Posted on 11/05/2008 12:02:40 AM PST by STARWISE
Earlier this year, 12,000 people in San Francisco signed a petition in support of a proposition on a local ballot to rename an Oceanside sewage plant after George W. Bush.
The proposition is only one example of the classless disrespect many Americans have shown the president.
According to recent Gallup polls, the president's average approval rating is below 30% -- down from his 90% approval in the wake of 9/11. Mr. Bush has endured relentless attacks from the left while facing abandonment from the right.
This is the price Mr. Bush is paying for trying to work with both Democrats and Republicans. During his 2004 victory speech, the president reached out to voters who supported his opponent, John Kerry, and said, "Today, I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support, and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust."
Those bipartisan efforts have been met with crushing resistance from both political parties.
~~~~
Mr. Shapiro is an investigative reporter and lawyer who previously interned with John F. Kerry's legal team during the presidential election in 2004.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Consider it yours to use freely.
A disproportionate share of the power is given to a few beginning states, via the media template of "Momentum".
And those early states are NOT representative of the GOP as a whole, still less of conservatism.
Kyrie Eleison!
>>I think the GOP has realized its time to stop playing nice<<
I wish this was true.
They will continue to roll over and blame Sarah Palin.
I voted for Bush both times. But he is the reason the Dems now control the House, Senate and Presidency.
He should have thrown Rumsfeld out before the 2006 election, not the day after the Democrats swept the Congress.
He should have surged sooner than later.
He should have opted for a strong dollar policy.
He should have hammered home on the Fannie/Freddie mess—he knew it was a problem, tried to do something, but obviously not enough.
I don’t know what to make of the many poor decisions, the lack of fortitude/leadership, that landed us here. I like the man, but he did not follow through. And now, come to think of it, McCain might have been more of the same in that regard. If McCain couldn’t make his case in the election, how would he do it in office?
Same here. (See tagline.)
Yes. I’ve been really diappointed in Bush’s handling of many issues. However, the one thing that he has done, and the most important, is keep us safe from another attack.
History will indeed look differently on him. Maybe not after the first, but after the second or third major attack on our soil.
It might take 100,000 lives, it might take a million, before this country truly wakes up to the reality of what we are up against.
This election proves that the majority are still unaware.
Could you post that as a thread of it’s own?
If you did, can you ping me? I need to bookmark it.
I'm glad to see there's still some fighting spririt around here. It is appalling how many posts I've seen where people are just giving up. They may as well hold their hands aloft and wave a white flag.
Seeing that sort of thing, it's no wonder we lost. I certainly would not want anybody like that on my team.
But those of us with the intenstinal fortitude cannot just give in to socialism. We'll fight for what is right and the rest of them can sit on the sidelines and compain, I suppose.
Spot on! Kudos to the author for nailing it.
Bush certainly ignored the offenses. Don’t think Obama will be able to handle the challenge. And his challenge is coming. He ran an extremely divisive campaign and HIS chickens will come home to roost.
Thank you. You are correct, Bush has failed to respond or even try. He set back and let the MSM and the democrats tell us what Bush was all about without saying a word. A charge unanswered becomes truth.
The candidates have to tiptoe through the minefields in Michigan, (an industrial state) Iowa, (a midwest agricultural state) New Hampshire, (formerly the definition of conservative but now representative of the rest of New England), and then move to South Carolina (Southern) and Florida (retirement and military). That's a good mix and they have to work each state in such a way that does not offend the next state. If a candidate can do that, they have a broad enough appeal that they would be a viable general election choice.
I would favor a system where the leadoff primary states are rotated in each region but remember, primaries are set by the states, not the parties. (Also remember, the Democrats had to disenfrenchfry the delegates from Michigan and Florida because those states moved their primaries ahead.)
It looks like we are fighting for the same ideas. People are frustrated, and taking it out on each other. Unity is important and hopefully those upest will remember the reasons which you gave, gives us much in common. I too like to consider myself a conservative first.
It’s going to be a long week, DO...the next four years is going to take it’s toll, but no giving up now.
This has been my opinion for some time. I strongly supported defeating Obama but I was not supportive of Bush in ‘04. As the pile on started I got off because it was so obviously unfair. He was blamed for everything but one of the biggest problems is that he never defended himself in ‘04. As I got on his side in the later years of his Presidency I was disheartened that the arrogance that was there in his earlier years weren’t there to defend himself in the later years. I’m with you Bush until the moment you leave office. Please start defending your beliefs again
HollyB, I agree with the tone of your post. I just want to make sure we don’t go heading off down the road to make the same dang mistake we have been making for decades.
This nation is not drifting left for nothing. Our side has been contributing to the problem, and it must stop.
You are right when you say we must not give up. I certainly agree.
Thank you for your comments.
Look at my name I chose for FReerepublic. I loved George W. Bush and still do. He has kept America safe and in reality has been an awesome wartime President. But, as so many others here have noted, President Bush has been in a state of quit for quite some time now. That’s when I mentally checked out of supporting him. Christlike in his acceptance of his beatdown? Yes. But how are we suppose to follow a leader who quit on us? Tell me. How?
And look at what’s happened. He signed everything put in front of him spending money like a drunk, expanded government with that prescription drug add-on benefit, was all for the foreign invasion from our southern border through his support for amnesty, on and on and on. We didn’t really abandon him, he abandoned us. And then people wonder how in the world we didn’t elect his clone, Senator McCain.
We’ve lost it all, friends and well wishers. We need to adapt to the new reality...
...if you’re thinking about the Fairness Doctrine, I doubt that BO will be worrying much about that...it won’t be an issue the general populace cares about much, and there will be a lot more to occupy BO’s time and efforts...will we see a proclamation that all right wing radio be balanced with left wing speech, thus eliminating for all intents and purposes political discourse on the radio? I say no. I think what the dems may push for is more local programming of the airwaves, which might serve the purpose, though in a much reduced fashion...but something as ham handed as the Fairness Doctrine...I wouldn’t worry too much...
The media won’t be getting my eyes. The t.v. will be off quite a bit in my house. Probably a good thing. If they take away our talk radio, won’t be listening to that either anymore. Won’t be so bad. But others will suffer, and big. Advertising dollars all for nothing, because I have just gone blind and deaf to them.
Democrats never criticize their own, they never indict and prosecute their own, they never censure their own, they never investigate their own. They reelect accused felons, impeached judges and tax cheats. The criticism of their opponents is vitriolic, hate filled and venomous. They only cooperate when it's on their terms and never initiate any bipartisan acts.
Conservatives need to take the gloves off and get down and dirty. Politics is hardball and we need to remember how its played!
...if you’re thinking about the Fairness Doctrine, I doubt that BO will be worrying much about that...it won’t be an issue the general populace cares about much, and there will be a lot more to occupy BO’s time and efforts...will we see a proclamation that all right wing radio be balanced with left wing speech, thus eliminating for all intents and purposes political discourse on the radio? I say no. I think what the dems may push for is more local programming of the airwaves, which might serve the purpose, though in a much reduced fashion...but something as ham handed as the Fairness Doctrine...I wouldn’t worry too much...
I think you mixed me up with another poster. :)
I would never utter a phrase such as "We've lost it all..." unless maybe I could see a nuclear missile headed right at me.
But there are plenty of defeatists on here. 'Twas probably one of them.
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