Bush ran as a conservative. His platform was almost libertarian. If he had aimed the country in that direction, we wouldn't be where we are now as the Republicans would have kept control of the congress, Jumpin' Jim notwithstanding.
here is the deal. We thought when GW was gone there would be an idealogical fight. Well we got one alright.
No one disagreed with their opponent. In fact, they said so many times “we are in agreement” “probably not much different”, etc. It was disgusting.
There were no real good choices and so BDS set in combined with McCain’s candidacy and we got Barry O.
“Bush ran as a conservative. His platform was almost libertarian. If he had aimed the country in that direction, we wouldn’t be where we are now as the Republicans would have kept control of the congress, Jumpin’ Jim notwithstanding.”
Almost libertarian. On some things. He talked about some of his later liberal domestic policy ideas in the 2nd debate with the Goron, though. He did specifically run against nation-building.
He couldn’t keep up the conservative facade after the first campaign and didn’t even really bother after he’d gotten what he needed from us voters in 2004.
If he’d been at least somewhat conservative in policy and had used the bully pulpit effectively, we would not be facing national economic collapse and an increasingly totalitarian government. At the very least, spending would not have almost doubled from Clinton. Pity he was a lib at heart.
“His platform was almost libertarian”
I guess we didn’t understand what “compassionate conservatism” meant.
But I do recall that he pledged “no nation building” under his adminsitration during one of the debates.
Of course 9/11 “ changed all that”. As far as I’m concerned, it didn’t need to change that part.
Go after the guys? Sure. Blow the he|| out of them? Heck
yeah?
But spend American blood and treasure to form them into a specific kind of country afterwards? Not me.
As far as I’m concerned they can go right back to being backwar a-holes - with one stipulation: They try it again, we blow the he|| out of them again.
I think they’d get the message eventually.
When I think of how many Amnericans have died over there to “avoid civilian casualties”.... It’s sickening.
We worry more about world PR than our own citizens lives.