Bush Is Evil

National Review ^ | September 9, 2003 | William F. Buckley Jr.

[quidnunc]

Why they hate him.

In a private forum the question arose, Why do they hate Bush so? And … what will they do with that hatred? How far can they carry it? How will it affect the next presidential election?

The participants agreed that it is a singular hatred, greater by far than what was felt by dissenters against Ronald Reagan in 1984, and rivaling what was felt for Nixon in 1973-4. It supplies a useful context here to recall that hatred of Nixon was very much alive in 1972, but he carried 49 states in his reelection bid. The decapitation of Nixon was in due course effected, but required his cooperation. Bush, by contrast, is not ever going to engage in suicidal activity of an extra-political character. Does this mean that the animosity toward him will wash away in the flood tide of a reelection victory? An examination of this point needs of course to acknowledge that you don't have to do a Watergate to end your career. George H. W. Bush ended his without any brush with felony.

The inquiry continues: Why the feelings toward Bush? The answer, as agreed upon in this improvised study, was: 1) He is not legitimately president of the United States. The other guy got more votes. Bush slipped in because of capricious conduct by the courts. 2) Bush is a Christer. He takes every opportunity to inform the American people that he is in touch with the Lord and therefore that, by deduction, what he does is the Lord's work. 3) He gravely miscalculated the onus of what he set out to do in Iraq. The consequences of that miscalculation are deaths unending, and more money spent than King Solomon dreamed of. 4) The economy lacks the kind of resiliency it might have shown if more resourcefully tended. 5) His truckling to the rich in his tax cuts shows a callous disregard of civil adjudications between America's poor and America's rich. And finally, 6) He is a liar. He specifically informed the public that Iraq had in hand instantly deployable weapons of mass destruction. These, it proved, did not exist.

The question then was: How will the opposition communicate this animosity? When Democratic Candidate X faces President Bush in the televised debate, how will he express, or capitalize on, the odium? One participant recalled the deep, histrionic sighs of Al Gore when confronting Bush in debate. But of course the consensus was that Gore was hurt, not helped, by the body language.

Will the average voter wish to hear about the evil of Bush? What is the good of hating Bush if you can't interest your neighbor, and his neighbor, in hating Bush? That, after all, is the point of this exercise-to send Bush back to his ranch, permanently.

-snip-

[finnman69]

In a private forum the question arose, Why do they hate Bush so? And . . . what will they do with that hatred? How far can they carry it? How will it affect the next presidential election?

The participants agreed that it is a singular hatred, greater by far than what was felt by dissenters against Ronald Reagan in 1984, and rivaling what was felt for Nixon in 1973-4. It supplies a useful context here to recall that hatred of Nixon was very much alive in 1972, but he carried 49 states in his reelection bid. The decapitation of Nixon was in due course effected, but required his cooperation. Bush, by contrast, is not ever going to engage in suicidal activity of an extra-political character. Does this mean that the animosity toward him will wash away in the flood tide of a reelection victory? An examination of this point needs of course to acknowledge that you don't have to do a Watergate to end your career. George H. W. Bush ended his without any brush with felony.

The inquiry continues: Why the feelings toward Bush? The answer, as agreed upon in this improvised study, was: 1) He is not legitimately president of the United States. The other guy got more votes. Bush slipped in because of capricious conduct by the courts. 2) Bush is a Christer. He takes every opportunity to inform the American people that he is in touch with the Lord and therefore that, by deduction, what he does is the Lord's work. 3) He gravely miscalculated the onus of what he set out to do in Iraq. The consequences of that miscalculation are deaths unending, and more money spent than King Solomon dreamed of. 4) The economy lacks the kind of resiliency it might have shown if more resourcefully tended. 5) His truckling to the rich in his tax cuts shows a callous disregard of civil adjudications between America's poor and America's rich. And finally, 6) He is a liar. He specifically informed the public that Iraq had in hand instantly deployable weapons of mass destruction. These, it proved, did not exist.

The question then was: How will the opposition communicate this animosity? When Democratic Candidate X faces President Bush in the televised debate, how will he express, or capitalize on, the odium? One participant recalled the deep, histrionic sighs of Al Gore when confronting Bush in debate. But of course the consensus was that Gore was hurt, not helped, by the body language.

Will the average voter wish to hear about the evil of Bush? What is the good of hating Bush if you can't interest your neighbor, and his neighbor, in hating Bush? That, after all, is the point of this exercise-to send Bush back to his ranch, permanently.

Probably the first person who will need to explore these questions is Howard Dean. Dean is campaigning against Bush using language that would be appropriate in campaigning against a public enemy. One assumes the sincerity of Dean's passion, which is doing yeoman work for him with Internet ideologues and with Manichaean Democrats drawn to the proposition that the only way to understand Bush is to know that he is evil.

Is it predictable that after Dean sews up the nomination, winning in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, he will confront a body of previously inert Democrats who will be reluctant to endorse an anti-Bush campaign based on the incumbent's venality?

If that happened, how quickly would it happen? The nomination might well be sewn up by early March of 2004. How soon after that would Candidate Dean discover that the drumbeat which has been propelling him isn't resonating over hill and vale into the body of voters needed to proceed with the election of a new president, which is something different from the excommunication of a sinner?

That test could come before Dean is anointed. It is entirely possible that the people who go to the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire will be wondering whether they are being coopted by the moral absolutes of Candidate Dean, who is asking them to dispatch him to kill the dragon in the White House.

George Bush could ease that problem for Dean by simply becoming evil. But that is not something Howard Dean can safely count upon.

[Dog]

I just heard on Fox News that the RAT Senators plan on denying the President $21 Billion of the 87 Billion he has asked for....I am so freaking pissed.

[Leroy S. Mort]

Not up to Buckley's best unfortunately. I didn't even learn any new words. All snack and no main course.

[Peach]

I just heard on Fox News that the RAT Senators plan on denying the President $21 Billion of the 87 Billion he has asked for....I am so freaking pissed.

You are kidding me!!! How dare they. Do they forget they are in the minority and unless a Republican jumps ship, they don't get to dictate that.

[swheats]

... The other guy got more votes.

I suppose if you don't count military votes and dangle a few chads it gets a little easier to fantasize about the other guy winning.

The right man got the job. President George W Bush AKA Commander in Chief.

[Dog]

No I'm not kidding you....they will deny the 21 Billion that is meant to go the Afghanistan.

[q_an_a]

If half the people in Texas that vote republican thought that the NUMBER of votes mattered instead of electoral votes, you can bet GWB would have had another 1,000,000.

[Vladivostok]

Yea, unbelieveable isn't it?

Byrd: Congress isn't an ATM
Kennedy: Congress doesn't write blank checks
Biden: The President should ask the top 1% of earners to give back their $90,000 tax cut to pay for it, so it isn't all on the backs of poor people...

[Question_Assumptions]

This article misses the biggest reasons why the far left is anti-George W. and anti-Christian -- abortion and sexual liberation. They don't like George W. Bush because they are afraid that he'll get to appoint Supreme Court justices. It used to be popular to claim that the Religious Right were single issue voters on abortion. The truth is that a lot of the "religious" Left are also single issue voters on abortion.

[Wait4Truth]

Chuck Hagel, John McCain

[Dog]

Thanks for posting that..

Peach see post 9..

[Dog]

Chaffee.....Snow.......Collins

[Centurion2000]

Why they hate him ? Simple, civilized discourse is breaking down between the two parties and the democrats are pushing for a final showdown of sorts.

Civil war is no longer an implausible scenario.

[swheats]

You notice the left never want to mention electoral votes. Must be talking to those first time book buyers of Hillary's.

Speaking of the old gal. "Losing bin Laden" comes out and she goes quietly off to wait it out.

[Peach]

I listened to part of them today on C-Span. Made me sick.

They get me nuts when they start whining about $$ for the military. They never mind spending $$ on domestic programs, but let someone spend extra on the military and they go ballistic.

The Rats keep saying the president hasn't asked the American people to sacrifice. How about asking Democrats to sacrifice - slow down the growth of some programs, postpone prescription drug coverage by 6 mos.

The prescription drug pricetag is $400 billion! But they'll complain about what we spend in Iraq to secure the region that is vital to our national interests.

[Peach]

Although McCain was hostile to WOlfowitz today (from what I saw on C-Span), I don't think he'd withhold $$ that is also intended to go to the troops - better equipment and trucks, etc., according to some article I read.

[LadyDoc]

I was overseas during Reagan. They hated him and called him a warmonger and a worse man than Hitler. Hundreds of thousands demonstrated in Europe against him....


He was ridiculed for saying evil empire, and Mr. Gorbechev tear down this wall....and then the wall came down and they "forgot" how they hated him and insisted that it had nothing to do with his actions...

[Mo1]

No I'm not kidding you....they will deny the 21 Billion that is meant to go the Afghanistan.

Afghanistan????

What are they friggin Nuts ... What do they really want .... the taliban to set up shop there again??

[Mo1]

The Rats keep saying the president hasn't asked the American people to sacrifice.

How about the Rats stop funding their pet projects .. or how about they stop voting THEMSELVES a pay raise

[anniegetyourgun]

True. It is, however, an interesting poser - will his "I hate Bush" message carry him through to Boston. If not, there's always Hillary....with her "I hate Bush" message. Second verse, same as the first....

[kcordell]

Congress isn't an ATM

This comes from The King of Pork?

[Jim Robinson]

Why do they hate him? Because he's everything they aren't and everything they can never be. And mainly that's because he's an American (in the traditional God fearing red, white and blue sense of the word).

[swheats]

Was this the same meeting where Levin is asking about rosey scenarios before going to war? Something about Iraq's oil producing enough to sustain Iraq once it was online.

I was curious if the before war scenarios included timelines of expectations.

It's only been 5 months.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

He was ridiculed for saying evil empire, and Mr. Gorbechev tear down this wall....and then the wall came down and they "forgot" how they hated him and insisted that it had nothing to do with his actions...

They liked the freedom, they didn't like the price. Freedom always comes with a price - HEROES BLOOD! Nobody wants a hero over there. America loves a hero. America prizes freedom more then it's own blood - as it should.

[Peach]

I'm not sure regarding Levin. I only heard part of McCain and a few minutes of Kennedy and had to turn it off.

[Peach]

Yeah - that pay raise has me ticked to a fairthewell.

[MissAmericanPie]

"The other guy got more votes?" What a bunch of brain dead weiners. What they are really taking aim at is the Electoral College that protects the rest of the USofA from the tryanny of highly populated states.

Hillary vowed to put an end to the Electoral College there by ending the protection of less populace states from the nests of liberal cockroaches in NY and Cali.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Let's give them more reason to hate Bush. Let's reelect him in 2004, with a philabuster squashing majority in both houses and really get to work on the desocialization of America.

[Jorge]

Byrd: Congress isn't an ATM

Funny, Byrd seems to think it's an ATM when it comes to his pork barrel projects.
Hypocrite.

[vpintheak]

Yep for all their moaning and groaning about the safety of the troops they wish to deny it for purely political reasons. They are such cowards and liars they make me sick.

[nutmeg]

read later bump

[Ann Archy]

Byrd is a KKK Hypocrite....Grand Kleagle Byrd...Head Recruiter for the KKK years ago.....hypocricy is one of his least faults.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

I just heard on Fox News that the RAT Senators plan on denying the President $21 Billion of the 87 Billion he has asked for....

That's probably why he asked for 87 B -- his real need is probably more like 45 B -- knowing that the Rats will trim it, he still comes out ahead. He's a smart man.

[Theyknow]

“Chaffee.....Snow.......Collins” It is idiotic to forget that they give us the majority. They have stuck with us on most major votes and to pretend that they are not Republican enough when no one more conservative could be elected to their states is just foolishness.

[votelife]

if Bush only needs say 60B, asks for 80, and gets his 60, he looks like a compromiser and the left looks anti-defense, anti-American...

[MrsEmmaPeel]

if Bush only needs say 60B, asks for 80, and gets his 60, he looks like a compromiser and the left looks anti-defense, anti-American...

Absolutely. There is no way Bush can lose on this. (Unless of course, he's asking only for what he needs -- which I doubt.)

[Cicero]

The primary reason the leftists hate Bush is that he pried their sticky little fingers from the levers of power. The Democrats think they are Entitled to run the country and fill their pockets with loot. They are really, really angry that he has taken away their hog trough.

[Spok]

Remember how the libs crawled back under their rocks right after 9/11? If we get whacked again, like AQ is promising, liberals will become more scarce than dodo birds.

[votelife]

a good article said Bush was going to wring the Dems around the neck with this vote...I think there's truth to that. The Dems love to attack Bush etc, but when there forced to take a vote to side with America or side against America, they go into conniption fits!

[BigWaveBetty]

bump

[JoeSixPack1]

If not, there's always Hillary....with her "I hate Bush" message. Second verse, same as the first....

There it is. When it all finally boils down to "I hate Bush", after every possible scenario has been outted by the press encouraging that hate, spun by the current candidates, Hitlery's hat will come flying into the ring. She can't debate, she can't field off-the-cuff questions so she's allowing her dingbat minnions to work through all the crappola in preparation for her white horse act at the eleventh hour.

[bluelowrider57]

Exactly.

[solo gringo]

The demo's have tought me never to vote for a gang of haters.They are the evil party IMHO.

[Deb]

I agree about Collins and Snowe...not Chaffee. Both he and his father were/are stupid, flakey and Democrat-friendly.

The truth is, liberal states elect liberal Republicans. Easily overcome in the House...deadly in the Senate. But Byrd can't live forever.

[DainBramage]

Hey Deb!

Mind thrashing me around a little bit for old times sake? I deserve it baby .....

[DainBramage]

Okay..I'll start..your an idiot and women shouldn't even be able to post on these sites.

[foreverfree]

bump

[Diva Betsy Ross]

They hate him because he understands the sacrifce that comes with freedom. Liberals hate nothing more than having to put something, or somone else's needs before their own. Liberals hate the idea that some people love this country more than they can even love themselves.

[Let's Roll]

And perpetrate massive vote fraud nationwide. 103% turnout - 100% of the votes going to Gore ( both statistically impossible) - votes for cigarettes - the many, many states that don't require or look at photo ID which should be a minimum. And which party benefitted from all of these shenanigans, I ask rhetorically.