Love Him, Hate Him President (Check out the cover of TIME)

TIME ^ | 11/23/03 | JOHN F. DICKERSON AND KAREN TUMULTY

[Brian Mosely]

There is an axiom in American politics that says whenever a sitting President is running for a second term, the election is more a referendum on him than a judgment on his opponent. President George W. Bush has taken this truism to a new level. With just under a year to go before Nov. 2, 2004, Americans are already finding ways to show how passionately they feel about their President.

In August, KB Toys rolled out its George W. Bush Elite Force Aviator doll, a 12-in. action figure in full naval flight gear. At $39.99, it has set the sales record for collectible action figures on KB's website. There's also brisk traffic on the Web for donations in memory of Sally Baron, 71, of northern Wisconsin, and Gertrude M. Jones, 81, of Mandeville, La. Obituaries for both women contained requests that money be sent to any organization working for the removal of Bush from office. And in Jefferson County, Colo., West Jefferson Middle School teacher Martha Swisher sparked a furor by wearing a he's not my president button on her coat during a sixth-grade field trip.

Republicans in Colorado's state legislature honored the family that lodged the complaint; the teacher now wears a lapel pin to class that features an American flag and a peace sign. But there is little evidence of peace out there in an increasingly restive electorate. If Ronald Reagan was the Great Communicator, Bush is proving to be the Great Polarizer. Reagan and then Bill Clinton ushered in the modern age of the acrimoniously divided electorate, but George Bush has cleaved the nation into two tenaciously opposed camps even more than his predecessors. He is the man about whom Americans feel little ambivalence. People tend to love him or hate him without any complicating shades of gray. Shout "George Bush"

In a crowded theater, and people dive into two trenches. A new TIME/CNN poll shows that Americans are almost equally divided in their support for President Bush, with 47% suggesting that they are likely to vote for him and 48% saying they are not. For Bush, some of the signals are ominous: the poll shows his job-approval rating stands at 52%, down from its peak of 89% in October 2001, and his disapproval has reached a new high for his presidency of 43%.

But those numbers do not reveal the intensity on both sides—the zeal of those who regard Bush as the very ideal of American presidential leadership and those who regard him as an embarrassing and dangerous usurper. Nor does it take full account of a more paradoxical group: those who like his personality but loathe his policies and want him out of the White House. Fully 81% of Republicans say they like the job that Bush is doing; only 31% of Democrats do. "The President is a strong leader. He's very determined. He doesn't seem to be swayed too quickly by polls," says Jerome Kohel, 59, an accountant from Richland, Mich. But another fellow of the same age in that same crucial electoral state, car hauler Jim Carothers, fumes, "I think he's doing a horrible job. You'll never convince me (Bush) didn't know he was lying about the pretext for war."

[mylife]

Why is Bush Loved? Why is he hated? Beacause he is a man of principal and his principals agree with some and go against the grain of others.
One thing is for sure GW is unwaivering, unlike "Bill, Which way is the wind blowin today? Clinton"
Ronnie and George are destined for history.

[longtermmemmory]

You are correct. (let us not forget the cover which called nationalism the evil of "one world" efforts. Particularly blaming the USA)

This seems an effort to make Bush a divider. It is a psych effort since GWBush said in 2000 he wants to be a unifier not a divider.

So far he is unified his base, he is unifying independents to him. He is even unifying the left into the modale/mcgovern camp.

Just a fluffy hit piece. Time is as relevant as "US" or "People" magazine. Once upon a time "life" magazine was relevant.

[Delphinium]

Hopefully they are exposed for who they really are.

[VRW Conspirator]

Good One.

[Prime Choice]

Another TIME cover you never saw...

[Gracey]

The TIME cover you never saw

---

The most TRUTHFUL of all TIME covers....

[longtermmemmory]

how about the one with the elephant squishing the donkey.

[Osage Orange]

You wrote:

"When I was in college in the 70's I stiffed Time for a six month subscription. It still makes me smile when I think about it. At the time, I didn't feel that I should have to pay to be indoctrinated. Heck, I may just do it again."

=====================================================

ROFLOL!!!

[doug from upland]

Yeah. The Sinkmaster was the one with the black eye when the *itch slugged him.

[TatieBug]

Disgusting cover! Tried to make a comment to TIME but they don't provide that unless you join...no way. Do you have a link for comments? They should have Michael WACO Jackson on their cover.

[Osage Orange]

Jerky....

While I can sympathize with your "take"....I also have much in common with those who find it tasteless. But I consider the source..and it becomes like water on a ducks back.

Old saying....I think I first saw it here on FR. "If you're taking flak, you must be over the target"

FRegards,

[copaliscrossing]

Sorry, I cannot agree. My initial take on this cover (at a glance) is that it tried to convey that GWB was a brawler and a womanizer. I think the 'lips' would have been more appropriate on Billy Jeff.
I would love to stick around but.... gotta' go.

[bdeaner]

Based on Bush's polls following 9/11, he united a country when it mattered the most.

[an amused spectator]

Dickerson and Tumulty. What a surprise. ;-)

[Dog Anchor]

President Clinton brought "divide and conquer" to an art form. The country is still suffering from it.

It is the oldest political trick in the book.

[longtermmemmory]

perhaps a play on the fratboy slander they keep putting forth. (recent conversation with democrat club members had them refering to GWBush as Mr. Fratboy.)

hmmmm. It is the left wing media desperation moment?


Who reads time anymore? It is not a significant news source.

[bushfamfan]

I agree with you as I'm not as offended by the cover, but I think it typical of Time to do such a story in the first place. The real problem is with the people who hate this man. They are irrational and the ones who have divided this nation. Notice the hate speech and politics and you will find it has come from the Demonrats/liberals/media in constantly demeaning and demonizing this man all the while Bush has been too kind to them and has never turned it into the personal nastiness that they have. They have divided this nation and all one has to do is show the comments in questioning everything from his intelligence to his supposedly going to war and sending our troops to their death on an intentional lie, to attempting to make his rich 'buddies' richer and that contradicts their attempts to say it isn't personal. Everything they insult this man with has been amongst the most vile and nasty rhetoric. They literally hate him.

[kitkat]

***Screw Time magizine and the commies who run it, lets make this action figure the best selling toy since Elmo!!!
***

I ordered one from KayBee about a month and a half ago. They now tell me that I won't even get it by Christmas. In fact, they had to take down their sign for it because of the hugh sales which the factory can't keep up with.

[Prime Choice]

how about the one with the elephant squishing the donkey.

Which one is that? Don't remember ever seeing that one.

[Libertina]

Since Clinton, all the other left leaning extremists (Time included) have sunk into the gutter, further pulling down the granduer of the Presidential office. Once again, Clinton's indoctrination base behavior comes back to haunt us. Like the commies proved, if you cna't outlaw it, make it a laughing stock until you can get control. Funny, when communists get control, I don't remember them allowing much poking fun or criticism of their ofices.