Would you vote for George Bush

[shemp]

I would be seriously tempted to vote for Dubya just because it would be such an obscenely perverse thing to do. I would do it in the same spirit as a person scarifying themselves with razors or coat hanger brands. I would do it out of spite. It would be the same impulse as might compel me to force myself to eat raw habanero peppers until I vomited. I would do it out of self hatred. It's a mood thing.

I have an excuse why I would vote for Dubya - my insanity. I am just astonished that people who are not feeling insane would feel inclined to vote for him. I'm sorry, that is just willful stupidity. The man is a God-awful excuse for a human being and I could not imagine a worse person as President. I would argue that not only is the he worst President we have ever had, but he is also he is the worst President this country will ever have. How could a President be any more demented, dimwitted, self serving, incompetent and ethically bankrupt than GWB is?

Maybe if he crapped on the front lawn?

Oh, he does that? Never mind.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

I voted "Hell yes" as a joke, thinking I would be the lone loony to screw up the poll. Then I discovered 6 other people already had. Which means we have 6 other people screwing around, or 6 rather stupid people.

 

[shemp]

I voted "Hell yes" as a joke, thinking I would be the lone loony to screw up the poll. Then I discovered 6 other people already had. Which means we have 6 other people screwing around, or 6 rather stupid people.

These categories are not mutually exclusive. You are evidence of this.

 

[RandFan]

yeah... says the guy who voted for bush twice.

What exactly do you think that proves? Unlike Rosewell I'm not adverse to crossing party lines. Hell, I'm campaigning for Obama.

 

[billydkid]

That Bush inspires such irrational hatred in people who hold Marx, Stalin, Che, Castro, Chavez, and Arafat in high regard means he must be doing something so bloody wonderful that I would vote for him again in a NY minute.

No, I don't like everything about him. He's too fundy, he's makes too many mistakes he won't own. Other than that, when I see people so demented that they'd burn troops in effigy or crap on the flag while wearing disguises and chanting their desire to murder...when I see that these "people" hate Bush...well it reaffirms my vote.

He isn't the best President ever....but if "billydkid" hates him he can't be all bad.

-z

Ain't that the truth. I'd say I'm a pretty good barometer for stuff like this - if I like it it must suck and if I hate it it must have something important to offer.

I have to say I don't have any idea where you got the notion that I hold the people you listed in high regard - which is certainly implied by your post. Not only do I not, but I never gave anyone a reason to believe that I do. I guess it just fits your world view to believe that.

Also, I think you are confused about what actually constitutes patriotism. You apparently think that empty, symbolic, self congratulatory gestures while undermining fundamental American principles are the stuff that patriotism is made of. But I guess the real telling thing about your post is this - the bulk of the people who detest Bush are not the people you describe - the flag crappers, the troop haters, the flag burners and so on. The bulk of the people who detest Bush are people like me who donate significant amount of money every year to the DAV and don't want to see more people join their ranks pointlessly and who believe in the principles on which this country was founded and would not have a second thought about sacrificing their lives in defense of those principles and this country.

No, the real America lovers are not those self righteous posers wrapping themselves in the flag who wept as our great President stood on the flight deck of that carrier in his flight suit with the banner behind him claiming victory. It is not the people who mistake pure partisan loyalty and worship of authority and genuflect at the feet of our "war President" and felt inspired by the shock and awe they saw on TV who love America. The real patriots are those people who believe that what defines America are the principles on which it was founded and who believe speaking out and standing up against those who violate those principles is the most American and patriotic thing a citizen can do.

 

[cgallaga]

I voted for him twice.

Didn't like Browne or Badenarik?

 

[RandFan]

Didn't like Browne or Badenarik?

No, though I wish there were a vibrant libertarian community. As it is it is the Libertarian party is full of disparate ideas and is not coherent IMO.

 

[davefoc]

Indeed.

What in [the] world did you hope to get from this meaningless exercise, Dave?

A few somewhat ambiguous goals:

1. I think the principle support for Bush in this forum are from people that are fairly categorized as neocons with regard to their foreign policy ideas. I thought mostly they would be the only ones casting non-joke votes for Bush. But even for them, Bush has to be seen as a mixed bag. The Iraq occupation seems to have been implemented with a combination of incompetence and corruption. And unless they are mainlining Sean Hannity, it is hard to miss the unrelenting failures and scandals of Bushco in other areas besides Iraq. So I was wondering despite all that if there wouldn't be a few votes for Bush.

2. I figured the poll might generate a few good rants. So far I haven't seen any great ones but fuelair, BillyKid, fishbob and This Guy certainly deserve honorable mentions at least.

3. Just the very idea that somebody would vote for Bush again is sort of funny to me and I thought I'd share my little joke with the forum.

I'd also like to give Dr A. a little credit here for this:

Suppose you were asked a hypothetical question --- would you answer it?

ETA: I wish I'd turned on the option that would have allowed me to see who voted for what. I figured easycruise was the only sure Bush vote but The Painter would probably be another one. Beyond that I couldn't think of anybody that I expected to vote for Bush. Not counting SCRUT's vote there are still six people taking part in this forum that would vote for Bush again? It is possible that some people took the first option because they wanted to make a pro Bush statement but in actual practice they wouldn't vote for him again.

 

[Kopji]

If Bush were not surrounded by all his evil henchmen (and henchwomen) by 2008 I might vote for him. That seems more and more likely btw (that he will be all alone).

It would be a pity vote, like voting for the last scraggly vulture after the other well fed ones have devoured the carcass and left for higher paying jobs in private industry.

Or perhaps a better metaphor is the lone rat silhouetted in the moonlight after the others have long abandoned the sinking ship.

To be associated with one of the worst presidents, if not the worst ever, is to live forever in infamy. Who would want that heading toward the end of their life?

But sure! he could stay four more years: Carefully working to undo the evil done in the first eight. Repairing the now ugly and festering portrait by doing good deeds. Taking care of the widows and orphans.

 

[Kopji]

Bush / Carter 2008

 

[rikzilla]

Ain't that the truth. I'd say I'm a pretty good barometer for stuff like this - if I like it it must suck and if I hate it it must have something important to offer.

I have to say I don't have any idea where you got the notion that I hold the people you listed in high regard - which is certainly implied by your post. Not only do I not, but I never gave anyone a reason to believe that I do. I guess it just fits your world view to believe that.

Also, I think you are confused about what actually constitutes patriotism. You apparently think that empty, symbolic, self congratulatory gestures while undermining fundamental American principles are the stuff that patriotism is made of. But I guess the real telling thing about your post is this - the bulk of the people who detest Bush are not the people you describe - the flag crappers, the troop haters, the flag burners and so on. The bulk of the people who detest Bush are people like me who donate significant amount of money every year to the DAV and don't want to see more people join their ranks pointlessly and who believe in the principles on which this country was founded and would not have a second thought about sacrificing their lives in defense of those principles and this country.

No, the real America lovers are not those self righteous posers wrapping themselves in the flag who wept as our great President stood on the flight deck of that carrier in his flight suit with the banner behind him claiming victory. It is not the people who mistake pure partisan loyalty and worship of authority and genuflect at the feet of our "war President" and felt inspired by the shock and awe they saw on TV who love America. The real patriots are those people who believe that what defines America are the principles on which it was founded and who believe speaking out and standing up against those who violate those principles is the most American and patriotic thing a citizen can do.

Nice reply. I'd nominate it but I'd hate to see the TLA thread spontaneously combust due to the infusion of such a critical mass of straw and superheated air.

Irrational and vehement hatred of Mr. Bush is a bizarre phenomenon of our times. It's hipster herd mentality, a kind of wooism that even the big-brained JREFers are drawn to in credulous unison. (see poll results for data) Just goes to show that no matter how smart you are you can be made to frog-march in the direction your knee jerks.

Personally speaking, I like to think for myself...regardless how popular or unpopular those rational thoughts are to the herd. Irrational Bush haters have much in common with irrational Clinton haters...they both place more importance on emotion than reason.


-z

 

[latent aaaack]

Nice reply. I'd nominate it but I'd hate to see the TLA thread spontaneously combust due to the infusion of such a critical mass of straw and superheated air.

Irrational and vehement hatred of Mr. Bush is a bizarre phenomenon of our times. It's hipster herd mentality, a kind of wooism that even the big-brained JREFers are drawn to in credulous unison. (see poll results for data) Just goes to show that no matter how smart you are you can be made to frog-march in the direction your knee jerks.

Personally speaking, I like to think for myself...regardless how popular or unpopular those rational thoughts are to the herd. Irrational Bush haters have much in common with irrational Clinton haters...they both place more importance on emotion than reason.


-z

Every popular position is wrong because people only have them to be popular? You're probably one of those people who hate the Beatles because everybody likes them.

 

[RandFan]

Nice reply. I'd nominate it but I'd hate to see the TLA thread spontaneously combust due to the infusion of such a critical mass of straw and superheated air.

Irrational and vehement hatred of Mr. Bush is a bizarre phenomenon of our times. It's hipster herd mentality, a kind of wooism that even the big-brained JREFers are drawn to in credulous unison. (see poll results for data) Just goes to show that no matter how smart you are you can be made to frog-march in the direction your knee jerks.

Personally speaking, I like to think for myself...regardless how popular or unpopular those rational thoughts are to the herd. Irrational Bush haters have much in common with irrational Clinton haters...they both place more importance on emotion than reason.


-z

Agreed.

 

[rikzilla]

Every popular position is wrong because people only have them to be popular? You're probably one of those people who hate the Beatles because everybody likes them.

Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?
Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8? Number 8?

Looky...I just wrote a completely new Beatles song!

I don't hate the Beatles...just the stuff that John wrote under the evil influence of Yoko. That's rational. Mark David Chapman was the irrational type led by emotion.

-z

 

[davefoc]

Kind of disappointing but so far the best rant award has to go to rikzilla.

Nice reply. I'd nominate it but I'd hate to see the TLA thread spontaneously combust due to the infusion of such a critical mass of straw and superheated air.

Good stuff.

As to the substance of what he had to say:

I'm not sure what to make of this Bush hatred phenomena myself. I'm basically in the Bush hater camp* and I am not sure that provides much insight on the issue because it is always possible that one's biases are leading one to not see the situation objectively.

I think there are some issues which strongly strike at the hot buttons of people. Bush seems to have a genuinely cruel side to him. Clearly innocent people have been caught up in some of the torture or near torture schemes of Bushco. Bush seems unwilling to acknowledge these kind of errors. This strikes me as unusually cruel, but perhaps it is just pragmatic. I don't think Bush's "biring them on" quote was an aberration. I think this was really representational of the way this chickenhawk thinks. For at least some of us this kind of callus disregard for the huge consequences war will have on people's life is a reasonable justification for at least strong dislike if not hatred.

I also think Bush used the war as a means to generate profit for crony corporations and to create positions for political cronies. This means that while many people's lives are being destroyed fighting and dying in a war started by Bush, Bush was exploiting the war for his political purposes and personal gain and almost certainly more people have died because of this. I think there is some justification for Bush hatred there.

It also seems that a great deal of the story behind what has gone on in Bushco is that Bush has been cynically manipulated by Cheney and Rove to implement their personal agendas. The personality characteristic that Rove and Cheney exploit to achieve their power is Bush's need for simplistic ego gratification. I, at least, find this an almost evil characteristic in Bush's makeup.

But perhaps a lot of what is going on in my own case is that I am a lifelong mostly Republican voter. I vote for Republicans because they represent themselves as the party of the free market and fiscal conservatism. Bush continues to be identified for that by his left wing critics. But in fact, Bush's brand of corrupt and incompetent governance have nothing to do with supporting the ideals of free markets and limited government. So Bush has not only harmed the country with an unnecessary war incompetently and corruptly fought, and absurd fiscal irresponsibility, and abuses of power by the judicial branch and terrible corruption, Bush has harmed the country because he has trashed the very values he has claimed to represent. And in the end, it is for that that the country might pay the highest cost.


* although I might to tend to weasel this a bit and characterize myself more as a Bush critic than a Bush hater, the truth is that as time as gone on I think I have moved at least next door to the Bush hater camp.

 

[Tricky]

I voted "Hell yes" as a joke, thinking I would be the lone loony to screw up the poll. Then I discovered 6 other people already had. Which means we have 6 other people screwing around, or 6 rather stupid people.

I refuse to vote on this poll because there is not an option that gives enough emphasis to the vigor and sincerity of my "no" vote. There are three versions of "yes" but only one puny little "no" which is certainly not on the level of "not if nearsighted terrorist wombats were poised with rusty sporks to carve me open and devour my spleen after dousing it with habenero sauce if I refused to vote for Bush."

That I could vote for.

 

[Dr Adequate]

That Bush inspires such irrational hatred in people who hold Marx, Stalin, Che, Castro, Chavez, and Arafat in high regard means he must be doing something so bloody wonderful that I would vote for him again in a NY minute.

What do you make of the totally rational contempt with which Bush is regarded by people who also loathe Marx, Stalin, Che, Castro, Chavez, and Arafat?

For a bonus point, what do you make of this Hitler guy, given that his worshippers hate Marx, Stalin, Che, Castro, Chavez, and Arafat?

 

[Darth Rotor]

A few somewhat ambiguous goals:

1. I think the principle support for Bush in this forum are from people that are fairly categorized as neocons with regard to their foreign policy ideas.

Broad brush much, Dave? Not all conservatives are neocons. Got it?

Bush has to be seen as a mixed bag.

Or a bag of broken promises.

The Iraq occupation seems to have been implemented with a combination of incompetence and corruption. And unless they are mainlining Sean Hannity, it is hard to miss the unrelenting failures and scandals of Bushco in other areas besides Iraq. So I was wondering despite all that if there wouldn't be a few votes for Bush.

How is Bush relevant to a vote? This puts the finger on the absurdity of raising your question.

He can't run again. The Republican Party, of its various flavors, has to form a coherent platform that distances itself from Bush's failures, and stands on his successes . . . whatever those may be.

2. I figured the poll might generate a few good rants. So far I haven't seen any great ones but fuelair, BillyKid, fishbob and This Guy certainly deserve honorable mentions at least.

Ah, so you are trolling. Noted.

3. Just the very idea that somebody would vote for Bush again is sort of funny to me and I thought I'd share my little joke with the forum.

Millions of people already voted for Bush, in two elections, and he can't run again. The joke is on you.

I'd also like to give Dr A. a little credit here for this:

Why? How is a Brit's opinion, or position, relevant to people voting for a Bush who can't run for an election in the US, nor in the UK? (Bush is an American.)

DR

 

[Darth Rotor]

Bush / Carter 2008

Jeb? GHW? (He has six years of eligibility left) Laura? Neil?

Which Bush?

Which Carter? Jimmy?

DR

 

[Dr Adequate]

Why? How is a Brit's opinion, or position, relevant to people voting for a Bush who can't run for an election in the US, nor in the UK? (Bush is an American.)

Astonishingly, the fact that I am impartial and disinterested on the subject I posted about does not necessarily mean that I'm wrong.