Count the Ways to Hate Bush

The San Antonio Express-News ^ | December 21, 2003 | T.R. Fehrenbach

[defenderSD]

Hysterical column...had a good laugh over this one.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

I am sick to death of unnessary excerpts.

T.R. Fehrenbach: Count the ways to hate Bush

San Antonio Express-News

Web Posted : 12/21/2003 12:00 AM

Bush-bashing has become an addiction in some circles. It is usually gratified at a keyboard but can be enjoyed anywhere two or more people get together.
Of course, this is not a new habit; every president since G. Washington who tried to do something — right or wrong — has been bashed, including T. Jefferson, A. Lincoln, FDR and JFK. G. Bush joins good company.

And bashing ain't what it used to be, this being a mollycoddled generation. The first two were called "whoremaster" and "baboon" by the press, but that would be politically incorrect today.

How and why do people hate G. Bush? Let me count some of the ways:


They hate him because he won.

They hate his politics.

They hate his friends, especially J. Ashcroft.

They hate his professed piety.

They hate his syntax.

The hate his smile.

They hate his ears.

They hate his tailoring.

They hate him because he's from Texas.

They hate him because he won't talk to the French.
Bush-hating/bashing does not damage either the basher or bashee so long as it's recognized as a game, but real addiction could cause harm. Some sufferers already worry because they can't sleep, engage in rational political debate or control urges to mail money to Democrats.

Now shrinks will tell you that hatred is often based on either fear or feelings of inferiority, which can induce paranoia. Let me try to allay such fears and feelings with logic:


Bush is president because the Constitution has some weird quirks, but that goes with the so-called rule of law. Nothing you can do about it.

The outs always detest the ins, which is why we have parties and politics.

So far, John Ashcroft has not closed a single library nor had anyone shot for reading trash. G-men are too busy with terrorists to fool with intellectuals.

Tune into TV evangelists or attend a Chamber of Commerce meeting to prove G. Bush is a pure Methodist moderate.

Eisenhower had trouble with his syntax, too, but look where it got him.

Losers always detest a winning smirk; see above.

Hating ears, gestures, walk is a form of ad hominem attack favored by academics. Unless you are a professor, get over it.

Learn about the nuanced symbolism of the cowboy hat in American life. Watching Westerns helps, also with understanding real American speech.

Anti-Texan feelings have erupted in the Northeast Snowbelt. Remember the Pharisee's complaint: Can anything good come out of Galilee? Come spend some dough in Texas to learn how really obnoxious we can be. Also, money is better spent on Mexican food than on politicians.

Gut-hating is visceral and maybe genetic. Try to transmute this into disdain or contempt. Hatred can raise blood pressure, while disdain makes one feel superior, even if one has not attended Harvard.

Forget the French. (I'm indebted to James Billington, librarian of Congress, for mentioning an American movie he saw in Paris. The hero rides into town and says, "Howdy, sheriff," then bellies up to the bar for a "shot of red-eye." The subtitles translated this as "Bonjour, Monsieur le Comissaire," and "un petite Dubonnet, s'il vous plait." No way Bush can talk to them folks and vice versa.)

[I still care]

They hate him because he believes in good and evil.

They hate him because he waves the flag.

They hate him because he is a rich businessman, and especially, because his business involves the politically incorrect one of oil.

They hate him because he is the son of another rich man. Liberals like you much better, if say, you were an illegitate child of a nurse or a truckdriver. Best yet, son of a union man.

They hate him because he believes the Bible is true.

They hate him because he believes in marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

They hate him because he takes care of himself and looks really good in a flight suit. This smacks of self discipline and personal responsibility, both anathema.

[PeteFromMontana]

They hate him because he is a Republican.

[quidnunc]

ABG(anybody but Gore) wrote: I am sick to death of unnessary excerpts.

Excerpting is required by copyright law except for certain exceptions — none of which is an Internet forum such as Free Republic.

I excerpt because it's the law!

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

The only two requirements here at Free Republic for excerption are the Washington Post and LA Times. Unless the rules have changed, you've been around here long enough to know that.

[sauropod]

read later

[webboss]

Dems are mad as heck and I love it. They are getting their butts kicked by President Bush whenever they try any political move against his administration. This administration makes the dems look like total fools (in other words, Bush causes the dems to be seen for what they really are). I never knew exactly what to think about the dems until this administration came along and forced those dweebs to say what they really think....and feel. They seem to hate this country and their words and actions show it. There seems to be no care about human rights nor is there much care from the dems regarding how many people Saddam has killed, tortured, raped, maimed and abused.

What is there about dems that appeal to me? NOTHING! What can dems offer that is better than Bush has delivered? Bush mad a bunch of campaign promises....and he is working as hard as he can to keep those promises despite all the pitiful obstacles the dems try to put in his way. Bush plows right through all obstacles and because of this, the dems have yet another reason to HATE BUSH! Dems are losers because of their own policies. I hope they fall apart from within. Bush in 2004!!!

[quidnunc]

ABG(anybody but Gore) wrote: The only two requirements here at Free Republic for excerption are the Washington Post and LA Times. Unless the rules have changed, you've been around here long enough to know that.

Didn't you read what I said?

Federal copyright law requires excerpting, and contrary to conventional wisdom Free Republic is not a fair use exception.

I suggest you take some time and peruse the contents of the Stanford University Copyright & Fair Use Center.

http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/index.html

You might want to consider this:

CHAPTER 6. Website Permissions

The opportunities for inexpensive publishing on the Web have made "publishers" out of everyone who posts material online. While Web technology has made publishing more accessible to everyone, it's also brought potential copyright disputes to the masses. The rules for photos, text, music and artwork discussed in previous chapters (see Sidebar) apply just the same to websites and there is no reason to repeat them in this chapter. Instead, this chapter focuses on two specific problem areas for webmasters: unauthorized transfers of information to and from websites, and website linking.

• Copyright infringement occurs whenever copyrighted material is transferred to or from a website without authorization from the copyright owner. Transferring information to and from a website can be done in a few ways. A user can take information from a website by copying or downloading. Or, material can be placed (sometimes called "uploaded" or "posted") from a user's computer onto the website. Any time copyrighted information is transferred to or from a website without authorization from the owner, the owner may have a copyright infringement claim against the copier, the website or both. We'll discuss how to limit liability and what to do if confronted by an angry rights holder.

• Website links involve another potential area of copyright conflict. A link takes a user from one website page to another simply by clicking on a word or image. Although permission is not needed for a simple word link (also known as a "hypertext" link), it is required when the link comprises a trademark from the linked site (for example, using the Amazon logo without permission). Some other types of links known as deep links or framed links also require permission.

http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter6/index.html

[Hildy]

They hate him because he is as anti-intellectual snob as you can get...and that means he gets things done instead of blabbering about it all day.

[Zipporah]

Of course all this is ridiculous but I think it's interesting that Bush favors a policy of a foreign power (i.e. Vincente Fox) that contravenes the will of the American people...

[squidly]

They hate him because he is the son of another rich man.

They may say that, but if it was truly a reason for hating him, they wouldn't be supporting another son of a rich man (Howard Dean).

[wayoverontheright]

They hate him because he is presiding over a time when consequences of their policies are exposing their ideology not only as wrong, but downright dangerous, while actions he takes, (which they oppose), prove embarrassingly effective and correct, right before their envious, power-hungry eyes.

[tkathy]

Because GWB is doing a disciplined, marvelous job, and Clinton did an undisciplined, awful job of the presidency.

[smith288]

Then leave the last word off...then its an excerpt.

[Let's Roll]

Thanks for the complete version, ABG. I don't understand the abbreviated versions either - it probably takes less effort to select the print version and then select all, copy, paste than it does to select a partial version.

I think the only sources we can't copy entirely are the LA Times and the Washington Post - is that correct?

[DustyMoment]

T.R. Fehrenbach is one of the few bright lights at the San Antonio Express-News. It's nice to see him getting some FR recognition.

[Irene Adler]

Democrats love the "right kind" of money, mainly the kind that is on their side: Soros, Kennedy, etc., that kind is just fine; it's purified by the "noble" motives of its owners who intend socialism for everyone else and elitism for themselves and their buddies.

[Irene Adler]

Democrats love the "right kind" of money, mainly the kind that is on their side: Soros, Kennedy, etc., that kind is just fine; it's purified by the "noble" motives of its owners who intend socialism for everyone else and elitism for themselves and their buddies.