It's no secret that I believe George W. Bush to be one of the worst presidents in history. While I freely admit that I normally fall on the liberal end of the political equator, I do consider myself a mild fan of previous Republican presidents Regan and Bush Sr. Yet with this guy and his supporters, I just don't get it. Cronyism is to be expected in political circles, but at least in the past there were some efforts made to procure cronies who were at least semi-competent. As president, or any other leadership position, you're only as good as the people you surround yourself with. George W. has not only made the mistake of surrounding himself with incompetent people, but then he has compounded his miscues by showing unflappable loyalty even in the face of blatant abuse and malfeasance.
When people talk about Bush's strengths, I hear about the War on Terror and the job he's done since 9/11. It's amazing how people spin the facts for their political agenda. Firstly, Bush can blame Clinton all he wants, the tragic events of 9/11 occurred while he was in office, or on vacation at his ranch. Secondly, we've spent billions of dollars, yet have not even come close to catching the person responsible for 9/11. If someone hurt my family member, one of my first questions would be, Have you caught the person responsible? We have not, as Bin Laden is still hiding out in a cave laughing at us, and the worst part is no one ever brings this up anymore. It is a slap in the face to the victims and families of those who perished that they have waited over 6 years and still not seen justice served. Thirdly, we have invaded Iraq, taking the lid off a powder keg, yet Saudi Arabia, where 15 of the 19 hijackers came from, has not gotten so much as a slap on the a wrist for their part in the Twin Towers Attack. In fact, their leaders get invited to the White House to catch up with their old friends the Bushes and hold hands. Fourthly, we've invested countless resources and troops in Iraq on the premise that this would make us safer, and protect our citizens. But when faced with a catastrophe on our soil, such as Hurricane Katrina, there is no relief to be had. We are trying harder to rebuild a devastated Iraq than one of our own American cities! Finally, we have immigration, which many people like to tie into the War on Terror because an unguarded Mexican border is a security issue. Never mind that the 9/11 hijackers came in through Canada, and thus far nobody is calling for a wall protecting us from Mounties. This is another area where Bush has failed to generate much enthusiasm for his vision, nor has he shown any leadership, as we still do not have a coherent or enforced immigration policy.
When people talk about Bush's strengths, I hear about the War on Terror and the job he's done since 9/11. It's amazing how people spin the facts for their political agenda. Firstly, Bush can blame Clinton all he wants, the tragic events of 9/11 occurred while he was in office, or on vacation at his ranch. Secondly, we've spent billions of dollars, yet have not even come close to catching the person responsible for 9/11. If someone hurt my family member, one of my first questions would be, Have you caught the person responsible? We have not, as Bin Laden is still hiding out in a cave laughing at us, and the worst part is no one ever brings this up anymore. It is a slap in the face to the victims and families of those who perished that they have waited over 6 years and still not seen justice served. Thirdly, we have invaded Iraq, taking the lid off a powder keg, yet Saudi Arabia, where 15 of the 19 hijackers came from, has not gotten so much as a slap on the a wrist for their part in the Twin Towers Attack. In fact, their leaders get invited to the White House to catch up with their old friends the Bushes and hold hands. Fourthly, we've invested countless resources and troops in Iraq on the premise that this would make us safer, and protect our citizens. But when faced with a catastrophe on our soil, such as Hurricane Katrina, there is no relief to be had. We are trying harder to rebuild a devastated Iraq than one of our own American cities! Finally, we have immigration, which many people like to tie into the War on Terror because an unguarded Mexican border is a security issue. Never mind that the 9/11 hijackers came in through Canada, and thus far nobody is calling for a wall protecting us from Mounties. This is another area where Bush has failed to generate much enthusiasm for his vision, nor has he shown any leadership, as we still do not have a coherent or enforced immigration policy.
On top of this over-hyped War on Terror, there are still abortions, and the values of the country that were so important to voters, don't seem to have improved (See Scooter Libby, Alberto Gonzalez, Dick Cheney's hunting trips). I think the problem is that somewhere along the way certain people in this country began confusing their president with their drinking buddy. With your drinking buddy, its great that he can walk into a room and slap everybody on the back, or mispronounce certain words in his backwoods twang after a couple of ice cold Buds. However, in this redneck's opinion, perhaps that is not what we need from our president. Perhaps electing a president with attributes such as grace, tact, and statesmanship might help to restore luster to the office both domestically and abroad.
In looking ahead to 2008, I really hope that John McCain will get the Republican nomination, and I think he will. My rationale is that whenever I have discussions with friends of different views, the one consensus is that they usually respect McCain. To me, he is exactly what this nation needs: He is a war veteran with combat experience who understands the costs and sacrifices involved, he is an intelligent, thoughtful person without being overly stuffy and verbose a la Al Gore before he morphed into Mother Earth, and, most importantly, he is someone who truly stands for integrity and credibility, two essential qualities that have been in short supply the last eight years. Add these attributes to the fact that he's also got a pretty hot wife, and I'm sold.
The other candidates will make it close, but they all have major flaws when it comes to winning a national election. Barak Obama is black, his middle name is Hussein, he lacks experience, and possesses a non-existent platform. Hillary is a feminist pariah still struggling to escape Bill's enormous shadow, and she might already be too overexposed on the national stage for a nation eager for change. Romney is Mormon, which many core Christians equate with witchcraft and snake charmers. Giuliani has a shady past, is Italian, and from New York, which is great if he wants to start an Italian Ice stand, but not if he wants to be president. Fred Thompson is so devoid of charisma that this former Law & Order star should've had the title role in Weekend at Bernies. Mike Huckabee is Bush folksy but without the pedigree, used to be obese, and would likely change the name of the Lincoln bedroom to the Walker Texas Ranger Suite.
With a field like this following 8 years of George W., its easy to see why I am hoping that McCain's resurgence in the polls continues to propel him all the way to the White House.
With a field like this following 8 years of George W., its easy to see why I am hoping that McCain's resurgence in the polls continues to propel him all the way to the White House.
[George Bush] [Barak Obama] [Rudy Giuliani] [Mike Huckabee] [Hillary Clinton] [Chuck Norris] [Mitt Romney] [John McCain] [Primary] [War On Terror]
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