Be Thankful for President Bush

[Bob Slydell]

Eventually someone will call in our markers for our debt.

Honestly? I actually doubt someone would. I mean, there are just as many countries out there that owe us billions, but I doubt we'll ever collect on those debts as well.

It doesn't mean that we shouldn't be working to reduce the deficit, but I just don't see the national debt affecting the economy that much.

 

[wvrevy]

Have you ever heard the term "enabler"? By giving your support to the Republican Party - regardless of their bigotted stance on gays - you are enabling them to continue their attacks. I'm not saying you should vote for someone else, since your views align mostly with that party. I'm simply saying that, if you truly felt that strongly about their support of anti-gay legislation, you should simply have not voted at all. But so long as you continue to support the Party either financially or through your vote or activism, you are a part of the problem and should be lumped in with the rest of the party.

That, of course, is making an assumption on my part that you did, in fact, vote in the last elections. If that is not the case and you did make a principled stand, then I most humbly apologize. But if the assumption is correct then I'm sorry, but I don't see where you have any room to complain.

 

[CheshireVal]

I was just thinking that there are a total of four people left in this country that still support this president and they've all managed to congregate on this thread.

I'm sorry, but that was just too funny not to quote.

Ah, gotta love the Dis.

 

[Independent]

Be Thankful for President Bush

I am!

Yippee - Make it 5

 

[punkin]

That, of course, is making an assumption on my part that you did, in fact, vote in the last elections.

I have to disagree with you on this one. Counseling people not to vote if a candidate does not fit all of their criteria is a bad idea. That is precicely why the religious right have such an overwhelming influence on the Republican party. They vote in large numbers on very few issues. I think you should rather counsel a grass root effort on the part of middle-of-the-road republicans to get their candidates elected. There are still fiscally concervative, socially liberal Republicans out there. They are just being outshouted by the likes of Joe Epcot. If you counsel the moderate republicans not to vote, you are handing elections to the Religious nuts.

 

[wvrevy]

I have to disagree with you on this one. Counseling people not to vote if a candidate does not fit all of their criteria is a bad idea. That is precicely why the religious right have such an overwhelming influence on the Republican party. They vote in large numbers on very few issues. I think you should rather counsel a grass root effort on the part of middle-of-the-road republicans to get their candidates elected. There are still fiscally concervative, socially liberal Republicans out there. They are just being outshouted by the likes of Joe Epcot. If you counsel the moderate republicans not to vote, you are handing elections to the Religious nuts.

I don't think so. First off, I think you are greatly overestimating the number of true "religious nuts" out there. I don't think you'll find anybody on these boards that is a more harsh critic of christian religious fanaticism than me. But I don't think that the majority of them are actually like that. If people like CapeCod - who disagrees at least on some level with republican bigotry - simply stayed home and refused to support the "New" Republicans that spout such hatred, they would NOT hand them the election...they'd hand it to the Democrats.

I agree that getting out the grass roots Republicans would solve the issue...but that's not likely to happen. They've had it beaten into their heads for five+ years now that disagreeing with the moron-in-chief is akin to treason. I've actually seen them call people terrorists ON THIS VERY BOARD, just for not supporting the war in Iraq. The people on the grass roots level may not agree, but they've been conditioned to not vocally disagree, too. In my opinion, the only way to fight that conditioning is to simply stay home.

That said, I'm speaking only of the GENERAL election, not the primary. It is even more important for rational people to band together in the primary stage, since that is what will control the direction their party takes. If they are unhappy with the religion-over-reason crowd that has taken over their party, they have only one real opportunity to vote against them without supporting the opposing party...the primary. I urge all moderate Republicans to get out and vote in your state's primary. If you don't, you have nobody to blame but yourselves for the direction your party is taking.

 

[yeartolate]

Honestly? I actually doubt someone would. I mean, there are just as many countries out there that owe us billions, but I doubt we'll ever collect on those debts as well.

It doesn't mean that we shouldn't be working to reduce the deficit, but I just don't see the national debt affecting the economy that much.

But eventually someone has to pay. I would rather pay the debt down rather than stick it to my child and grand children.

I would not feel so strongly, but I see no end to our involvement in Iraq (and neither does our President) and we still have so much more to do to secure our country from outside threats and natural disasters. Syria, Iran, North Korea are still on the plate. All these things mean a phenomenal amount of our money going out the door.

If I saw the war on Iraq as really having a possibility of stabilizing the Middle East, I might feel differently.

 

[charlie,nj]

I am oh soooo happy to see a positive President Bush thread here on the CB. MossMan great title “Be Thankful for President Bush” I could not have picked a better title myself.

I have not had time to read the posts in this thread but from the title I am sure they are fantastic. I have been busy with fundraisers for the 2008 Presidential campaign…

From talking to my inside sources it looks like in 2008 we will be seeing CB threads like this:

Be Thankful for President McCain

Or maybe even:

Be Thankful for President Giuliani

The bumper stickers are being designed now…

McCain/Giuliani .... Giuliani/McCain


Nice work MossMan welcome to the red zone!!

.

 

[MossMan]

I agree that getting out the grass roots Republicans would solve the issue...but that's not likely to happen. They've had it beaten into their heads for five+ years now that disagreeing with the moron-in-chief is akin to treason. I've actually seen them call people terrorists ON THIS VERY BOARD, just for not supporting the war in Iraq. The people on the grass roots level may not agree, but they've been conditioned to not vocally disagree, too. In my opinion, the only way to fight that conditioning is to simply stay home.

Stepping away from my usual satirical façade for a second, let me say that no one is more disgusted with our President than I am. Despite being a registered Republican and very active in conservative causes, I honestly think electing Bush is one of the worst mistakes we have made as a country. So despite my ideological convictions, I’m probably going to vote for a Democrat this fall.

But then I read the patronizing garbage like that quoted above and I want to change my mind. This is exactly what so many people hate about Democrats in particular and liberals in general. I know you don’t get it wvrevy, but you should. It is exactly this attitude that has effectively delivered the Whitehouse and Congress into the hands of someone like Bush. People would actually rather put up with Bush’s incompetent leadership just because it is preferable to the self-satisfied smugness you get from so many Democrats. You can disagree with with conservatives, but do you need to show them so much undisguised disrespect?

So even though the Bush Republicans are responsible for maybe the worst government this country has seen in a century, polls still show that people don't much like the Democrats. What should be a slam dunk victory this fall for the dems will probably be a nail biter.

 

[Galahad]

I[*]Budget deficits running at 800 billion dollars a year. (As opposed to budget surpluses just 6 years ago.)

Not arguing the larger point, if there is one, but the above is false. The annual deficit, though way too large, is less that $400 billion. There was only an actual "surplus" on the books for 1 year. The surplus projection itself was a figment of the dot come hoax (not a nefarious plot by President Clinton, BTW). Carry on......

 

[MossMan]

From talking to my inside sources it looks like in 2008 we will be seeing CB threads like this:

Be Thankful for President McCain



Nice work MossMan welcome to the red zone!!

Well, I campaigned for McCain extensively 6 years ago. I fully expect to be doing the same starting next year. I've been solidly in the red zone for 30 years now. So I don't really need to be welcomed home.

What I would like, though, is that these we kick out these quasi-liberal interlopers that are squatting in the red zone. With the Bush Republicans around, the place isn't so red nowadays. Hopefully a McCain victory in 2008 will get things righted again.

 

[2Xited4Disney]

Just make sure you're not lumping all Republicans with this. I'm a Republican and I have a gay uncle, and I wish he and his partner of 12 + years could get married, but they can't.

....



i'm assuming he doesn't live on Cape with you...... tell him to move to Mass then get married

 

[Apothecary]

I just can't pass this one by. Bush sat for 7 minutes reading a book on 9/11 and then flew around in his plane trying to come up with a plan. He read a good speech on the day of the memorial, he didn't write it but he did give a good reading. It has all been down hill since then. Since it should have been Gore in office, I don't even know why you would bring up Kerry. IMHO they would have both done a much better job. And they probably wouldn't have spent the previous 5 weeks on vacation, so 9/11 might not have happened at all.

Okay, I am NO fan of Dubya...I am a left-leaning Canadian who feels that the whole Bush presidency has been a mistake....

HOWEVER...

I do feel that he has been wrongly criticized for these two points. Yes he sat in the class for 7 minutes after being told. I do not blame him for that. I know when I heard of the attacks it took me awhile to process it. He was the guy in charge of how to respond. I would have probably sat there for a few minutes also.

Secondly, the criticism that he flew around on an airplane all day is also unfounded. There was no guarantee that the attacks were done. If the president is threatened, the (I believe) standard response is to get him to safety, and in this case sitting on board Air Force One was the safest place for him. Like him or not, he is the president and he must be kept safe in the face of an attack until more details are known.

Um, can I still call myself a liberal after this

 

[MossMan]

Not arguing the larger point, if there is one, but the above is false. The annual deficit, though way too large, is less that $400 billion.

Point taken and corrected. I got our national debt (8 trillion dollars) mixed up with our annual deficit (400 billion dollars) and somehow came out with the figure 800 billion.

For those keeping score at home, this means Bush is not the pathetically incompetent leader the 800 billion figure would suggest. He is merely dangerously incompetent.

 

[JoeEpcotRocks]

I don't think so. First off, I think you are greatly overestimating the number of true "religious nuts" out there. I don't think you'll find anybody on these boards that is a more harsh critic of christian religious fanaticism than me. But I don't think that the majority of them are actually like that. If people like CapeCod - who disagrees at least on some level with republican bigotry - simply stayed home and refused to support the "New" Republicans that spout such hatred, they would NOT hand them the election...they'd hand it to the Democrats.

I agree that getting out the grass roots Republicans would solve the issue...but that's not likely to happen. They've had it beaten into their heads for five+ years now that disagreeing with the moron-in-chief is akin to treason. I've actually seen them call people terrorists ON THIS VERY BOARD, just for not supporting the war in Iraq. The people on the grass roots level may not agree, but they've been conditioned to not vocally disagree, too. In my opinion, the only way to fight that conditioning is to simply stay home.

That said, I'm speaking only of the GENERAL election, not the primary. It is even more important for rational people to band together in the primary stage, since that is what will control the direction their party takes. If they are unhappy with the religion-over-reason crowd that has taken over their party, they have only one real opportunity to vote against them without supporting the opposing party...the primary. I urge all moderate Republicans to get out and vote in your state's primary. If you don't, you have nobody to blame but yourselves for the direction your party is taking.

You think all religion is nonsense and fairy tales (from old posts). So who is a "religious nut" and who is not -- according to you?? You refer to those who do not condone homosexuality as bigoted and haters. (I suppose calling someone a "moron-in-chief" is love )

If your words represent the Dems, then I hope the "religious right" and other like-minded Americans vote in droves.

 

[wvjules]

Okay, I am NO fan of Dubya...I am a left-leaning Canadian who feels that the whole Bush presidency has been a mistake....

HOWEVER...

I do feel that he has been wrongly criticized for these two points. Yes he sat in the class for 7 minutes after being told. I do not blame him for that. I know when I heard of the attacks it took me awhile to process it. He was the guy in charge of how to respond. I would have probably sat there for a few minutes also.

Secondly, the criticism that he flew around on an airplane all day is also unfounded. There was no guarantee that the attacks were done. If the president is threatened, the (I believe) standard response is to get him to safety, and in this case sitting on board Air Force One was the safest place for him. Like him or not, he is the president and he must be kept safe in the face of an attack until more details are known.

Um, can I still call myself a liberal after this

But YOU weren't President. I think a president has to be somewhat prepared for the possibility of something of this magnitude happening, not just sit there dumbfounded.

 

[JoeEpcotRocks]

But YOU weren't President. I think a president has to be somewhat prepared for the possibility of something of this magnitude happening, not just sit there dumbfounded.

How do you know he was dumbfounded just because he waited a few minutes? If a Dem president had waited a few minutes, both sides of this issue might be making different comments.

The teacher present felt he handled the situation well.

 

[MossMan]

How do you know he was dumbfounded just because he waited a few minutes? If a Dem president had waited a few minutes, both sides of this issue might be making different comments.

Exactly. So own it JoeEpcot. What do you really think?

And by that I mean, what would you be saying if it was Clinton or Gore who had sat there dumfounded waiting for instructions while the country was under attack. Do you honestly believe you would be defending him? I supported Bush in 2000 and was initially quite happy with the way he reacted to 9/11. But his performance on that day was at the very least embarassing. I don't care what the teacher's opinion is, I saw the footage and I can make up my own mind.

If a Democrat had pulled something like that, Fox News would still be showing it on a daily basis. We all know this to be true, let just admit he did a poor job and move on. The only possible way to say otherwise is to have incredibly low expectations for our President (as our liberal Canadian friend seems to do). Outside of shameless partisanship, there is no basis on which to defend Bush for his performance that day.

 

[Cantw8]

Hey Laura look at me!!!!!! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!! I haven't found any weapons of mass destruction but we'll be eat'n plenty of bacon.

OK, this made me giggle...sorry, back to your regularly scheduled debate...have at it

 

[JoeEpcotRocks]

Exactly. So own it JoeEpcot. What do you really think?

And by that I mean, what would you be saying if Clinton has sat there dumfounded waiting for instructions while the country was under attack. Do you honestly believe you would be defending him? I supported Bush in 2000 and was initially quite happy with the way he reacted to 9/11. But his performance on that day was at the very least embarassing. I don't care what the teacher's opinion is, I saw the footage and I can make up my own mind.

If a Democrat had pulled something like that, Fox News would still be showing it on a daily basis.

If Clinton waited for a few minutes, it wouldn't bother me. I wouldn't want him to do anything "premature."

Fox News wouldn't be showing it every day. Seriously, it's a non-issue.