Foreign newspapers are unimpressed with the personal credentials of

Republican candidate George W Bush to lead the United States, but expect

a formidable campaign that could take him to the presidency nevertheless.

Several papers said on Saturday Bush could make up for a lack of fresh

vision or well defined policies with the strength of his campaign team

and the support of his big-money backers.

Some, notably in Germany, said he might just have found a way to win back

some of the center ground that the Republicans had conceded to President

Clinton's Democrats.

"No one credits Bush with original, intellectual ideas. And George has

not yet taken much interest in the rest of the world. But that really

isn't necessary, because, like Reagan before him, Bush has gathered a

talented staff around him, the Belgian Dutch-language daily De Standaard

said in an editorial.

"Bush scores through image, not his program."

Britain's liberal daily The Independent, wrote: "We have entered the

politics of Mr. Smiley Face," suggesting that Bush had deliberately

given sensitive issues a wide berth to appear all things to all men.

Like others, it feared that once in office, Bush might unveil policies

well to the right of the inclusive, centrist image he was now presenting:

"When he says he is a compassionate conservative, what he means is that

he favors the death penalty, is against abortion and does not want

affirmative action programs to help poor blacks -- but he is still a nice

guy."

"Personality Than Policies"

The Times added: "By presenting himself in terms of personality more

than policies, Democratic strategists argue, the Texas Governor has left

himself open to the charge that he is weak on the issues, a smile without

substance."

South Korea's daily Hankyoreh said: "It is doubtful Bush has showed he

has vision, knowledge and ability needed to run his country."

But the German center-right daily Die Welt saw Bush's approach in a

different light:

"With his 'compassionate conservatism', Bush is breaking the left's

moral monopoly...At first sight this artificial expression looks like a

cheap campaign strategy, but maybe Bush has discovered a future formula

for the conservative camp."

The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung added: "The world should

not really be frightened of what to expect from George W Bush as

president: predictability and international orientation. But it should

also expect a robust leadership that stresses America's national interest

and, tied to that, a reserved, selective deployment of its military

means."

Spain's left-leaning daily El Pais said the Democratic candidate,

Vice-President Al Gore, had reason to be worried:

"Whether the change is cosmetic or real, American conservatives are now

offering a more positive and moderate image than the one which

characterized them in the 90s under the extreme leadership of Newt

Gingrich."

The French conservative daily Le Figaro said Bush was pushing traditional

Democratic policies -- better schools, pensions and health insurance.

"With 10 days to go before the great Democratic mass in Los Angeles, Al

Gore and his general staff find themselves both dispossessed on the

political front and struggling in the opinion polls," it wrote.

"The easy target of conservative Republicans, tight-fisted and vaguely

racist, has just vanished before their eyes."

"Seductive Vision"

Paris's Le Monde took a similar line: "For the 1st time since Ronald

Reagan 20 years ago, a Republican leader has presented the electors with

a seductive vision of American society, a positive, optimistic and bold

vision."

But, like the Independent, it had concerns about the substance behind the

style: "...Bush has to prove that the pledges he gave to the right to

win their silence during this superb show will not budge him from his

strategy of re-centering (the party)."

Italy's Corriere della Sera and la Repubblica newspapers gave Bush's

nomination short shrift, concentrating instead on Gore's criticism of him.

"White House, Gore on the counterattack" was the headline on the inside

pages of Corriere.

China's Communist Party flagship People's Daily was scathing about Bush.

"Everyone clearly knows that he had regular entry to the White House

when George Bush senior was president, so can he really claim not to have

a Washington sheen?" wrote the newspaper's Washington correspondent,

adding:

"With only 5 years as governor, he has the lowest political

qualifications of any candidate since Eisenhower."

North Korea predictably addressed Bush's emphasis on defense and

particularly on an anti-missile shield now under development and aimed

partially at a perceived threat from North Korea.

``Such outbursts were made by those who are keen on chilling the

atmosphere of detente prevailing on the peninsula,'' the official Korean

Central News Agency wrote.

Satei Noureddine, editor of Lebanon's leftist As-Safir, said Bush's

nomination exposed U.S. politics as a sham:

"The discussion around Bush has slipped to levels unheard of even in the

most backward nations...

"The Republicans chose a presidential candidate with no leadership

qualifications. All he has is a famous father who helped him through the

political ranks and got him exempted from military service."

(source: Reuters)