At this point, most Midtowners have seen at least five police cars, sirens and lights ablazing, for either President Bush or Senator Kerry as they stump around town. The NY Times had two examples of the candidates pandering to cityfolk:
- Mr. Kerry, a Red Sox fan, told the crowd at the New York Hilton last night that if they "really wanted to be welcoming, you could have at least let the Red Sox get two out of three," referring to the series with the Yankees over the weekend.
- "Only in New York," Mr. Bush said smiling. "I love this city, this is a great place." Someone shouted back, "We love you."
Let's face it: With these two statements, the candidates are totally missing the mark, but whatever, we want some substance...we know you guys don't really love us. It wasn't all fun and games: Kerry was pretty damning as he criticized the President - "The President needs to tell the truth. The President needs to deal with reality," especially with respect to Iraq. The President, who hobnobbed at a fundraiser with former Mayor Guiliani and Governor Pataki last night, responded, by implying Kerry would rather have a dictatorship in Iraq, and if you've seen the clip, Bush does have great comic timing. But we don't need a clown in the White House. That's why Gothamist can't wait until the presidential debates, which have been settled.
Today, the President goes to the U.N. amidst Secretary General Kofi Annan's claim that the war in Iraq is illegal. The Washington Post says the President is looking for a bounce; a former Reagan official says it's a "great visual" for Bush, as the other world delegates will applaud (not boo) "because they're well-mannered folks." And Senator Kerry was at Late Show with David Letterman last night; check here for a clip and the top ten list. And Kerry was walking around Midtown because his car was stuck in traffic (traffic he and the President probably caused); Gothamist liked this photo of him in front of "The Phantom of Broadway" sign.
Photograph of Bush and Pataki from Reuters; photograph of Kerry from Agence France-Press
