The Lynching of the President

The American Spectator ^ | 1/25/2007 | Ben Stein

[NorCoGOP]

So there I was, lying in my bed in Malibu with my dogs, watching Mr. Bush's State of the Union speech. I thought it was darned good. Realistic, gracious, modest, sensible. I happen to think we should get out of Iraq yesterday, but I thought Mr Bush put forward his case well. And Congress responded graciously and generously on both sides of the aisle.

Then, whaam, as soon as the speech was over, ABC was bashing him, telling us how pathetic he was, how irrelevant he was, how weak he was, how unrealistic he was.

Right after that, Jim Webb gave a very short speech biting Bush's head off -- but not making any concrete proposals about anything. No network person mentioned how simple minded and unrealistic he was.

Then, tonight, the next night, I walked into the kitchen where my wife had left the radio going with NPR to amuse the cats. NPR was having a call-in show talking about the State of the Union. The first speaker I heard was a country music legend, Merle Haggard, who said he had never seen things so bad in this country. Then a legion of anonymous callers chimed in with similar thoughts.

And suddenly it hit me. The media is staging a coup against Mr. Bush. They cannot impeach him because he hasn't done anything illegal. But they can endlessly tell us what a loser he is and how out of touch he is (and I mean ENDLESSLY) and how he's just a vestigial organ on the body politic right now.

The media is doing what it can to basically oust Mr. Bush while still leaving him alive and well in the White House. It's a sort of neutron bomb of media that seeks to kill him while leaving the White House standing (for their favorite unknown, Barack Obama, to occupy).

How dare NPR ask a country singer who hates Bush to spew venom at Bush? Merle Haggard is a truly great singer and musician, but he's just one old guy. There are plenty of country singers who love Bush and would campaign for him right now. And in what sense is Mr Haggard an expert on the state of the union?

The truth is that we are in a huge economic boom. We are coming off a mammoth real estate explosion that put the most Americans in history in their own homes. We have totally full employment. After decades of stagnation, real wages are rising. Gasoline prices are way, way down. The nation is wealthier than it has ever been (although this is very unevenly distributed). Opportunities for subsidized higher education are better than they have ever been.

Most important of all, who would have ever been rash enough on September 12, 2001 to say there would not be one major or even minor successful terrorist incident against the U.S. homeland in over five years? Who would have thought we would escape without more massive terror? But we have, and it is a foolhardy person who would say that's an accident. Bush may not have done it by himself, but he had something to do with it.

True, we are mired in a war without end, costing us far too may great young and old Americans and too many limbs and wrecked families and vastly too much money. But we all know we're getting out soon. It was a huge mistake, but I'd like to see a President who did not make immense mistakes. Compared with the mistakes of Truman and FDR and Kennedy, Iraq is a mistake, but not worse than theirs.

True, we have virtually no federal oversight of corporate looting and executive suite misconduct, but we didn't have any under Clinton either. The rich get away with murder. That's what happens in the real world. Bush is to blame, but all politicians cater to the rich, and Hillary will and Barack Obama will, too. It's nauseating and I fight it constantly, but that's life.

My point: let's be aware that Bush has presided over a lot of success in addition to substantial failure. My second point: no one elected the media to anything. If we let them lynch the man we elected as President we are throwing out the Constitution with the war in Iraq. In the studios and newsrooms, there is a lynch mob at work. Let's see it for what it is. We have a good man who has made mistakes in the Oval Office. He's the only President we have, and I trust him a lot more than I trust unelected princes of the newsroom.

[Christian4Bush]

BTTT

[Psalm 73]

"...I don't think that cats, or dogs, know one party from another..."

Hah - and neither do we, anymore!!

[Mach9]

Thanks for posting.

[pgkdan]

And suddenly it hit me. The media is staging a coup against Mr. Bush. They cannot impeach him because he hasn't done anything illegal. But they can endlessly tell us what a loser he is and how out of touch he is (and I mean ENDLESSLY) and how he's just a vestigial organ on the body politic right now.

That's avery concise description of what's going on. They can't touch him physically ao they're doing everything they can to make him irrelevent. I hope somebody on our side sees this for what it is and starts fighting back.

[thinkthenpost]

"True, we are mired in a war without end, costing us far too may great young and old Americans and too many limbs and wrecked families and vastly too much money. But we all know we're getting out soon. It was a huge mistake, but I'd like to see a President who did not make immense mistakes. Compared with the mistakes of Truman and FDR and Kennedy, Iraq is a mistake, but not worse than theirs.

True, we have virtually no federal oversight of corporate looting and executive suite misconduct, but we didn't have any under Clinton either. The rich get away with murder. That's what happens in the real world. Bush is to blame, but all politicians cater to the rich, and Hillary will and Barack Obama will, too. It's nauseating and I fight it constantly, but that's life."

Here I go Rant On:
I take great umbrage with Mr. Stein for both of these comments:
The first this "war" was foisted upon this country and while I will argue ROE's and the hassles our Soldiers and Marines have had to deal with have greatly lengthen the Iraq campaign the invasion of Iraq has had an enormous affect on the War on Terror and anyone who thinks Iraq is a distraction or sidebar to the terror war (Jim Webb) is NOT paying attention. I do not know whether it was intended or not but the invasion of Iraq and the subsequent insurgency has drawn Al-Qaeda and many other outside terrorist, or at least Islamist minded folks to Iraq to fight the Infidels (us) and I strongly believe this a big part of why the US mainland has not been struck again. As much as people try to make Iraq another Vietnam for the United States those opposing us in Iraq have made this their line in the sand. I say come to Iraq and die, our forces in theater ought to be on the hunt and the enemy ought to be dying, terrorists ought to be dying as they are trying to plant IEDs, our soldiers ought not to be dying when they go off, If I have a complaint it has been the execution of the war after Saddam's armies were defeated.

The second, his comment about a wealth disparity well given time he may not have to worry about it. Oxley Sarbanes and the measures to comply with it has nearly killed IPOs in this country, I believe for 2006 5 of the 6 largest IPOs of the year were done in London. The Amex is in the midst of buying the London Stock Exchange and I believe many companies will be listing overseas. I have read that New York City, and New York stat stand to lose some 30-40 billion in taxes as theses companies bail, someone needs to remind the SEC and Congress about the law of unintended consequences. I also believe the Clinton tax increases which limited the reimbursement executives could receive gave rise to the wider spread use of stock options as executive compensation and eventually led to Enron, WorldCom and which corporate balance sheet scandal you want to bring up, and also led to SOX. Oh, by the way thanks Spitzer your hands are in this also.
Ahh I'm rambling and ranting now, sorry anyway Mr. Stein I disagree.
Rant Off:

[pgkdan]

Surprised about Merle Haggard, did I miss something?

No. Haggard's hated Bush and said so since before we went into Iraq. He's a stupid old drunk and his opinions should be given the same credence you'd give to any other stupid old drunk you'd meet.

[oust the louse]

GREAT article..I've copied and pasted the link to send to my friends and liberal foes. My friends will understand...my foes will dislike it(of course).

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

I'm pretty sure that is the whole article. I think the website had to use that term if the writer wasn't fully on-board as a contributing writer.

[BuffaloJack]

Is there anything the muzzies are for?
Chairman Mao once said "Religion is poison." He must have been referring to muzzies.

[Ace's Dad]

The nation is wealthier than it has ever been (although this is very unevenly distributed).

Who says, Mr. Stein? I do a job, I get paid. (Capt Malcome Reynolds)

[italianquaker]

Agree they still refer to the adulteress and impeached ex president as MR.President or President so and so

[ishabibble]

That's a really good article. It is so easy to compare the Left to children because so many times, they act like little brats. John Cole Bear's mean-spirited stunt with the Fox microwave comes to mind.

To think of the Left as the drunken man, apoplectic with useless rage, bellowing out his selfishness in the street, in the night, with no concern for neighbors or common decency. The reasons for Leftist rage don't begin to compare to the sick thrill they get by exhibiting it.
The media loves to spotlight David Gregory, Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews. Angry little brats. John Stewart is another, he has built an entire career on being snide. Bill Maher is certifiably insane from his anger.

I am a woman, and in my primal opinion, not one of the men I've cited is a masculine or virile man. They all seem watered down and weak. They will all become Don Imus, eventually. A stumblebum who needs Deidre's permission to even use the toilet. I don't need intimacy to see that every one of these metrosexuals is impotent. My definition of that that word is, "weak of mind, body, and character".

[sheana]

heh you know Merle too?

[dsc]

"I think the website had to use that term"

I see. Thanks. Actually, that article would deserve a thread of its own, I think.

[ConservatismNow]

My cats are most definitely Republicans. They are anti-immigration (hate people coming over) pro-hunting, and definitely red-meat eaters. They like being homeowners. :D

[ConservatismNow]

You guys are missing the idea of the article. Quit nitpicking about the Iraq statement! Ben Stein is talking about how even though he disagrees with some of the things the President has done, he's still OUR President.

[1rudeboy]

bttt

[pgkdan]

heh you know Merle too?

No, I just pay attention. Every time a new country singer tries to establish his 'street creds' by talking about how great 'The Hag' is, was and ever will be that guy drops a couple of notches...IMHO.

[AmericanMade1776]

Time is the only test of honest men, but you can recognize a leftist propaganda machine immediately.

[Penner]

The truth is that we are in a huge economic boom.

This neocon POS needs to summon his illegal alien chauffeur and have him drive north a few hours to the home of FR where he can witness his "huge economic boom" firsthand.