Where Democrats (& I) Agree with W (& his predecessors)
Today, while hosting his soon-to-be successor and his living predecessors, President George W. Bush said on behalf of the former chief executives and himself said to the president-elect, “One message that I have, and I think we all share, is that we want you to succeed. . . . Whether we’re Democrat or Republican, we care deeply about this country.“
That said, four years ago, how many leading Democrats said they wanted Bush to succeed in his second term and acted to effect that wish?
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Well, to be fair, how many Republicans wished success for Clinton in ‘96?
Comment by sierra — January 7, 2009 @ 6:14 pm - January 7, 2009
#1 – More than those Dhimmicrats who wanted GWB to succeed in both 2000 AND 2004. That’s for darn sure.
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — January 7, 2009 @ 6:21 pm - January 7, 2009
What strikes me as curious is that after 9-11, GWB opened the Federal spending spigots all the way and flooded the economy with deficit spending to stave off recession.
Now, Chairman O is doing the same thing: another implicit confession that Bush was right?
Comment by V the K — January 7, 2009 @ 6:39 pm - January 7, 2009
Obama is a socialist. He is in favor of massive spending increases which will lead to new regulation, increased levels of program entitlement, thinks health care is a right, etc.
No, I don’t want him to succeed. I want our side to succeed and ne’er the twain shall meet.
Comment by Ignatius — January 7, 2009 @ 6:55 pm - January 7, 2009
A lot. Not 100%… but quite a larger proportion than Democrats with Bush in 2004.
sierra, you gave a typical left-lib reply: Change the subject, with a false and misleading moral equivalence.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — January 7, 2009 @ 6:55 pm - January 7, 2009
I’m looking over economic forecasts, and seeing predictions for 2009 of 8% unemployment and 2-3% GDP contraction. In 2010, 10% unemployment and 1% GDP growth. Federal spending in this period will reach a postwar high of 24-25%of GDP.
The left wanted European style socialism, and damned if we aren’t going to get it.
Comment by V the K — January 7, 2009 @ 7:07 pm - January 7, 2009
As for whether I wish Obama success: It depends what we’re talking about. Let’s talk about his policies. If he’s going to restore freedom in America under tightly limited government, I wish him great success. If he’s going down his more likely path of socialism and elements of fascism, I wish him tremendous failure. This is talking about his policies, again. And P.S. for the record, I am an Independent. (have never been a Republican)
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — January 7, 2009 @ 9:07 pm - January 7, 2009
I don’t believe it is morally superior or more patriotic to want Obama to succeed. I’ve never liked, never trusted him. I don’t think he’s particularly bright–he has simply figured out what bright people want him to say. I think he is Evita-like in his ability to use people on the way to the top and then throw them under the bus. I think that to root for such a person is morally questionable. I root for America. America deserves better. I never thought I’d dislike a president as much as I do Bush–who knew?!?
Comment by Ashpenaz — January 7, 2009 @ 10:24 pm - January 7, 2009
I’ll drink to ILC. That pretty much sums up what I would have said, except the PS.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — January 8, 2009 @ 1:03 am - January 8, 2009
ILC sums it up well. My loyalty is not to any person who occupies the Oval Office, but to freedom and liberty. If the occupant of the Oval Office is an enemy of either, he will get no support from me.
Comment by V the K — January 8, 2009 @ 5:10 am - January 8, 2009
I wish America success. If Obama wants to toss everything he believes out the window and go along for the ride, all the better. But Obama’s agenda is not compatible with freedom, liberty or the Constitution, and unless he changes it, I wish him utter failure and endless filibusters!
Comment by American Elephant — January 8, 2009 @ 6:38 am - January 8, 2009
“I wish America success. ”
No, AE, you don’t. You wish for Obama’s failure, big difference. It’s your personal hatred of all things liberal that you want seen justified. Who gets hurt by that is meaningless to you. You are the same as those liberals who spent 8 years hating Bush and celebrated ever perceived failure of his policies. No doubt there are more mature conservatives AND liberals who do put the country first, but they’re not the ones wishing total failure for the next President.
Comment by a different Dave — January 8, 2009 @ 9:25 am - January 8, 2009
It’s actually possible to hate both Obama and Bush equally–for being lightweight, shallow, incurious frat boys who know what to say to get their backers to like them Their careers are based on the support of their arrogant, gullible supporters who project their own ambitions onto the blank slate these two present. They were elected by unthinking idealogues who hear what they want to hear as they fantasize about having a beer/latte with their idol. Bush was held up by Cheney’s competence; Obama will be held up by Hillary’s competence. The only difference is that Obama will be unscrupulous enough to take credit for successes he did nothing to create, whereas Bush has enough humility to give a little credit where credit is due.
Comment by Ashpenaz — January 8, 2009 @ 9:54 am - January 8, 2009
It’s actually possible to hate both Obama and Bush equally
And I do, but if Obama comes through with a commutation for Ramos and Compean, I will hate him less.
Comment by V the K — January 8, 2009 @ 10:06 am - January 8, 2009
This comment by Ashpenaz has caused me to wonder:
Have we had a President recently who didn’t fit this description? Kennedy certainly had a lightweight presidency. Johnson had to throw in the towel. Nixon had to resign. Ford was a cipher. Carter dawdled and diddled. Reagan was famously known as a B actor and mindless, nap consuming script reader, Bush 41 just didn’t get it, Clinton is still looking for a legacy and then there is BushmonkeyHitler 43.
I do not accept that either Bush or Obama is lightweight, shallow, incurious or just slicksters. It is the voters who are to “blame.” Most likely, Kennedy would have been reelected. Johnson was smart enough to skip his defeat. Nixon saw the same writing on the wall and skipped the impeachment. Ford tried and was smacked down by one of the worst presidents the voters ever turned to. Carter still can’t figure out why he was turned out. Reagan could have had a third term if it were possible. Bush 41 lost his base and Perot caused Clinton to win. Clinton won twice without a majority of the votes. Bush 43 squeeked in and then soundly won a second term. No comments on Obama, he hasn’t shown us his stuff yet.
Comment by heliotrope — January 8, 2009 @ 10:38 am - January 8, 2009
Oh Dave,
You DO get your panties in a bunch dont you?
Dave, the only thing you do more frequently in these comments than complain (erroneously) of other people telling you what you think, is tell everyone else what they think. Its part of what makes you such a fool.
I wish America success. It is the reason I am a conservative and not a libtard. You see, unlike you, I have learned from history and what works and what does not. I learned that liberalism doesn’t work. I learned that liberalism doesn’t do what it says it will, and I learned that liberalism reduces freedom, liberty, prosperity, opportunity, health and well-being. It subverts the principles this great nation was founded upon, and I believe very strongly in those principles, so I oppose liberalism.
Defending the founding principles from socialism/communism, and opposing people like Obama who want to make America more socialist/communist IS putting country first.
If and when Obama ever does anything to strengthen those founding principles, I will be the first to congratulate him. But given everything he has said and stood for his entire career, that is about as likely as you not being a blithering idiot.
Comment by American Elephant — January 8, 2009 @ 11:24 am - January 8, 2009
I have learned from history and what works and what does not.
In one sentence, the difference between a conservative and a progressive.
Comment by V the K — January 8, 2009 @ 11:27 am - January 8, 2009
No, there isn’t.
Because all things liberal is anathema to anyone who has progressed beyond the age of 7.
If there are more mature liberals who put the country first, I’ll be damned if I could find one. If one really does, I would have to say that they really aren’t a liberal.
Then again, liberals differ greatly on what it means to put the country first.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — January 9, 2009 @ 4:27 am - January 9, 2009
“I’ll be damned if I could find one.”
You wouldn’t find one if they were sitting on your face because you’re not interested. It would ruin your childish black and white view of political beliefs. Anyone beyond the age of 7 should be well on their way to understanding that it’s beyond stupid to think like that. Only fanatics consumed by hate of the “other side” are unable to see that the ideas of others are just as valid as theirs and cannot be rejected simply because of who they come from. The usual tired response on here will be to list things that are heinous and no one should support. Proof positive that you haven’t a clue.
Comment by a different Dave — January 9, 2009 @ 10:21 am - January 9, 2009
You wish for Obama’s failure, big difference.
Indeed. It would be nice if Obama failed to raise taxes, because it would avoid choking and throttling off our economy. It would be nice if Obama failed to nationalize our major industries, because we have the example of the Soviet Union to show us how well that goes. It would be nice if Obama failed to cut off all domestic oil and gas production and exploration, because that would leave us options for the next price shock. It would be nice if Obama failed to hand out trillions of dollars in pork, create trillions of dollars in budget deficits that he’s paying for by printing money, and impose punitive tariffs on imports, thus keeping our country out of an inflationary death spiral like Argentina’s.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — January 9, 2009 @ 2:02 pm - January 9, 2009
#12: I wish that Obama will fail to destroy the economy. I wish that he will fail to sink us into the Great Depression 2: Electric Boogaloo. I wish that he will fail to destroy jobs and stunt economic growth. I wish that he will fail to bring us any steps closer to becoming slaves of the state. I wish that he will fail to turn the greenback into toilet paper.
What do you make of that?
Comment by Attmay — January 9, 2009 @ 5:47 pm - January 9, 2009