SALON

Thursday, Aug 12, 2004 2:39 PM UTC

Turning the corner on “turning the corner”

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Topics: War Room,

Political slogans come and go, but CNN reports that President Bush seems to be nailing the coffin shut rather quickly on his latest stump speech refrain — the notion that America is “turning the corner.” And who could blame him? With disappointing job numbers out, escalating violence in Iraq and widespread dissatisfaction among seniors with the Medicare prescription-drug benefit, Bush’s “turning the corner” rhetoric can be turned around against him pretty easily.

In the days after the Democratic convention, Bush repeatedly said that the nation was “turning the corner” on jobs, “turning the corner” on education, and “turning the corner” in Iraq. But this week, CNN reports, “the ‘turning the corner’ line has disappeared from Bush’s speech, as Democrats seized on the words to charge that the president was out of touch.

CNN cited a July Gallup poll finding that 57 percent of Americans are not satisfied with how things are going in the country, and a top Bush aide told the network that the campaign’s internal polling showed the same thing.

The result: “Bush aides told CNN not to expect that line on the campaign trail anymore, saying it’s not working. Publicly, the Bush campaign maintains there is nothing unusual about the about the evolution of a stump speech.”

Stephen W. Stromberg

Stephen W. Stromberg is a former editorial fellow at Salon. More Stephen W. Stromberg.

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Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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