Posted on 01/25/2008 7:58:07 AM PST by jdm
Peggy Noonan aims her considerable cannon at George Bush this morning in the Wall Street Journal in the middle of her analysis of the primaries. She fingers him as the main culprit in the destruction of the Republican Party, discounting other and perhaps better causes and engaging in just a little hyperbole:
On the pundit civil wars, Rush Limbaugh declared on the radio this week, "I'm here to tell you, if either of these two guys [Mr. McCain or Mike Huckabee] get the nomination, it's going to destroy the Republican Party. It's going to change it forever, be the end of it!"This is absurd. George W. Bush destroyed the Republican Party, by which I mean he sundered it, broke its constituent pieces apart and set them against each other. He did this on spending, the size of government, war, the ability to prosecute war, immigration and other issues.
Were there other causes? Yes, of course. But there was an immediate and essential cause.
And this needs saying, because if you don't know what broke the elephant you can't put it together again. The party cannot re-find itself if it can't trace back the moment at which it became lost. It cannot heal an illness whose origin is kept obscure.
I love Peggy Noonan's commentary, but this is a little over the top. The party has lost exactly one national cycle in the last four. I don't consider them dead after a single setback, and anyone who does appears more interested in garnering attention than in providing trenchant analysis.
It doesn't mean we don't have trouble, but Noonan's wrong to lay the whole thing on Bush. While it's true that he hasn't provided much in the way of fiscal discipline, he didn't run for office as a Steve Forbes conservative, either. He spoke of compassionate conservatism, a code for big-government approaches for center-right policies, and he delivered. Bush talked about working on bipartisan solutions to national issues, and he pretty much did that before the Iraq war turned sour. Republicans elected Bush knowing what they were going to get, and Noonan can't seriously claim shock over the result.
The seeds of Republican discontent took root in Congress, not the executive. It was the succession of Republican Congresses that refused to cut spending, and instead blew wads of cash on non-defense discretionary spending. Bush led in some of these efforts, but he didn't multiply pork exponentially; that came from House and Senate Republicans. He didn't climb into bed with K Street, either -- that project started before Bush ever arrived at the White House with Tom DeLay and others.
It may be fashionable for Republicans to cast all blame on the President, but that falsely absolves those who created the problems that plague us at the moment. It may also sound rhetorically spectacular to declare the party "destroyed" by having its constituent coalitions debate about its direction, but it's both inaccurate and hyperbolic. It's not unusual for parties to have these debates -- and maybe if we'd had it in 2000, we would have elevated leaders more supportive of traditional Republican fiscal discipline rather than just blindly supported the people who threw that legacy in the wastebin.
Gee, and I thought I was a tough grader. ;-)
I give him a C- for now, assuming that Justices Roberts and Alito ultimately vote to toss the entire claptrappy of Roe.
sitetest
Now how on earth do you come off saying Bush sold evangelicals down the river?? I am one, I feel lucky to have had such a great Christian President!!
He gave us Roberts and Alito, he stood strong against stem cell research (as a result scientists discovered a way to go around using embryos) He has been a great roll model for children and adults. He has been the strongest commander in chief ever, in a new never seen before kind of warfare.
I love and respect President Bush and quite frankly I think you should be somewhat ashamed for your treatment of him! Especially if you say you are a Christian!! President Bush is our brother in Christ and you should be praying for him rather than publicly bashing him.
Sorry, thats how I feel. Not going to apologize for it. Anyone who was for the assult weapons ban is not a freind to the people. Bush like his father is a globalist to boot.
I think toooo many bashing President Bush suffer memory loss. The Clintons continuously polled with two/thirds approval. That was the mind and mood prior to the 2000 election when algore tried slip on the Clintons mantel.
What President Bush said he was about, was a compassionate conservatism... No I never like the idea that anybody had to affix or fix what conservatism the idea demonstrates. However, liberalism from the top down are natural con artists and have their media mouthpieces preaching day in and day out liberalism... mean evil rich corporate Republicans, when in fact liberals at the top are some of the most wealthiest people in the world. Pretty clever con if one really thinks about how they play the class warfare scam.
We the people in enough numbers enjoyed the 'Jerry Springer' styled Clinton soap opera, all the while it was a Republican controlled Congress that maintained any type of Constitutional order.... Yet some people salivate over every opportunity to denigrate, trash, and impugn the very members of that 90's Congress that maintain what little stand this nation took against Clintonism. (And still do to this day, and shame on them.)
Now we have these supposed fiscal conservatives who spurn with every fiber of their being slinging insults to social conservative for being 'Taliban' like seeking to salvage any part of the original concept of the Constitution. I mean 'hello' during Clintonism 'sodomy' became a civil right, imagine our founding fathers contemplating that ever making its way to the Supreme Court.
Yet supposed fiscal conservative cannot find enough ways to fund these of that newly conjured up 'civil' right group and yet slap social conservatives every chance they get opportunity for being hayseed hick haters. No these promoters of sodomy are taliban like because they take the power of law and tax US for their self made special civil right group. (For the record I personally could care less who it is that gets off playing in poop, I am opposed to paying for the consequences.
What set the Bush agenda was not a known on the table when he arrived in WDC, but I have little doubt he did have in his mind to put in place his amnesty program but terrorist altered what would be with the Red Chinese taking the first shot.
The ANSWER crowd was already mobilized to plant the seeds of reenacting the liberal supposed win for communism of Vietnam. I think President Bush maintained a calm cool collected maturity in dealing with this bunch of idiots because had they had their way and made any traction across this land the WAR could well have been right here on US soil.
I think it is Praise God the liberal intent for US under their established global agenda got derailed in that election of 2000. IF anyone did pay attention to the 2006 Congressional elections the liberal party in so many cases ran more 'conservative' sounding candidates than did the GOP. That would not be President Bush's fault but the individuals that got caught up in their own self importance and forgot/ignored their Constitutional 'oath' taking duty.
Interesting isn't it that probably the one thing that President Bush came to WDC to accomplish was Amnesty, thus far he has been stopped by we the people. Why, because if it was what he believed his 'calling' to be of divine direction it sure has not materialized and he ought to be taking note of that.
RINOs are the cause. Bush kowtowed to them. The GOP majority was made up of RINOs. In the end these RINOs must be purged.
No .... Rush Limbaugh did
One way or another.
Wait till this up coming election. The Republicans are going to be beat like a drum.
The Republican establishment learned nothing in regards to the 2006 election disaster.
The Democrats have much to thank Bush for.
Bush will go down as one of the worst presidents in American history, and his legacy will be well deserved.
You all also forgot: Added a fourth entitlement program “Prescription Drugs for Seniors” and signed into law our ongoing “campaign finance reform legislation”.
Very sad indeed.
Amen my FRiend.
President Bush is and will be remembered as one of the greatest President
President Bush legacy:
President Bush led our brave troops to destroy 2 terrorist regimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and freed 50 million people.
President Bush led our troops to destroy Al Qaeda in Iraq and Afghanistan.
President Bush protected us since 9/11 and we did not have a terrorist attack in America since then.
President Bush cut our taxes which helped us out of recession, the Clinton recession, and thus has helped in giving us one of the best economic prosperity on record.
President Bush appointed two great conservative Supreme Court Justices.
President Bush is the most pro-life President since Roe Vs Wade criminality has been established.
God bless President Bush. God bless our brave troops. God bless America.
That’s a good point. The GOP congress did evolve to hackdom by 2006.
President Bush is and will be remembered as one of the greatest President
That comment would make Tokyo Rose blush.
The world would be living in the dark ages if not for Bush?
If you really believe this, you need your head examined.
Republicans fear not....we are still strong. John McCain nor Huckabee can destroy our party. George Bush either. I am proud to be Republican.
truth bump
Then hang his picture right beside LBJ's whom socialist also call a great POTUS.
President Bush led our brave troops to destroy 2 terrorist regimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and freed 50 million people.
Which could have been done on a far more limited means. BTW their duty was not to free people and if you think they are indeed free then you are sadly mistaken. Within a few years the new Cleric installed extremist will be in power. WITH NEWQ U.S. WEAPONARY and training at their disposal.
President Bush protected us since 9/11 and we did not have a terrorist attack in America since then.
No a few passengers over the skies of Pennsylvania did that and paid that price. That and not Bush did more than anything to stop terrorist attacks. Do I need to remind you that hijackings occurred in the 1960's and 70's? We didn't suspend peoples rights and build databases on private law abiding citizens to stop it. We put armed security on planes instead. Now where are the armed pilots and crews? Bush did what now? Oh yea he made a new agency for friends to draw a paycheck.
President Bush cut our taxes which helped us out of recession, the Clinton recession, and thus has helped in giving us one of the best economic prosperity on record.
And our children's children will be in debt to Communist China because of his trade policies. Nice trade off/sarcasm
President Bush appointed two great conservative Supreme Court Justices.
That will take years to determine. A very important case on the Second Amendment is before them and Conservative Bush's DOJ is filing briefs on behalf of gun grabbing Liberals.
President Bush is the most pro-life President since Roe Vs Wade criminality has been established.
I'd say Reagan actually was but Bush wasted a GOP majority in both houses when he should have used them to end abortion.
At best Bush in his policies has more in common with LBJ than Ronald Reagan. Reagan would have had us out of Iraq in months not years for example. Reagan knew that to leave Israel alone and stay out of their business yielded us great benifits in dealing with M.E. tyrants. Bush however takes her enemies side it sems.
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