If BUSH had said that.....

....they would have been all over him! (Or some like phrasing).

Now, I'll admit when Bush first took office I was not too heavy into politics. Hell, I voted for the guy in round 1. I can remember the Florida fiasco and commenting that Gore should just stop whining and get on with life. Yes, that was me folks.

I supported Bush, I voted for him after all. When 9/11 hit I thought how terrible it must have been to be in his shoes. If I remember correctly he had a pretty solid backing of the U.S. public at that time.

So when I hear this statement "If Bush had said this..." I have to wonder. Who are they and just how much were they saying in his first couple of years in office?

No, I don't like Bush but I'm not holding that against him if that makes any sense.
I'm really curious as to how much he was getting ripped for anything that came out of his mouth in the early stages.

I'm really curious for your honest opinions on this.

 

Bush had said many things that seemed weird to me. But the press never hammered him on them. Going to war with Iraq; ''He(Hussein) threatened my father, what better reason to go after him.''. ''We are on a crusade.''. Those two I recall.

 

Honestly, I think it may be too early to tell. At least I hope it is. I don't remember how Bush was treated in his early days but I do think Obama is treated a little too reverentially by a lot of the news organizations and magazines. Hopefully, it is just a honeymoon period.

As a matter of fact, I just canceled my subscription to Time after 5 years because week after week, it just kept reading like a White House press release. I had a lot of respect for the magazine when Bush was in power. There was no cheer leading going on. They were not afraid of critical stories. I didn't think they had an agenda. I thought they were just casting a needed critical eye on the presidency. That is not the case now.

I think the press does a disservice to the country by not gazing with a critical eye upon every president. They should not be fans. As I said before...I am thinking it might be good to watch more CNN when a Republican is in charge and more Fox when a Democrat is in charge. Unless you are just interested in hearing the party line.

 

He didn;t get ripped so much as to what he said, but how he said it. He was not the most articulate POTUS we've had, lol. I agree with Ann Richards, he has a silver foot in his mouth.

One thing Bush did not do, was tour the world and bash his country. He was a figure of strength in trying times. He did not bend to dictators, and apologise for Americas faults, but he spooke of our strengths and accomplishments, one of which is very important, the ability to speak English while touring Eupore. Think about that one.

 

...which is EXACTLY why the liberals didn't like him.

 

I voted for Bush the first time, I never cared if he wasn't the most eloquent person out there...he lost my vote for a myriad of other reasons...he was an embarrassment. I see revisionists are already trying their best...like they did with Reagan, to paint him as a great american president...it will probably work as well.

 

Nice to see you back Drusus...

Why wasn't Reagan great? How did he fail? I , personally think he did pretty good. Lets compare him to the past ( since him ) and present. Was Reagan a failure?

 

Well one thing that sticks out in my mind regarding the election and inaguration period of President Regan was the great media outpoaring of "My God He's A B Movie Actor", "How can we trust a Actor to run the country" LOL well I honestly do think he sort of made them eat there words OK I did not 100% agree with everything he did but as a President he gave America back it's pride and guess what he met forign leaders and shook hands with them and hugged some of them LOL So did both Bush's and Clinton. They all met with people who shall we say were questionable as that is the nature of the game.
Now I asked this before can someone show me exactly were Obama has attacked America while abroad? were he has Kowtowed to forign leaders were he has shown a lack of strength, were he has given in to anything?

"In America, there's a failure to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world," Obama said. "Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive.
"But in Europe, there is an anti-Americanism that is at once casual, but can also be insidious. Instead of recognizing the good that America so often does in the world, there have been times where Europeans choose to blame America for much of what's bad."

Now someone please tell me what was wrong with that speach?

 

When I read that comment, I actually thought it was spot on. I also thought it well summed up what a lot of people feel. I also thought it was a very candid statement for a President to make while abroad.

 

Reagan wasnt a failure but he wasnt the great visionary President he is often made out to be today. People try to credit him with the fall of the soviet union when in truth every president post WWII worked to this end, he just happened to be the president sitting when it happen and it was inevitable by that time. Massive spending played a big part in his policy here...out spend them while continuing the closed door opposition policy every president has taken.

He is also credited for turning the economy around through Reaganomics. Reaganomics was, in essence, much the same as we are seeing from Obama. Over spending. This was a common theme in his Presidency...spending.

At the time Reagan spent more than all other Presidents combined I believe and the debt rose to, what was considered then, astronomical levels. What did he do? He followed through on the Nixon policy and developed the 'drug war' spending more and expanding or creating more government agencies...he dumped huge amounts of money into expanding drug enforcement...and defense. Reaganomics was merely borrow and deficit spending...what was so brilliant about that? Now we have huge drug and law enforcement agencies who would never admit that maybe the drug policy in the US has real problems...their budget and very living is tied to the condition that we see things only one way and continue dumping huge amounts of money into these agencies. What incentive would the DEA ever have in admiting that maybe our drug laws should change? Why would they take a hands off policy in california...they must justify their budget for going out and destroying pot fields.

I could go on but, needless to say he was not a fiscal conservative at all, what seems now as a accepted policy that okays huge deficit spending pretty much ramped up in the Reagan administration.

So I wouldnt say he was a failure as much as to say he was not, by far, the visionary he is often made out to be by many conservatives today. I believe many people hear the patriot sound bites from his well crafted speeches, how he sounds like a good old simple American patriot with good common sense conservative ideas...and agree with the rhetoric but ignore the realities of his administration.

Much like with Obama and liberals, many conservatives like to hold him up as the messiah of conservatives but IMO he was the worst form of fake conservative. Social conservative (more restrictive on our personal rights as adults) but a fiscal heavy spender....not conservative at all...

 

Oh...and on topic...I dont think Obama is fairing too well right now but his comments abroad were not out of line IMO. I would say well said. Europe is not our enemy....even France!! I think he simply pointed out that both Europe and America has strayed and should look to renew cooperation and friendship with each other.

 

Bush

If I remember one thing George Bush 43 did was send great amounts of food to starving Africans.
These were people who were so sick they could not walk let alone work the fields. They gave medicine for malaria ,typhoid and other such hard ship afflictions. People got better so they could work and clean water via life straws and solar water pumps got them moving.
This humanitarian effort I believe is an effort that defines a lot of who George Bush is and was .
"No one can get it all by Friday, except Robinson Caruso" .

Pep

 

I guess you when cant afford medicine; medicine from the US government is the next best thing. Why is that so hard for some people in here to understand? Bush has also gotten us into a real quagmire(gigitty)in the middle east. That too defines him. I know, I know. Sarcasm, not wit. But wait! They both mean the same thing!

 

No one gets it all right .
Now we have a situation where feeding Americans may be a top priority. The Bama has been thowing money at everything including the stockmarket to no avail. Major suckers rally. Letting the laws of buckruptcy work seems to be an idea that is foreign to his highness. Our system worked ok until we got the Pelosi and a Congress that is, and has been corrupted by the osmosis of long term politics.Both sides are guilty of abusing the treasure of WE The People Of the United States.
Banks are our backbone for a capitalistic society. Business is the strong survive.
At one time in the twenties we had over a hundred car companies in the U.S. . Over the years the last few who could not make it gave up the ghost. Rember Studebaker,Packard, Nash, and the demise of brands for the big three?
Saving America from itself maybe the largest problem we have. Greed and corruption are what was here but Socialism will solve nothing,we made a wrong turn with a smooth talking , experience lacking pick. A Congress that openly lies, and what is there that we do not know ? Out of touch is the kindest words that comes to mind !

Pep

 

Pep Obama has been in power for FOUR MONTHS not EIGHT YEARS, do you honestly expect that ANY politician from any party could have reversed the effects of this melt down in FOUR MONTHS if YES then tell me who and what there plan was. All I keep hearing is the same old Socialism rubbish and how many of you have ever lived in a socialist country? what you have is NOT SOCIALISM Now as for the Bail our Guess who started it? any ideas! No well try President Bush, who Supported it well lets try Both Presidential Candidates and President Bush, how many have voted against the bailouts? and how many for?
I realy do wish that you guy's would get real and stop trying to Blame Obama for this mess it started way before he got into power and what did the last regiem do? You want to let all these buisnesses collapse fine but be prepaired to live with the fall out.
Just how many people do you think will loose there jobs directly or indirectly if the American economy is allowed to go into real free fall, what do you think will happen to the value of the dollar worldwide? what it will do to your trade (in and out of America)
Actualy try to think instead of just sprouting off party rhetoric.

 

Here we have two document we live by The declation of Independence and The Constitution. Those document took a long time to produce. Much thought went into what they contain.
We have been having our freedom tamped down little by little.
1. While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old Texas rancher, whose hand was caught in the gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man.Eventually the topic got around to Obama and his bid to be our president.The old rancher said, ’Well, ya know, Obama is a ’Post Turtle’’.Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a ’post turtle’ was. The old rancher said, ’When you’re driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that’s a ’post turtle’.The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor’s face so he continued to explain.’You know he didn’t get up there by himself, he doesn’t belong up there, and he doesn’t know what to do while he’s up there, and you just wonder what kind of dumb a.ss put him up there to begin with’.

 

Yep and he was ELECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY A LARGE MAJORITY, so according to your little homily the majority of your own country people are dumb and what exactley do those two documents actualy say about Obama??
Oh and the declaration of indipendence realy did not take a long time to write it was created June/July 1776 and ratified July 4th 1776 and signed August 2nd 1776.
Which part of the constitution has he violated or which amendment to the bill of rights?
But most of all what exactly does any of your reply have to do with anything??

 

And !

I do not belong to the party of the Democrats or Republicans. I hope we will educate the masses to understand we are being had by both sides.
We can not lead when we have people who throw money away. They have even coined a name for money unaccounted for sent for aid to those in need " Shrinkage".
Parsing and refomulating, language only hides the true meaning of what is being done on a world wide scale.
Obama with his court are out of control. They do not know how to get to first base. Money is flowing everywhere but where it should. The courts are not being used properly.
As with the previous administration they make law from the bench. I blame greed and corruption on both parties.
Very bad decisions concerning trying to fix every thing at once make things worse not better ! This congress has been in power for two years before B.O. came to office. They still are not helping but going with what they think are quantum leaps. No such thing exists. Time and evolution are they key, and completing one task at a time.
Inflation and the erosion of currency is right around the corner.
The constitution did take a number of years to finalize.

 

So was Herbert Hoover. I'm just sayin'... lol

 

Speaking of Herbert Hoover. A great business man by the way. He's quoted as saying, "The only thing wrong with capitalism, is the capitalists. Theyre so greedy.''. That was during the start of the Depression. I guess they havent learned anything.