his decision to go into Iraq, but he was also able to convince the Americans that everything would be okay, and that they had a President that they could trust. Trust. It's another thing that Americans look for in a President. Do you want somebody in office who has a plan of action or do you want somebody in office who will decide the plan when the time comes? George Bush was never unsure of his actions, a quality that is almost necesarry for a presidency. He always made decisions based on what he felt was the right thing to do, and never looked back on them or had thoughts about changing them; he didn't dwell on the past. Senator Kerry could not seem to make a solid decision about anything, changing his mind from day to day, not letting Americans know what he really stood for. This is possibly one of the biggest reasons that Bush was victorious.
A reputation is something that everyone earns, but it is important for a president to make sure that his repuation is a good one, especially if he plans on running for re-election. There are many things a president can do in order to obtain a bad repuation and very few things he can do to turn it around and make it a good one, so it is very important for a president to show confidence and pride in the things he does and the country he's running. In chapter 21 of the book, Machiavelli elaborates on the way a Prince should act in order to gain some sort of reputation. One of the things that really stood out was that a ruler needs to be either a true friend or a true enemy, depending on who he has declared favor in and who he hasn't. Imediatley i thought of the war in Iraq, and how the President acted, although Iraq started as an enemy and became a friend. President Bush did not hesitate to send the troops into Iraq and, most importantly, keep them there. What kind of message would it be sending do the rest of the world if President Bush (or better yet, Senator Kerry) were to pull the troops out of the Middle East in the middle of a war? Would that not send the message that America does not finish what they start? And would it not make other countries think that America is somewhat weak in the sense that if they keep fighting us we're going to eventually just give up and leave? That's not the kind of reputation a President needs, let alone the entire country of the United States.
sorry guys i needed a place to put this where i coudld get to it at school.
♥ mandy