Nostalgia for George W. Bush
Americans are warming up to George W. Bush. And this is because?
For one thing, everything is relative. George W. Bush — whose every string was pulled by his corporate puppet masters — was by far the most rightwing president we’d ever had. He was so far to the right, everyone was longing for the comparatively “moderate” policies of Ronald Reagan. And Dwight Eisenhower looked like a flaming Communist.
And now that the Talibangelical wing of the GOP has an iron grip on the House of Representatives, George W. Bush looks like a moderate. And Ronald Reagan was a bleeding heart socialist who wanted to wage Class Warfare by taxing the Job Creators.
The linked article suggests that Bush is gaining popularity partly because he’s been keeping a low profile and staying out of the headlines. For the opposite reason, Dick Cheney’s poll ratings have probably gone down since 2009, since he’s spent the last four and a half years hogging the headlines and shooting his mouth off. That is, if it’s even possible to go down from the 9% approval ratings Cheney had when he was Vice President.
This probably isn’t nostalgia, but I can think of at least one striking difference — in terms of the political atmosphere — between the GW Bush and Obama administrations. During Bush’s presidency, if you uttered the tiniest criticism of the president, you hated America and you wanted the terrorists to win. You belonged in Gitmo.
Things are a bit different now.
Labels: George W. Bush popularity
posted by Tom Harper @ 1:37 PM
9 Comments:
The GOP is the master of hate. The Democrats are rank amateurs at it.
You must remember that Bush was never seen as the big leader in the first place. Remembered how many in the Country let him get away with "Aw Shucks (ing)" his way through his terms while we were fighting needless expensive wars, building up the largest deficient in history and opposing Gay Marriage.
Most felt that Cheney and the Party leaders were really in charge anyway.
He's just doing what he always did best, staying away from the blame.
Erik
How does it go? Time heals all wounds. BS.
As Biden says, show me your budget, show me what's important to you. He was no conservative. Liberal, in a new world order kind of way. The entire last year of the Bush adm. they were enthusiastically preparing for Hillary. Rumsfeld's plan to downsize the military, as horrible as that went. Cheney's gay marriage stance. Laura, and the girls now. All a bunch of east coast liberals. There's more: China - going way back; AIDS work in Africa; IT research/space/edu./med. research money - very liberal compared to republicans of today; and compared to republicans today, held to a progressive tax system; outreach to Muslim community after 9/11, not something you see Ted Cruz doing. With crazy Barb running the show - sort of like WF Buckley on acid, martinis, and updated. Thus, we have the tea party now, freaked them out, they saw through it and can't even utter the word "republican".
Which reminds me. Domino's can you throw in a two liter Coke? - Thanks.
The fact that shrub had probably a 95 IQ didn't help. And their views on the environment. That sucked. Pizza here, brb.
So, other than Iraq, and it going wrong, and the other wars going wrong, and missing 9/11, and not caring about the earth, and any other wars that they might have started that I missed, they were quite liberal, I think. And Katrina, forgot about that.
Oh, they did catch the update on my order, Dominos caught that, updated my order from my comment, got the 2 litre coke. Didn't even have to "publish" it for that to work. Cool.
I will never forgive that asshole for what he did to this country.
I like to say about Bush that "nothing became his presidency like his leaving of it" - he left, he kept his mouth shut, didn't criticize anything Obama did, and lived his life. He acted like a gentleman, unlike Cheney. Like him or hate him, he at least knew to keep his mouth shut when he left. And I give him positive marks for that.
I've been keeping an eye on your feed and I'm dumbfounded that there have been no posts at all on the biggest scandal -- the NSA and "spygate". What's up with that?
Jerry: I think most Democrats and liberals have principles; a certain line they won't cross. Republicans don't.
Erik: Reagan and Dumbya both played that role to the hilt -- a genial likeable old doofus, charming the public while the corporate puppetmasters do their work behind the scenes.
Mr. C: Or as somebody quoted in the linked article said: "Americans have shitty, shitty memories. Never bet against America's ability to forget!"
Anonymous: Those are all good examples of GW Bush being more liberal than today's crop of teajobs.
Lisa G.: Me neither.
Mauigirl: True, he's kept his mouth shut and hasn't criticized Obama. He has a life. Too bad Cheney doesn't follow his example.
Trey: Because I approve of everything Obama does :)
(Kidding!)
I guess I've become jaded and inured to the idea of every conversation and every computer keystroke being monitored by somebody somewhere. I don't like it, but it doesn't alarm me as much as it used to.
For whatever reason, the subjects I usually write about -- the environment, animal rights, the increasing corporate stranglehold on every aspect of American life -- are the issues that I get the most worked up about.
But Tom, all those topics you mentioned flow back to the secretive and undemocratic marriage of the government and Wall Street. Why do you think Corporate America exerts such a stranglehold? It's all about money and a lack of accountability -- both of these things are the heart of spygate.
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