I think at 27%, Bush's approval rating is still higher than Coolidge's was when he left office. It's still too early to tell what Bush's legacy will be. He may very well end up remembered as a pretty decent guy. If history can be kind to Andrew Jackson & Andrew Johnson (okay, so history hasn't been that kind to Johnson, but he was pretty damn racist and, um, impeached in the House), then I'm willing to bet Bush won't be remembered in such a negative light after a time. Clinton is generally regarded as pretty damn successful (as a politician more so than a husband, but we must remember that his ability to keep little Bill in his pants really has very little bearing on his ability to govern), but there were plenty of times during his presidency in which he was seen as anything but (two words: health care). He shut down the government! I know you can blame the Republican Congress for that - and it was so cool when Jed Bartlett did it on The West Wing - but he still shut down the government.
No president is perfect. And all of them suffer a drop in approval ratings during the second term. It seems different with Bush because he's in the here and now, and we're constantly reminded of his failures (and there have been oh so many failures...).
All of that aside, I'm going to have to say I disagree with you, Steve. No big surprise there, I'm guessing.
You say: People only hate George W. Bush because of the situation he's in.
How astute. Well, I ask, who put our president into this situation? (Hint: the answer is not the terrorists)
That’s correct. He did.
Post 9/11, Bush invaded Afghanistan. I agreed with this move. After all, people can’t attack us and expect us not to retaliate. We needed to look strong. But here’s the problem:
1.) 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi Arabian.
-Doesn’t it seem like the right place to invade was Saudi Arabia? Of course, we’re their allies (as probably any other politician would agree), so maybe not. Fine. We can’t invade Saudi Arabia. Well, we hear Osama Bin Laden is hiding in Afghanistan. Let’s go there. Problem solved.
2.) The terrorists - members of an organization called Al Quada who has many members found in many nations - represent a very small part of the middle eastern population.
-Here in the U.S. we have an organization known as the Ku Klux Klan. While I find their beliefs appalling - they twist the Bible to justify a disenfranchisement of African Americans, immigrants, and other ethnic or religious minorities - they are protected by our Constitution. And I love the Constitution so much that I’ll allow it. Anyway, pretend for a minute the KKK hijacked planes in Africa or the Middle East. Aside from all the horror, Middle Eastern people would see them and say: “See! Christians are evil people, and they must be stopped!” and probably bomb the U.S. While the majority of Americans are not affiliated, we would all have to suffer, because we all looked like evil people. This is the problem we faced after 9/11 in attacking the Middle East. We mistook the terrorists - fundamentalists who twist the Koran the same way the KKK twists the Bible - for all Islamics. Islam means peace. Literally. Most people there were not terrorists, nor were they affiliated in any way. But we hated them all. We also hated Muslims here - good people who loved this country - because we were afraid of them.
And here’s where I begin to disagree with the president.
He created a climate of fear. Colour coded terror systems. Racial profiling. The war in Afghanistan. The “if you disagree with me, you’re helping the terrorists” mentality. (The Patriot Act? If you don’t help to suspend our rights, you’re not a patriot? That’s low. Other presidents have suspended rights - Lincoln famously suspended habeas corpus - but seriously. The Framers are rolling over in their graves) Excuse me. Debate is what our country is about, Mr. President. A little guy named Thomas Jefferson once said “dissent is the highest form of government” and I happen to agree.
No president is perfect. And all of them suffer a drop in approval ratings during the second term. It seems different with Bush because he's in the here and now, and we're constantly reminded of his failures (and there have been oh so many failures...).
All of that aside, I'm going to have to say I disagree with you, Steve. No big surprise there, I'm guessing.
You say: People only hate George W. Bush because of the situation he's in.
How astute. Well, I ask, who put our president into this situation? (Hint: the answer is not the terrorists)
That’s correct. He did.
Post 9/11, Bush invaded Afghanistan. I agreed with this move. After all, people can’t attack us and expect us not to retaliate. We needed to look strong. But here’s the problem:
1.) 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi Arabian.
-Doesn’t it seem like the right place to invade was Saudi Arabia? Of course, we’re their allies (as probably any other politician would agree), so maybe not. Fine. We can’t invade Saudi Arabia. Well, we hear Osama Bin Laden is hiding in Afghanistan. Let’s go there. Problem solved.
2.) The terrorists - members of an organization called Al Quada who has many members found in many nations - represent a very small part of the middle eastern population.
-Here in the U.S. we have an organization known as the Ku Klux Klan. While I find their beliefs appalling - they twist the Bible to justify a disenfranchisement of African Americans, immigrants, and other ethnic or religious minorities - they are protected by our Constitution. And I love the Constitution so much that I’ll allow it. Anyway, pretend for a minute the KKK hijacked planes in Africa or the Middle East. Aside from all the horror, Middle Eastern people would see them and say: “See! Christians are evil people, and they must be stopped!” and probably bomb the U.S. While the majority of Americans are not affiliated, we would all have to suffer, because we all looked like evil people. This is the problem we faced after 9/11 in attacking the Middle East. We mistook the terrorists - fundamentalists who twist the Koran the same way the KKK twists the Bible - for all Islamics. Islam means peace. Literally. Most people there were not terrorists, nor were they affiliated in any way. But we hated them all. We also hated Muslims here - good people who loved this country - because we were afraid of them.
And here’s where I begin to disagree with the president.
He created a climate of fear. Colour coded terror systems. Racial profiling. The war in Afghanistan. The “if you disagree with me, you’re helping the terrorists” mentality. (The Patriot Act? If you don’t help to suspend our rights, you’re not a patriot? That’s low. Other presidents have suspended rights - Lincoln famously suspended habeas corpus - but seriously. The Framers are rolling over in their graves) Excuse me. Debate is what our country is about, Mr. President. A little guy named Thomas Jefferson once said “dissent is the highest form of government” and I happen to agree.
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