Ciao Bear_Slayer,
I don't think Bush is the smartest man in the world, but he is a leader, a determined leader. I like southerners because they more than most Americans love their land like an Italian loves Italy, with the warts, with some good prejudices.
I think Bush walks funny, but so did John Wayne.
I detested Kerry, because the fool didn't even vote in favor of the first Iraq war and then to make up for it pointed to his heroism in Vietnam which was then blasted like in a Star Wars movie by the veterans that he had betrayed.
I don't know what the truth is. Here from Italy (and in web world) I followed the elections from a more Macchiavellian point of view and witnessed what a fool this supposedly smarter and aristocratic man made of himself.
1. Very foolish to re-open Vietnam wounds to make up for ones own weakness.
2. Very foolish not to realize that his betrayal of comrades and his definition of them as Genghi Khan murderers would not come back to haunt him.
3. Extremely foolish to have Film maker Moore at the Democratic convention sitting next to the anti-democratic peanut president. Moore is on record insulting the American people. Never even mind if what he said is true (which of course is not). But never mind. Would you run for president honoring someone who calls the people who are supposed to elect you "stupid"?
Just from a cold and calculating Macchiavelli standpoint that is tantamount to harikiri. Never mind left wing or right wing, that was just a matter of political intelligence, political savoir-faire. Imagine such an idiot dealing with the wolves and hyenas of world politics.
Maybe later I will talk poorly of Bush. But the man had 70% of the Iraqi's dancing in the street pointing their green fingers to Allah. And that is a success. Now except for Hamas, which is hopeless except for Israeli missiles, there seems to be even progress in Israel and disputed territories. That is a success. The American economy is good, certainly better than Germany and France. That is a success.
Maybe I will talk bad about Bush, but unless the people here are ghouls, I am sure we can have intelligent discussions. I tried at DUmmie. I don't mind being wrong and corrected. But I was just called Pig, Freep, racist, cretin... and here I am already talking about wine and yodeling, Islam and Sin, PC and Cherry Coca Cola. If you are a DUmmie, tell Mr. Skinner who I wrote a letter to asking to be reinstated, that he is an unhappy man, a misanthrope, a Kim and a Goebbels. As a matter of fact, I am certain that if his favorite foreign dictator suddenly materialized, I am certain that the Big DUmmie is so insignificant that the despot would not even receive him, but instead, like the lowliest peasant he oppresses, would merely pause, sniff the air and then look under his shoe!
Darksheare, you suspicious Freep, am I still an infiltrator? Now I want your official stamp of approval!
Here's a hint. If you want to castigate Bush, do it based on illegal immigration and the growth of government. You'll have a cheering section. If you do it based on cultural values or his leadeership in the WOT you'll wish you were back at DU. :-}
LOL!
Naah, you just need some thorough familiarization in the forum waters and letting the addiction to the forum take over.
Resty and sweets can tell you that while I am normally paranoid, I can be fun.
There are some threads that have odd effects on the posters therein.
Sometimes we have one of the 'old timers' in forum 'pair up' and mentor some of the newbies, but sometimes not.
Depends on how capable the newbies seem.
Sorry if I seem somewhat disjointed at the moment, my mind and attention are occupied elsewhere at this moment.
:-/