Hate for Bush

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

By Judd Grossman

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Liberals, you may want to cover your ears and send the children out of the room. I have some upsetting news for you. Not everybody hates George Bush. I’m not making this up. A recent Real Clear Politics poll average revealed that about 30 percent of Americans think President Bush is doing a good job! I know this is disturbing, and the implications are broad and unsettling. For instance, if you are sitting on the gondola right now, look carefully at your fellow skiers.

Does the older fellow with hairy eyebrows look away? Does that teenager listening to the iPod give you a vapid smile? Well, odds are that two or three of your gondola mates are Bush supporters. And of course, since I’m assuming that you have properly vetted your ski buddies, there is no doubt that the guy who joins you from the singles line on Thunder is definitely a Bush supporter.

Count me among that 30 percent. I have some reservations, but overall, I think the accomplishments of the Bush administration outweigh the failures, and frankly, given the choices we were presented in last November’s presidential election, I would have voted for a third Bush term.

The administration’s successes should be obvious, but the overwhelming flood of negative propaganda coming from the national and international left and its compliantly complicit media allies have drowned out the voices of reason, preventing the average person from objectively considering with pride the character and achievements of President #43.

First and foremost, success in the war on terror – whether by coincidence or design, America has been free from terrorist attacks for more than seven years. It’s likely that the blunt instruments of military intervention, extraordinary rendition, aggressive interrogation and unusual detention, have contributed to the thwarting of our enemies.

The liberation of Iraq and Afghanistan – the toppling of arguably two of the world’s most brutal totalitarian regimes – was a huge achievement. At least 31 million Afghans and 28 million Iraqis have been liberated and now have the opportunity to influence their own destinies through legitimate democratic means.

Lower taxes – Bush’s tax policy was sound and pro-growth. His tax cuts put money back in the hands of the people who paid the taxes.

Conservative Supreme Court appointees – Bush’s selections for the U.S. Supreme Court, Samuel Alito and John Roberts, will help hold back the overreaching activist trend of the court, thereby preserving the proper balance of power between the branches of government.

Bush’s failures are mostly in the areas of the economy and communication. He was unable or unwilling to hold the line on government spending. His weak attempts to fight for responsible regulation of the disastrously mismanaged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and his failure to enforce transparency on the overheated financial sector did little to protect us from the longtime brewing financial meltdown. His inability to articulate his positions and principals effectively allowed the leftist propaganda machine to fill the spin vacuum.

As we are inundated with the media love-fest images of the coronation, excuse me, inauguration of Barack Obama, the fight for the past begins. Rehabilitating George Bush’s legacy isn’t an ego-driven attempt at vindication, but a rational truth-seeking endeavor. Finding objectivity in viewing George Bush’s legacy, as well as in American politics in general, is vital to our ability to find the correct path going forward.

My wish is that Barack Obama becomes a great president who protects our country from its enemies and presides over a healthy prosperous free market economy. Obama’s success may depend on recognizing where George Bush showed intelligence and courage, and his ability to emulate those qualities. PJH

PERMALINK:
Hate for Bush | Planet JH News Article: Right Wing Local

Reader Comments
Oh Boy, you're setting up the bowling pins. eyeson jackson
Judd, For the love of God.....stop. The game has been over for a long, long time. According to your Real Clear Channel / Gallup Poll story; "Bush has what most would consider the unwanted distinction of registering one of the lowest final job approval ratings of any modern president leaving office at the natural end of his term, and the highest disapproval." Why you would feel obligated to try and spin that story positive is beyond me. Patriot
It's disheartening that you condone torture. You'll be judged accordingly. Little Saganaga
Thanks Judd for your daring comments. I'm grateful for your brave stance that most conservatives are too afraid to go public with - fearing the wrath of liberals. Thank you for your opinions, liberals should take a lesson from you on civil discourse. Bryant Bryant
So if waterboarding a murderous thug like Khalid Sheikh Mohammad saves thousands of civilian lives (which it did - the London plane bomb plot and the Brooklyn Bridge plot) ... I"m all for it! patriot2
I'd much rather have these opinions in an op/ed than in the White House. What a glorious morning this is, where wingnuttery has been put back where it belongs! w00t
Oh, and I too would like to thank George Bush for all he did to help ensure the Dems would win this election. Heck of a job, Bushie! a
Judd, Great satire! (You are kidding, right?) That One
Judd, No amount of brown lipstick is going to land you that gig at Cheney's retirement party, so please stop with the ass kissing. It does not become a rugged, individualistic Republican like yourself. Gump
Judd, I realize now that you are not kidding. I guess you must be upset that Obama is closing down the Guantanamo torture center. Or do you call it a "freedom center"? That One
On 9-11-2001, Bush Jr has been in office for 8 months when the U.S. suffered a the worst terrorist attack ever on U.S. soil. Reagan, Bush Sr and Clinton successfully controlled but could not eliminate Isalmic Terrorism during their terms. Bush Jr failed to do so. You cannot erase or rewrite this fact. It disrespects those who perished that day. First and foremost, failure to protect us from terror. Patriot
Let's see. First, GWB did not protect us from the 9/11 attacks even though he got the memo that Al Queada was determined. Afganistan is run again by the taliban, not liberated. If they were, wouldn't we be talking time table to pull out of there? Next, total lack of restraint or regulation on Wall St and the banks. Look where we are now. I'm afraid to apply for a refinance because I'm not sure if my 20% down of 18 months ago is any where near that. Finally, the ends do not justify the means. Our govt was no better than a third world dictatorship that practices torture. Period. I'm looking forward to the day when both Bush and Cheney and all those others responsible are doing the Perp walk for breaking the law. Didn't work for Nixon either. Lonesome Johnnie
Judd, how nice it must be to own a newspaper so week after week you can disseminate to thousands your grossly specious arguments in defense of the horrendous 8 years the Bush/Cheney administration has put this country through. Here are a few reasons 70% Americans disagree with you (in addition to the valid points made by other readers of your Op/Ed): Encourage by Dick Cheney, Bush threatened our democracy by implementing an imperial presidency answerable to no one, overstepping the constitutional system of checks and balances that are in place to keep any part of the government from growing too powerful. Bush intentionally deceived the country into an illegal war that has cost the lives of over 4000 US service men and women and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians. For years he tried to tie Saddam Hussein to the 9/11 attacks when there was overwhelming evidence that he played no part in the attacks NOR was he building an arsenal of chemical or nuclear weapons. Bush polarized the non-partisan parts of the government. Particularly in the Justice Department, but in other parts of the federal government as well, men and women were fired or muzzled if they departed from the GOP (Karl Rove’s) playbook. In a matter of a few years he squandered our budget surplus and created a historic budget deficit. Judd, you always suggest that the magic bullet that will cure all governmental ills tax cuts----well that’s what Bush did. He cut, and cut, and CUT and look where we are? In a catastrophic economic meltdown! Worst of all, we are a nation divided because of Bush and Cheney. For a brief period following 9/11 we were truly united as a nation at a level that hadn’t been seen since the Second World War. But alas that was not to last. The reckless policies of the Bush administration has left this once great nation broke, hobbled, greedy, afraid, looked down upon, and isolated. Josephine the Plumber
JG: ...... 1) You're wrong about Bush and the economy. Blaming Bush for the bad economy is like crediting Bush for preventing ANOTHER terror attack on US soil..... 2) Bush could communicate just fine--failures had more to do with the substance of his communication. 3) You're also wrong about everything else, but a blog isn't the place for a detailed response. ..... 4) Bush will have a better place in history as time passes but he had the opportunity to be a Great President after 911. sadly, his response was based more on faith than fact at a time when facts would have served him better. eyeson jackson
Hey Judd---news flash: not all those who strongly disapproved of Bush and his administration are liberal democrats as you contend. A good many of them are moderate Republicans like myself who feel our once great party has been hijacked by Neo-Con wingnuts like yourself. I am one of many (life-long) Republicans---disillusioned by the direction of the GOP---who supported Barack Obama in this last election. Until the Republican party takes a good long look at itself and realizes that pandering to the lunatic fringe of the right wing is going to spell years in the wilderness, then Americans like myself will have no choice but to vote as "Interim Democrats". JT
I applaud JG for his hutzpah and conviction. I am waiting to hear what the wiseguys have to say when income and inheritance taxes go up, (some may not care for they have nothing to leave to no one), unemployment goes up, (the government says it is going to extend and raise benefits), migration of illegal immigrants rises, (along with their government given benefits), terrorism returns to America, (with the closing of Gitmo, everyone knows we're pushovers). Wake up people, it's not George, it's not Barack, it's the out of control spiraling growth of the government and the lazy greedy attitude of the American people that will continue to push us deeper and deeper into the hole we now find ourselves in. What ever happened to hard work and family values. Put your hands back in your pockets. RB
I see WW3 and the second coming of JC soon after July 4th. Get born again or you'll be left with the lefties. .... eyeson jackson
Wrath of liberals, like I predicted, like a swarm of killer bees! All of you take a look at your comments, none of you actually read Judd's column did you. You just want a nice piece of flesh to land on to sting. Get control of yourselves! And Josephine, read the headlines regarding Obama's move towards partisanship and the 57 million who didn't vote for him suspected that all along. He and Pelosi will be divide this country once and for all. Bryant
Since when have republicans wanted to work together? Only when they lose power big time. Republicans will have far greater access to Obama than dems had to Bush. In the end it's much about nothing. If Obama fails, out he goes. The republicans had their chance and were rejected after 8 years. It's only 2 years away until the Republicans can win back control. With all that Bush left Obama to fix, surely he'll fail expectations. Republicans should let him do thungs his way. The republicans are predicting failure, so it should be an easy ride back to power two years from now. Surely Obama will let terrorists attack the USofA while taking away your guns and raising you taxes while destroying the economy. So quit bitching and wait your resurrection. eyeson jackson

Opinion

Hate for Bush

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

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