Comments on: Lame Duck Is What?

By: Michael Lonie

Michael Lonie — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 05:32:10 +0000

Bush has one great weakness. He is not ruthless enough. I think this affected both his domestic policy and his war direction. He keeps people around too long, even when he shouldn’t. The Duke of Alba (d. 1582) commented that “Kings use men like oranges. They squeeze out the juice and throw away the rind.” It comes with the job, and Presidents must do it too. The really great Presidents had that streak of ruthlessness. Bush lacks it. He would have served himself and the country better if he had been more ruthless throwing out the failing or poorly performing earlier. Look how long he kept Tenet around. It makes Bush a more amiable man, but a less effective President.

However, he is much more farsighted than any of his critics. He understood the real causes of the jihadist terrorism, and in the Iraq Campaign has sought to destroy them, by injecting the virus of liberty into the Middle East. It’s a long term project, but it’s curious that all those who call hm a moron and denounce his policies have no clue themselves about how to fight the jihadists. The jihadists arise out of the dysfunctional political culture of the Arab world and until that is reformed we will continue to be attacked by jihadist terrorists.

Now for all of you who think Bush’s economic performance was so bad, we now have a President-elect who, despite his elite education at Columbia and Harvard Law, is more ignorant about economics and the effects of tax policies than a blue-collar plumber. But Obama has the elite credentials dontcherknow, and he speaks sooooooo beautifully, at any rate when he has a teleprompter in front of him. What more could you want: good sense, good judgement, a record of accomplishments? RACIST!!!!!

By: Daily Pundit » Dead Duck

Daily Pundit » Dead Duck — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 03:00:07 +0000

[...] Jules Crittenden » Lame Duck Is What? He was supposed to become one nearly two years ago. But Chimpy never quacked. [...]

By: bobby b

bobby b — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:48:54 +0000

I’ll forever remember with glee how the Democrats spent eight frothy and screaming years wailing about how Bush resided on the far end of the last small section of the final inch of the neo-paleo-ignoro-con section of the Right half of the poli-continuum – that he was so far out there that he could probably still see yesterday coming, and about how, from their spot right near the Center of the continuum, they couldn’t even see people who were able to look further away and see Bush . . .

. . . . while all that time Bush’s approval ratings were dropping, not because he had lost the approval of the last seven Democrats who didn’t care what their kids’ Womyn in History counselors thought but because he was losing the two-thirds of the Republicans who finally tired of him being Ted Kennedy on education, Bill Clinton on foreign relations, Jimmy Carter on finance, and his own dad on taxes.

I’d suspect a brilliantly-well-thought-out ploy to drag the Center leftward, but for knowing the people involved.

By: Larry

Larry — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:16:11 +0000

“big shoes”

I picture a little girl in mommy’s hat and dress and way too tall high heels.

Obama will never fill Mr. Bush’s shoes.

By: RebeccaH

RebeccaH — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:33:33 +0000

He looks profoundly happy in that photo. Almost as if he’s thinking, “It’s almost over and I can go home.” President Obama has big shoes to fill, whether he knows it or not.

By: WP Zeller

WP Zeller — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:59:18 +0000

Irony will rarely ever be exceeded by the hordes of Bush-bashers, most especially those in the elite media, crowing incessantly about his low “approval ratings”, given their own, even lower ones.
The same evenhandedness and consideration that has plagued Bush by leaving him seemingly vulnerable to the slings and arrows of the silly and pompous will seem positively delightful shortly.
And finally- what could be more absurd than suggesting that a President controls the mortgage market, or the economy as a whole? Is there a room in the basement of the White House where there’s banks of levers and buttons, and the Chief goes down there every day and operates the US economy?
Such suggestions speak more to the ignorance of the suggester.
Meanwhile, the real truth is that things tanked once the Democrats got hold of the law-giving Congress, where the actual control rests. Remember that 4% growth? 4.5% unemployment? Fifty-dollar crude? (Well, until Bush unleashed the drilling as far as he could)? That was all before the Democrats took over the legislature and worked hard to cast Bush as the wrecker.
Nice job, folks, and Mr. Bush, please enjoy your much-deserved retirement.
I believe you will.

By: Terrye

Terrye — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:06:39 +0000

I like and respect Bush. I think he has been badly treated by the media and by many in his own party. It might be that there will be a time in the future when a lot of people rethink their opinion of George Bush.

By: MikeH

MikeH — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:27:59 +0000

mpat, and at the same time terrified of what is to come.

By: mpat

mpat — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:14:49 +0000

Bush is the best. Just the best. I am thankful on a daily basis that he has been at the helm keeping us safe from the monsters out there.

By: Boden girl

Boden girl — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:54:27 +0000

True. He will be missed.