Re-Election 2004

When Tom Brokaw reported that White House officials said that many of the images from President Bush's speech last night, aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, would appear in re-election commercials, it became clear that's what this speech was: Ostensibly to talk about Iraq, but really the first stump speech Bush is giving. And the setting alone was artful and dramatic. Forget the speech, his Bush's handlers and the Republican party seized an awesome moment: Flying onto the aircraft carrier in a jet ("helping" fly, natch), walking out the expanse of the deck on a beautiful clear day past sailors standing up tall, and giving a speech in front of cheering men and women who seemed to appreciate him. It's the best politcal propaganda Gothamist has seen in a while, and that's frightening though visually stunning.

The Daily News reports as GOP ad man saying, "The images were stunning, among the best of his administration. It was great political television." CNN has video footage of Bush's speech and pageantry. Full text of Bush's speech in case you, like Gothamist, decided to check e-mail because you were getting distracted by how much all this jazz should really be coming out of Bush's re-election treasure chest. Tom Shales called it not a speech but a "spectacular."

Rear Admiral John Kelly of the U.S.S. Lincoln on the President's visit. More images from Yahoo! News.