More stay-the-course blues

Cut-and-run, cut-and-run, cut-and-run, the GOP abused it, they painted the Democrats as traitors with it, however the corollary of it has now begun to drag those who portray themselves as the party of steely resolve down. Karl Rove must not be the genius they all say he is when two weeks before the big day the GOP is still searching for a phrase-to-win. This from the Washington Post (front page, mind you):

President Bush and his aides are annoyed that people keep misinterpreting his Iraq policy as "stay the course." A complete distortion, they say. "That is not a stay-the-course policy," White House press secretary Tony Snow declared yesterday. [...]

But the White House is cutting and running from "stay the course." A phrase meant to connote steely resolve instead has become a symbol for being out of touch and rigid in the face of a war that seems to grow worse by the week, Republican strategists say. Democrats have now turned "stay the course" into an attack line in campaign commercials, and the Bush team is busy explaining that "stay the course" does not actually mean stay the course.

When the Democrats do nuance the GOP bashes them, when the White House claims nuance they are being misunderstood and misinterpreted. Welcome to the world of grey, Mr. President, where black-and-white and good-and-evil meet despite your denial of it.

Backfire more.