Posted on 12/06/2018 3:34:41 PM PST by Kaslin
As with the passing of former President Ronald Reagan, the media are in full praise mode following the death of former President George Herbert Walker Bush. Where were they when the one-term President needed them? In Reagan's case, even his haters grudgingly acknowledged the overall success of his presidency. As for Bush 41, the media's praise of Bush's "grace" and "class" serves to indirectly to attack President Donald Trump by showing the contrast between the two Republicans' styles and characters.
But what did much of the liberal media think and say about Bush at the time?
When Bush announced his intention to seek the presidency in 1988, a Newsweek cover story showed the former New Englander navigating a small boat -- get it, he's elite -- with the caption "Fighting the Wimp Factor." Wimp? Bush joined Navy on his 18th birthday, serving in WWII as the Navy's second-youngest aviator. He flew 58 combat missions, was shot down by the Japanese and was rescued by an American sub.
When he ran in 1988, his resume included almost seven years as Reagan's vice president, two terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, director of central intelligence, head of the Republican National Committee, ambassador to the U.N. and de facto ambassador to China, in addition to being a decorated WWII fighter pilot. President Barack Obama was apparently unimpressed: In 2016, he said, "There has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office than Hillary Clinton."
Despite Bush's mind-numbingly impressive credentials, he somehow found himself tagged as insufficiently macho. In 1997, Evan Thomas' Newsweek wrote: " Bush suffers from a potentially crippling handicap -- a perception that he isn't strong enough or tough enough for the challenges of the Oval Office. That he is, in a single mean word, a wimp." The year before, Republican pundit George Will called him a "lapdog." A Washington Post editorial now praises Bush. Yet neither the Post nor The New York Times endorsed him for president in 1988 or 1992.
In fact, during his presidency, The New York Times aided and abetted the narrative of an elite "out-of-touch" patrician. During the 1992 election year, the Times ran a front-page story about a President so clueless about the life of the average American that he was unfamiliar with the supermarket checkout scanner. But the story was fake. A National Grocers Association systems analyst, the man who showed Bush the scanner, said: "The whole thing is ludicrous. What he was amazed about was the ability of the scanner to take that torn label and reassemble it."
Black Democrats like Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., called him "racist." In 1992, Waters said: "(Bush) is a mean-spirited man who has no care or concern about what happens to the African-American community in this country. I truly believe that."
Bush stood accused of racism for "using" the infamous Willie Horton ad that ran during the 1988 campaign, even though his campaign had not produced the ad. Furthermore, the issue of his opponent Michael Dukakis' Massachusetts furlough program was first brought up by Dukakis' Democratic rival Al Gore. Under Dukakis' program, Horton, a convicted murderer, committed rape while out on furlough.
Bush, pressured by Democrats and some in his own party, broke the famous pledge he made at the 1988 Republican convention: "Read my lips. No new taxes." NBC News' Andrea Mitchell now says "breaking that pledge showed the character and resolve of the man." Similarly, Newsweek's Thomas now calls the broken tax promise an act of "courage." But asked in a 1992 press conference whether he considered breaking the pledge "the biggest mistake" of his presidency, Bush said, "Well, I don't know about the biggest, but yes ... I'm very disappointed with Congress." At the 1992 Republican convention, he apologized for breaking the pledge. James Carville, Clinton's lead campaign strategist, called it "the most famous broken promise in the history of American politics."
Did reporters reward Bush for his tax concession? Hardly. A poll of Washington, D.C., reporters found that, in 1992, 89 percent of them voted for Bill Clinton. Only 7 percent voted for Bush.
In October 1992, according to Investor's Business Daily, over 90 percent of the economic news in newspapers was negative. At the time, the economy was well into a recovery, on its 19th consecutive month of growth. Yet much of the business news was sour. In November 1992, Bill Clinton won. That month, only 14 percent of the newspapers' economic news was negative. As recently as 2012, a PBS documentary repeatedly insisted Bill Clinton inherited an economy in "recession." In fact, the GDP in Bush's final quarter grew 3.8 percent.
When son George W. Bush won the presidency in 2000, mom Barbara Bush expressed surprise. "You're not going to like this," she said, "but my gut feeling is that all the media is against George, Republicans, any Republican." Indeed. From that very media, currently fawning over a man they now call a "statesman," George Herbert Walker Bush deserved better. Much better.
The lame stream media is so far in the reality hole they’ll stoop to anything to get out of it.
Larry’s great.
re: the George H. W. Bush funeral
What will America be forced to endure when it’s Obama’s turn ? Or Clinton’s ? Or Carter’s ?
What will the media say of these ‘special people’ and what will be the reaction and response of the American people ?
If there’s a train trip , will they stand on the side and throw eggs?
Will the military show respect to those pukes?
I somehow doubt .
I hoped everyone watched and really took in THIS FUNERAL , it may be the last one like it we see in our nations history .
The later ones have not really done anything to deserve it.
Aside from W and Trump , whom although they themselves never really served in any meaning capacity in their youth , have at least tangibly supported the military and have helped keep America great and strong .
The other three ? Pee on them .
So at least he has that going for him.
If it’s necessary clinton’s body will be flown to LA so his body can be carried back to Washington by train.
I’ll bet it won’t be back to Hope, Arkansas.
The pinkos who run the so-called “news” media, and the perverts who run the so-called “entertainment” industry were opposed to Bush 41 at every turn. He was the daily subject of calumny and mockery.
Their posing in recent days is obscene. Even more obscene is that they know they can get away with it due the the chumswallowing gullibility of those who born and raised after 1988.
Hussein’s funeral will be a grotesque burlesque. It will be as grandiose at Liz Taylor’s Cleopatra parade. A horrible time for America.
And yet I still regret that I will probably not live long enough to see it.
“Aside from W and Trump , whom although they themselves never really served in any meaning capacity in their youth , have at least tangibly supported the military and have helped keep America great and strong .”
How did W keep America great and strong? He never even defended HIMSELF.
W and his brother are cowards, and accessories to murder.
Terri Schiavo, you POS GW and Jeb!
The full Willie Horton story :
http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2018-12-05.html#read_more
Yup, fake praise.
This is why I am pretty much not liking “Christmas” anymore. Fake people faking niceness ans faking like they care about God.
wizened old prune , he’s next
Hey you just might, old age isn’t really in the black demographic.
W knew when it was time to fight , he fought .
Although he listened to his lawyers far too much and the whole interm Iraqi gov was a complete disaster .
His ROE’s never impressed me , his hard use of the CIA . Until he got exposed and then woused out and pulled them in .
Maybe his dad was whispering in his ear in trying to be kinder and gentler to his enemies , just as the Japs would have been kind & gentle with him , if they’d caught him .
All in all , I was proud of W , most of the time .
You cannot name one time the Commie media has ever been on America’s side.
.... I find it absolutely Ironic that exactly one year ago during the #MeToo movement the same media that is praising Bush 41 today ...... was gleefully accusing him and running stories about 8 women who were insisting that George H W Bush groped them ...... What a difference a year makes ....
Rush must be part of that mainstream. Remember his support of Buchanan against Bush in the 92 primary?
The media’s behavior is entirely consistent with their belief that the only good Republican is a dead one.
Which of the living former Presidents will have the next state funeral? Carter is 94, but he may outlive Clinton who is 72.
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