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Good afternoon, Star. Thank you so much for the ping to this most excellent article.

While the author did acknowledge that "Although some of his actions upset conservatives," she underplays what actually transpired, particularly during President Bush's 2nd term. The fact is that all one needs to do to realize the extent to which the right mirrored the left in its Bush hatred, is to read almost any FR thread.

I'd like to quote the following paragraph from the piece and make a comment afterwards:

And yes, he truly is a compassionate conservative. Unlike politicians who can turn on the tears on cue, George W. Bush could truly get misty at a T-Ball game on the White House lawn or at a press conference with "Snowflake" babies; those born from embryos that would otherwise have been destroyed or used for research. And who can forget one of the most emotional of all the scenes immediately following the carnage of 9/11, when President Bush returned to his seat after delivering his beautiful remarks in the National Cathedral, and embraced his visibly-shaken father.

Since when did "compassionate" become a perjorative among conservatives? How many times on FR and elsewhere have we seen the term "compassionate conservative" lambasted rather than embraced. Far too many people saw insult in that term rather than an opportunity to demonstrate to vast swaths of the American populace that conservatives are not the meanspirited caricatures described by the media and other left-wing mouthpieces.

What are we conservatives if we cannot hold dear the honor, dignity, moral conviction, compassion, and simple human kindness President Bush demonstrated every day during his tumultuous presidency?

There's so much that not only could be said about the right's abandonment of GWB, but that needs to be said. We expect shallowness and disloyalty from the left, but if we on the right abandon our friends, then what are we? Yet this probably isn't the time or thread to go into the necessary detail. Better, for, now to quote one of my favorite pieces from our nation's Revolutionary period:

These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.
-- Thomas Paine (The Crisis, December 1776)

George W. Bush did stand it, and he has my love and thanks for as long as God gives it to me to know such feelings.

Excellent post. Thank you.

Since when did "compassionate" become a perjorative among conservatives? How many times on FR and elsewhere have we seen the term "compassionate conservative" lambasted rather than embraced.

Agreed. That's why I used the phrase, "yes, he is a compassionate conservative." Like you, I realize that this president has been reviled too often by those on "our side," and I mentioned this several times in my piece.

So many here decry the lack of a Ronald Reagan yet fail to realize that GWB, although short in rhetorical gifts, was and is every bit the congenial gentleman that RWR was. They also forget that Reagan too had to compromise at times. In fact, I was going to include this quote from the Gipper (but didn't since I'd used it before):

When I began entering into the give and take of legislative bargaining in Sacramento, a lot of the most radical conservatives who had supported me during the election didn't like it. "Compromise" was a dirty word to them and they wouldn't face the fact that we couldn't get all of what we wanted today. They wanted all or nothing and they wanted it all at once. If you don't get it all, some said, don't take anything.
If you got seventy-five or eighty percent of what you were asking for, I say, you take it and fight for the rest later, and that's what I told these radical conservatives who never got used to it.

Since when did "compassionate" become a perjorative among conservatives? How many times on FR and elsewhere have we seen the term "compassionate conservative" lambasted rather than embraced. Far too many people saw insult in that term rather than an opportunity to demonstrate to vast swaths of the American populace that conservatives are not the meanspirited caricatures described by the media and other left-wing mouthpieces...

This is a thread which should show appreciation for what he's done, while perhaps leaving disagreements for another time and thread.

Injecting that comment is the sign of an @ss.

Thanks SO much, Wolfie. You put the very qualities all humans should value in such beautiful terms, yet those same qualities have been so easily denigrated and mocked because it was Pres. Bush exhibiting them candidly, without pretense or facade.

He wasn't and would never be good enough for THEM! And that was from Day One no matter what, with the libs.

That's why I believe pure liberalism is truly a mental disorder.

I now put BDS in that same category, and it sickens me to see that FReepers on this site are so vulgar, snarky and obscene about our Pres. Bush ... on the #1 conservative site on the web yet!

Both groups are devoid of rational thought or reason, comprised only of visceral, intestinal hate.

It's like irrational centuries-long tribal wars or the conflicts between Israel and the geography folks call 'palestine.'

I thought FReepers were made of sterner, more upright stuff than to allow their very decency to be so shallow and eviscerated by single issue thinking, as so many of the BDSers have, but I was totally wrong.

That's OK .. those of us who know and owe a great debt of gratitude to Pres. and Mrs. Bush will never deviate from the respect and honor we have for him for the intrepid leader he's been and for being so strong as to stand alone with only his strong convictions, when necessary, to make the hard decisions.

That takes quite a steely man with great fortitude and courage. Yet, we also know that this man has great optimism, good will, big faith and a big heart, and that's been amply demonstrated over the years for our awesome troops he loves so much, and for those in less than fortunate circumstances, here and around the world.

I have not a care in the world what the Bush haters here or anywhere think about him anymore.

I know what Pres. Bush has done for us, and I'll never forget or cease being grateful to him for it all. I'll miss him so very much, but he's given his all these last years and well deserves all the joy, peace and purposeful pursuits he can fit into the rest of his life. Godspeed, Mr. President!

God always bless President George W. Bush!

Wolfstar, that was a wonderful post, and so much speaks for me. Thank you.

BTTT

What are we conservatives if we cannot hold dear the honor, dignity, moral conviction, compassion, and simple human kindness President Bush demonstrated every day during his tumultuous presidency?

So well said, Wolfstar!!

Thank you for an illuminating, eloquent post and excellant analysis!