It’s been attributed to Sun Tsu, Lee, Grant, Clausewitz and many others. I really don’t know the source, but that it’s attributed to so many military minds is a measure of this truism’s… uh, truth. [heh]
“No plan of battle survives first contact with the enemy.”
While I would have preferred Bush to have run a different campaign—better explanation of the War on Terrorism (and a use of that, or better terms in preference to the stupid “War on Terror”), including reasons for Iraq’s place in that war; a more complete exposure of sKerry’s record of faux liberal perfidy; a smarter decision re: Fallujah #1 (let the citizens leave, then level the place would have worked), etc—I think almost no one could have predicted the absolute stupidity of sKerry—and sKerry himself—supporters that was crucial to victory in the campaign. As Ann Coulter said,
“To Michael Moore, George Soros, Terry McAuliffe, Dan Rather, Al Franken and the whole gang at Air America Radio – you were great, guys! Thanks for the help! We couldn’t have done it without you!”
And that may explain the virtual bye Bush handed sKerry on his record. Sure, in October the Bush campaign laid bare the skeleton of that record, but they never really fleshed it out. Absent the irrational hate and obvious dirty tricks by the Dems and their loyal mouthpieces in the Mass Media Podpeople’s Army, I’m not sure the electorate would have been as motivated as it was to deny these loony left moonbats the victory they craved.
Next campaign in the war to save civilization? Dismantle and demolish the Mass Media Podpeople’s Army of loony left moonbats. That’s a job for the blogosphere and right-thinking talk radio.
Oh, and a reminder to just Go. Read.
Pournelle‘s chart of Political Axes. It may help as you think through your own political stances.