by Jack Cashill,
©1999
News Talk 980 KMBZ
Posted on Cashill Newsletter
July 9, 1999*

An APB needs to be issued for Elizabeth Dole. Has anyone seen or heard from her? Is she obscured by Scrooge McBush's money bags. Has Senator Bob Smith sucked all the wind out of her campaign? Was it Orin Hatch's inexplicable hat toss that distracted the press from her public appearances? Has Bob Dole's Viagara made this ED disappear as well?

Here we have a woman with a legitimate track record of public service (Darn, I promised myself I wouldn't mention Hillary today) and she is nowhere to be seen. She's harder to find on the news than Wang Jun or Juanita Brodderick. Elizabeth Dole has failed to capture the imagination of the press and the electorate for one good reason: She takes no more risks than Bob did. She has no bold plan for America. She has no strong ideology and thus has no strong feelings about much that would interest a political junkie, let alone a snoozing citizen.

If her game plan is to make no mistakes, she's failed big time. It is a serios mistake in primary season not to challenge the public with her vision for America. As a woman, Elizabeth Dole can and should command center stage whenever she pleases. She is a novelty--in the marketing sense--and she should take advantage of it. Her strength should be her drive to lead, not her fear of losing.

Americans are ready for strong leaders. Look at the attention an empty package like Hillary commands (oops, there I go again) If Hillary does not exactly exude strength, she at leats evokes fear, and that, if nothing else, cows the media and blinds them to her considerable faults.

When Elizabeth Dole took to the floor of the Republican National Convention she, through her presence and communication skills, made her husband a stronger candidate by demonstrating that he had married a powerful woman. Where is that woman? What does she believe? Is she a courageous leader who happens to be a woman or a wonderfully articulate wife who is most comfortable in a supporting role?

In sum, does she want to take Bill Clinton's job or Oprah's. The American public waits impatiently to find out.

*And for some vintage material from 1999:

" Jack Cashill co-hosts "Talk Back with Mary (O'Halloran) and Jack" on News Radio 980 KMBZ 9-11 AM. Jack occupies the chair Rush Limbaugh previously [occupied] while in Kansas City.

Jack is a public speaker, author, political consultant, creative director for tv and radio campaigns and an Emmy Award video producer.

You can reach Jack Cashill at Cashill Marketing & Communications . . ."