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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Bush A Truman For Our Times?

I certainly think the comparison is apt.

Harry Truman was one of the most unpopular Presidents in this country’s history while he was in office.  In fact, many of the records for public opinion poll unpopularity Bush is breaking now were set by Truman himself.  Yet time and again when political leaders - including Democrats like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton - are asked to name their favorite Presidents they name Truman.

Why?  Because he made the right decisions instead of just the popular decisions, and ultimately history proved him to be right.

I believe the same will happen to Bush.  For a certain type of rabidly partisan American he’ll always be a sort of evil incarnate.  But for those whose judgment isn’t clouded by a miasma of political hatred I think Bush will be seen as a strong but flawed leader who didn’t always make the right decisions, but got enough of them right to have made a difference.

Comments

But for those whose judgment is clouded by a miasma of political hatred I think Bush will be seen as a strong but flawed leader who didn’t always make the right decisions, but got enough of them right to have made a difference.

Very appropriate.


Filmeneutics.com

“Behind Communism, Fascism, behind all occupations and invasions lurks a more basic, pervasive evil… a parade of people marching by with raised fists and shouting identical syllables in unision.” - Milan Kundera

Hairy Polemic on July 31, 2008 at 11:04 am
Rob
Rob
19516 comments
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I had a typo there.  Should have been “isn’t.” I fixed it.

Are you agreeing with me, Hairy?  Or are you saying my typo was apt?


When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

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Rob on July 31, 2008 at 11:15 am

Agreeing with you. I ignored the typo as the sentence wouldn’t make sense otherwise.


Filmeneutics.com

“Behind Communism, Fascism, behind all occupations and invasions lurks a more basic, pervasive evil… a parade of people marching by with raised fists and shouting identical syllables in unision.” - Milan Kundera

Hairy Polemic on July 31, 2008 at 11:20 am
Rob
Rob
19516 comments
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I thought so, but wasn’t sure.


When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

robport.gif border=0

Rob on July 31, 2008 at 12:15 pm
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lol

You need help son. Nixon is going to look like a baby faced schoolgirl after this jackass leaves office.

Bush is losing the war on terror
The economy has gone to pieces
Record levels of debt
Gas prices have gone through the roof
The army is a shambles
The country is more partisan than ever
Katrina
911 happened on his watch, ignored all warning signs leading to it.
Completed sale of Republicans too big business
ignored Global warming, does not believe in science
i could go on but i will stop there!

on the plus side he did err mm ..
he gave money to Africa to fight poverty and aids
took more holidays than any other President in history(fewer days he could screw things up)

to summarize, your post is a joke. I hope you didn’t get paid for that rubbish.

Sting on July 31, 2008 at 07:27 pm

Bush is losing the war on terror

Except even the current leading Democratic candidate has to admit that this is not so.

The economy has gone to pieces

The economy posted a 2% growth this quarter. (Average growth for a highly developed nation is 3%.)

Record levels of debt

Is that the fault of a 20billion/yr war or 300billion/yr in entitlement spending?

Gas prices have gone through the roof

Yet one day Bush said “drill,” and the gas prices miraculously went down for a bit… except the Dem congress said, “Nah, don’t drill.” And then they went up again.

The army is a shambles

Not sure where that’s from. But you should submit it to the Times; they might be looking for new headlines.

The country is more partisan than ever

Yes, that is the fault of a sitting president. It’s definitely not the fault of a certain political party trying to take his seat.

Katrina

Bush can control the weather? You’re right, that was facetious… Bush wasn’t the governor of Louisiana. The other states have somehow managed to handle their floods and fires quite well without Federal aid.

911 happened on his watch, ignored all warning signs leading to it.

... and so did Clinton. Wasn’t he in office during the first semi-successful attempt to blow up the WTC?

I could go on, but it’s pointless. You happen to fall into the category of “those whose judgment is clouded by a miasma of political hatred.”


Filmeneutics.com

“Behind Communism, Fascism, behind all occupations and invasions lurks a more basic, pervasive evil… a parade of people marching by with raised fists and shouting identical syllables in unision.” - Milan Kundera

Hairy Polemic on August 1, 2008 at 05:10 am
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