Posted on 09/07/2005 9:54:28 AM PDT by oldtimer2
An Open Letter to Bush Haters September 7th, 2005
I just want to say that, however much I disagree with you, I sympathize with your frustration. Since, in the rather restricted circle in which you move and converse (mathematicians would call it a “closed set”), everyone shares your hatred, it is hard for you to see us nodding approval at almost everything Bush does. You wonder how we can be so fatuously stupid; why can’t we see how wrong, how evil Bush is!
The intensity and irrationality of your hatred—even to the point of a willing suspension of disbelief in the blatant mendacities of Michael Moore and insanities like blaming Bush for Al Qaeda, for Katrina, and for the fact that New Orleans is below sea level—is rather amazing. I think that in some professional circles, it might even be called paranoia. But I want you to know that I understand and even sympathize with your anguish. I’ve been there myself and it’s a dreadful place.
It took me a long time to get there. At the height of the McCarthy era, I was at Caltech, among an extremely liberal student body and faculty. It so happened that I was in an unusual and lonely middle position; I was neutral about McCarthy. I regarded him as a cheap little politician, trying to make capital from the Communist threat, and I believed that he wouldn’t last long enough to do much harm. I was relieved to be in New York City during the Army-McCarthy hearings and to share with my fellow New Yorkers their cynical amusement while watching the televised hearings in bars. But back at Caltech, I wondered how my colleagues could stand together in corners giggling nervously over the latest news, or how one of my fellow students, a normally intelligent and thoughtful man, could admonish me in a voice trembling with earnestness that McCarthy was “a greater danger than Hitler.” It was my first hands-on experience with political paranoia and I couldn’t understand it.
Then Kennedy came, and I detested what I considered his transparent phoniness. (I still twitch whenever I think of “Ich bin ein Berliner.”) But I experienced only a tiny dose of the disgust that dyed-in-the-wool conservatives felt. I remember thinking with some bitterness, when Kennedy hastily abandoned Diem, “you’re getting us into a war, buster.” And I remember feeling glumly, after the Cuban missile crisis, that Krushchev had as usual outfoxed us. But I never really hated Kennedy and I reacted to the assassination with the same shock and anger that everyone else felt.
Therefore, a few years later, I regarded the Nixon haters with the same bewildered awe that I had bestowed on my anti-McCarthy colleagues. Although I agreed with most of Nixon’s policies, I could see how his mannerisms could irritate and even anger a liberal. But the intensity of hatred against Nixon and the hysteria that the Watergate affair provoked seemed disproportionate. At the worst, Nixon had abetted the cover-up of a pointless petty burglary—small potatoes by any standard of political chicanery. And yet my liberal friends were anticipating a crazed Nixon calling tanks into DC and attempting a coup d’etat. I felt that they had seen too many movies.
Then came the dark hour, when, in their infinite wisdom, the people of the United States searched among their best and wisest statesmen for a leader—and came up with a choice between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. That was the second printing and the only actual deployment of my VOTE “NO” ON PRESIDENT bumper stickers. When Carter won, I thought, somewhat cynically, that we had elected a true man of the people. I felt that we had almost achieved Chesterton’s fanciful ideal of democracy (in The Napoleon of Notting Hill) wherein the people pick their leader at random out of the phone book. But even during the Iran hostage debacle, I squirmed with embarrassment but kept calm. To paraphrase Angelo in Measure for Measure “When other men went mad, I smiled and wondered how.”
Then, twelve years later, came William Jefferson Clinton, and I learned the meaning of hate.
Borges describes how, for fourteen years in Argentina, his first agonized thought, every morning on awakening, was “Peron is in power.” That’s how I came to feel. Several times a day, often unfortunately before meals, I would suddenly stop and think “Billy Clinton is President of the United States.” The very sight of that self-conscious boyish smirk, the blatant transparency of his little lies and evasions, the sound of his voice, explaining charmingly how what was happening in Rwanda was not really genocide, did things for my blood pressure that my doctor is even now trying to repair. My systole mounted steadily during the impeachment: “He can’t…he can’t…he’s….Oh my God, HE’S GETTING AWAY WITH IT!’ And the disgust and shame remained like a lump in my throat until Bush was elected.
Even now, like Dracula rising again from the grave, the man returns to haunt me.. Just yesterday, I opened CNN and read with ever growing disbelief:
“Former President Bill Clinton on Monday said the government "failed" the thousands of people who lived in coastal communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina, and said a federal investigation was warranted in due time.” (italics mine)
This from the Hero of Monicagate, the Savior of Rwanda!
And what’s worse, I may have to face it all over again. It’s just possible, if the American people are as stupid as you intellectuals think they are, that they will elect the Dragon Lady to be President of the United States, with William Jefferson Clinton as First Gentleman. (Now there’s an oxymoron for you!) Just the thought of the architect of Travelgate as President, being fawned over by European dignitaries, brings on a wave of nausea.
So, my dear Bush haters, in this your darkest hour, remember that there are those of us who, though disagreeing with you, remember our disgust with the Clintons’ antics and, to use Hillary’s own immortal words, “feel your pain.” We will pray for you, try to moderate our speech when arguing with you, and refrain from flaunting our current success. And when the next Presidential election comes, please return the favor by bearing our feelings in mind and nominate anyone, anyone, even that poor pathetic little Gore person, but please don’t try to foist the Dragon Lady on us.
Paul Shlichta is a research scientist who is currently writing a Manual of Methods. His scientific credentials may be viewed here.
I still can't believe how many people hate the President.
I didn't HATE Clinton when he was in office - I was just utterly amazed (and still am) that people still supported him - that he was never held accountable for any of his decisions or actions.
The rabid hatred for GWB is not even understandable.
Probably because, seeing as how Bush is a moral man, they feel inklings of accountability for their actions. THEY DON'T WANT TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
Plus, GWB is a Christian. And you know what THAT means. (wink wink)
I have sworn off the hurricane thread on another forum...One of the few conservatives just got banned..I am there for reasons other than politics and did not realize how many flaming lefty Bush hating libs were posting there on other subjects.
I don't hate the Clintons, I just detest them, find them contemptible, self-serving, self-promoting , liar politicians.
"The very sight of that self-conscious boyish smirk, the blatant transparency of his little lies and evasions, the sound of his voice, explaining charmingly how what was happening in Rwanda was not really genocide, did things for my blood pressure that my doctor is even now trying to repair. My systole mounted steadily during the impeachment: “He can’t…he can’t…he’s….Oh my God, HE’S GETTING AWAY WITH IT!’ And the disgust and shame remained like a lump in my throat until Bush was elected."
He does have a way of painting a picture..LOL I was not laughing at the time,however..
That's because it's irrational. Trying to discuss anything with liberals, I find, is like talking to people who are insane. They live in a self-constructed alternate universe in which facts, evidence, and logic are all dismissed. Only assertions that support their pre-determined paranoia are admissible.
True.
What I find just amazing is their pure rudeness. In forums all over, they'll start spouting off the most awful things, totally off topic. And when someone (like me) asks them to keep their opinions to themeselves, they act well...
Shocked that someone is telling them to sit down and shut up.
and most of all, totally, I mean absolutely TOTALLY amazed
that someone with which they share a common interest LIKES the President.
It's hysterical. They sputter, gasp, snort, then resort to name calling and parting shots like "Blind faith isn't patriotism" or some such hogwash.
~~sigh~~
that would make a great tagline
Unfortunately (because I consider myself a Christian but cannot deny my feelings) I did hate Clinton...and there still is a vestige of hate left for his legacy (although, I have to admit it is lessened by his current involvement with G.H.W. Bush when a crisis hits). The reason I hated him is because he is, IMHO, the epitome of the most Machiavellian "Ends Justifying Means" unctuous politician in American history. I hated him because I went to Vietnam and he didn't; I hated him because of his hedonistic lifestyle and his moral trashing of the Oval Office; I hated him because of Chinagate, Travelgate, and Pardongate; and I hated his "I feel your pain" phoniness (the crocodile tears for Ron Brown).
Most fellow FReepers know that I am not a "W" fan, but at least Bush has proved himself honest, and caring about his job. He is real and it is sad that the hate from the left is real as well.But I recall from history that Abraham Lincoln was really hated, and that Woodrow Wilson was really hated, and that Herbert Hoover was really hated, and that Harry Truman was really hated. Three of those four are now remembered fondly; and a lot of history is being revisited on the fourth.
Now those were dark times. I still can't believe that SOB got away with everything.
Hillary IS the dragon lady. I am scared to death of her.
When the DU'ers moan and groan about how Bush is going to send soldiers to pull gay people out of their homes, I laugh.
But when people talk about how Hillary will destroy the culture of Americanism as we know it, I shiver.
I could not understand the strength of the hate the left had for President Reagan. Then along came clinton and I understood how someone can 'hate' someone. My 'hate' and 'fear' also included what was just called the media bias at that time. I think my hate started with Hurricane Andrew - clinton, with the help of the media, blaming President Bush for not responding before the Governor asked for help. *** sound familiar guys!
By the time Monica came along I thought I was numb. Not true, for when elementary school age children and middle school age children started emulating the personal actions of the 42nd President of the United States then 'hate' isn't the correct word. I know the media bias - which has become known now as the MSM - has my disgust.
Upon reading what clinton is now saying, as he travels with President GHW Bush, regarding President Bush and his response to the hurricane, well I guess I say -- what did I expect!!
Yes. Someone--I forget who--said some time ago that if you want to know what liberals are doing, just look at their accusations.
They accuse conservatives of lying, to distract our attention from the fact that it is they, and not conservatives, who lie. They accuse conservatives of hatred, when it's THEIR rhetoric, not conservatives', that spills over with venom and loathing. They accuse conservatives of racism, to distract our attention from the fact that their social programs are based on the presumption of black and brown Americans' inability to succeed on their own. And so on.
Full of sound and fury signifying NOTHING.
The latest picture of President Bush in a pensive mood, has shown the awful burden on him. The qualities of this gentleman will be more than backed up. He had 62 million votes last time out. When he steps down, I hold it that grateful Americans will number even more than those figures.
His moral leadership stamps him as one of the greatest leaders to emerge in the last 100 years.
Maybe I am in denial of my hatred for Clinton but he is such a complete ass that I feel more SHOCK than anything when I talk to people who support him. I do remember crying the night he was elected in 1992 - and the next election I just shook my head - and I am still shaking it.
Bush haters are irrational and I refuse to give into the demons. The President and General Counsel of my company are both Bush haters and they rant and rave all over the office - it is disgusting. They look foolish.
The best thing about Reagan was that he didn't let the jackals get to him and it drove them CRAZY!!!! It has gotten so much worse since Reagan though - it borders on the bizarre.
Hey AQ, if you ever come up with the rest of that quote, let me know. I'd like to put it on my homepage. I have noticed the same irony (who of us hasn't?).
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