I Was Wrong About Bush

OpinionJournal.com ^ | 09/25/2001 | Gerald Posner

[Fury]

What a difference 10 months make. Last November I broke the unwritten rule that requires journalists to be neutral political observers when I got embroiled in the controversy over the presidential election and publicly supported Al Gore.

It was not just with friends that I passionately argued the election had been stolen and that Mr. Gore would be the better president. I was one of the signatories to the pompously titled "Emergency Committee of Concerned Citizens 2000," which took full-page ads in the New York Times demanding a revote in Palm Beach County, Fla. I wrote op-eds for Salon.com and the New York Daily News. On television talk shows from MSNBC to Fox News's popular "The O'Reilly Factor," I made the case for Mr. Gore. In thousands of e-mails, I urged voters to deluge Clay Roberts, director of Florida's Division of Elections, with appeals for a recount.

[cicero's_son]

Mr. Posner should be congratulated and welcomed aboard.

We're going to need lots of help in the coming months and years.

[Free the USA]

Bump

[RobbyS]

WOW!

[RobbyS]

WOW!

[SuziQ]

Good Grief! God IS in His Heaven! I am so pleased that naysayers such as Mr. Posner have finally seen in Pres. Bush what his supporters always saw; that determination and steeliness born of his unwavering faith in God. We saw it during the weeks after the election; he seemed to be ready to take on the job even as people like Mr. Posner were sniping.

God Bless Pres. Bush and all those who will be advising him in the weeks and months ahead.

[MitchellC]

Of course, I did not know whether the election had gone for Mr. Gore or George W. Bush. As a partisan, I did not care. I was convinced that Mr. Gore was by far the best-qualified candidate and the man most fit to lead the U.S.

Very telling.

Better late than never, I guess.

[lawgirl]

BUMP-- what you say.

[Fury]

This must be driving the folks at DU nuts...

[Ronin]

Nice of him to admit what we have known all along.

[Wil H]

There will be numerous tests for him in the long battle ahead. But, as of now, he has converted many of us to admirers, and he deserves our complete support. The entire administration, from Colin Powell to Donald Rumsfeld to Dick Cheney, inspires more confidence as we embark on this uncertain war than we likely would have had in any Gore administration.

Welcome aboard Mr Posner, we recognise your strength of character in admitting your mistakes and commend you for it.

Pity it took such a tragedy to see what we already saw..

[Aggressive Calvinist]

There will be numerous tests for him in the long battle ahead. But, as of now, he has converted many of us to admirers, and he deserves our complete support. The entire administration, from Colin Powell to Donald Rumsfeld to Dick Cheney, inspires more confidence as we embark on this uncertain war than we likely would have had in any Gore administration.

I must sadly admit that Bill Clinton, for whom I voted twice, could not have delivered that same clear speech last Thursday. His almost compulsive need to please all sides would have prevented him from casting the issues as starkly or as unequivocally.

Dang! Will wonders never cease?

[KC_Conspirator]

My late father used to tell me that one of the hallmarks of good character is the courage to admit mistakes. Most people who lock themselves into a public position want to keep defending their original stance, even when in their heart they know subsequent events have proven them incorrect.

Consistantcy is the hobgoblin of little minds. (Either Franklin, Thoreau or Emerson - can't remember which).

I have heard this same sentiment from alot of democrats.

[ladyinred]

Absolutely amazing! I can't any find words for how incredible this is, so I will just say, WOW!

[rockfish59]

i pray that bubba reads this. HA HA HA and an LOL!!!

[nutmeg]

Good Grief! God IS in His Heaven! I am so pleased that naysayers such as Mr. Posner have finally seen in Pres. Bush what his supporters always saw; that determination and steeliness born of his unwavering faith in God.

Amen to that! America... are you waking up at last?

[Fury]

I mugged the banner. Sorry about that...

SECOND THOUGHTS

I Was Wrong About Bush
He's proved himself to be the leader America needs.

BY GERALD POSNER

[habs4ever]

ditto..are we supposed to care?

[FReethesheeples]

Kudos!

[Professional]

Am I the only one that actually felt the speech wasn't that great? Especially the part about a NEW govt agency.

If this guys happy, I shouldn't be.

Bush has done fine, but what remarkable thing has he done? Other than words. Same with Guilianni (sp?). Approval ratings through the roof, for what?

I want action, don't want a bunch of words and crap like that. I'm as big a Bushie as their is, heck I've still got my Bush/Cheney sticker on my car. Do the hard part, kill, destroy, intimidate.

As best said by another Freeper, unfortunately can't remember their name, "Punish our enemies so severely, it scares even our friends".