Posted on 06/05/2002 1:20:54 PM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
Let me just say up front that I am not addressing you if you voted for George W. Bush in 2000 and regret it. The same goes for those of you who voted for Bush and insist on holding his feet to the fire on the important issues. If, however, you cast your vote for Bush, still believe he is the only hope for America and intend to support every move he makes without so much as a raised eyebrow, this is for you.
It has been nearly a year-and-a-half since George W. Bush, the savior of conservatism, descended from on high to begin his earthly reign in Washington, D.C. Republicans assured us that he would restore integrity to the White House and would be a marked improvement over the promiscuous Bill Clinton. Well, in all honesty, that could have been accomplished by electing a neutered chimp to the office of president.
During the 2000 presidential campaign, George W. Bush the man proved to be a nice break from Bill Clinton and Al Gore. Unlike Gore, Bush had a more likable...well, he actually had a personality. He also possessed the unique ability to address the American people without the smug and condescending vibe Clinton exuded. However, when it came to policy, George W. Bush the candidate failed to demonstrate that he would govern any differently than his Democrat counterparts.
Still, throughout the campaign, there was a loyal group of Bush supporters who would take offense at even the slightest implication that their candidate was anything but a staunch conservative. Even now, they continue to stand by their man, and I find this to be rather perplexing.
Perhaps those who have pledged their undying allegiance to President Bush could answer a few questions for me, in no particular order of course:
• How would you have reacted if Bill Clinton had signed the Patriot Act into law and given the government sweeping new surveillance powers?
• Would you have criticized a Democrat president for signing a $26 billion education-spending bill?
• Did you feel betrayed when Bush signed Campaign Finance Reform into law?
• What do you think about Bush's position on granting amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants?
• Would you have tolerated a Democrat proposal for federally funded faith-based initiatives?
• What would your reaction have been if a Democrat had said, "No one should have to pay more than a third of their income to the federal government"?
• What do you think about the president's granting of Permanent Most Favored Nation status to China?
• What's the difference between Bush and the Democrats on the issue of farm subsidies?
• How would you react if a Democrat president sent a $2.13 trillion budget to Congress?
• Would you have stood for a Democrat saying "No!" to arming airline pilots?
• What would your reaction have been if a Democrat had pushed for the federalization of airport security?
• Are you willing to stand by and let the Bush administration cater to the environmentalists on the global warming issue?
• What do you think about Bush's call for a Patient's Bill of Rights?
• What one thing has Bush done that sets him apart from the Democrats?
• It's been a year-and-a-half since Bush took office. When do we start to see a decrease in the size and scope of government? For that matter, when do we start to see even a remote indication that this administration will think about doing anything to try to limit the federal government?
This list is by no means exhaustive, but I would really be interested in some answers. Perhaps it would help shed some light on the mindset of modern compassionate conservatives.
The fact that a Republican president is governing like a Democrat isn't surprising. What's amazing to me is that there are a few select Bush supporters out there who cannot—or will not—utter one word of criticism against their president for any reason. In their minds this man is the epitome of conservatism, and to question his actions would be to question their own beliefs and cause them to wonder why they supported him in the first place.
The way I see it there can only be two explanations for this: 1) these people really and truly believe in what Bush is doing, or 2) they do not wish to face up to the real reason they voted for him — he was simply a slightly more palatable choice than Al Gore.
Interesting thread. I'm only in the 550's so far, though.
Real original writing there Tex. Since when have you been into anything meaningful when it doesn't include spinning the latest talking points from the WH?
You post fantasies and become hostile when the fantasy is brought into the daylight of actual historical fact.
Yeah, when I hear the word hostile I figure you can't debate my points and you are beside yourself.
You fall back on childish insults and infantile epithets suited to pre-school children. You stomp your feet and hold your breath when challenged and lash out at the darkness that is your self-constructed reality.
Is this really you talking or is it Arne Fufkin? I guess I should overlook all your tirades when other Freepers properly question the direction this administration is going.
Take the R out of your name and you are your own best description.</>
As I said last night, I'm one of the few here that use my real name on FR. Sure I could have come up with some superfluous name like Texasforever but I foolishly thought years ago that childish name twisting wouldn't big a thing on FR. I guess I was wrong. Ya know, you do a really good job at projecting your own faults on others. A trait I see A LOT with others of our kind.
I take it you have a vision of a multi-cultural China in mind for America. Sounds like a real stable plan. /sarcasm off.
Joe the "government" is a direct reflection of the people that vote it into power. The "government" is you and me and liberals and libertarians. The "government" is not the problem the people are the problem. If you want your view to hold sway within the "government" then you must convince enough of your fellow Americans to share that view with you. All of the problems within the "government" are self correcting problems if the folks like us want it. I have never said I wanted illegal immigration but the fact is that we have it and we have it because LOCAL governments and the people within those local jurisdictions like it for purely selfish reasons. When local police departments refuse to aid the Feds in arresting illegal immigrants then the problem is NOT in Washington it is in Houston, New York city, Los Angeles and Tucson. That is just the facts.
Those are going to be a mistake when the next Democrat gets elected President.
Do I have to wait until it reaches a crisis in IL like in CA before I figure this country as whole needs some serious immigration reform? Or does my family have to suffer because the republicans and democrats make it so easy for even illegal aliens to vote for more of their social goodies in our elections. You won't get it until the republicans are out of power due to your short-sighted anything goes immigration views. That much is clear.
I believe that's the vision I read.
I disagree. You really have to give President Bush credit for that one. Unsigning the treaty is a huge precedent. Nobody's ever done that before.
You are deluded if you think there are only 3 million illegal aliens in this country. I believe even the census bureau admits to 8 million as of two years ago. Many put that number a multiple higher. Better redo your math.
No just clean up the liberal paradise you call a state that cannot blame its problems on "aliens" before you start telling those of us that have some experience in the matter what to do. Your state has a hell of a lot more problems than Texas even though we are over run with Mexican "terrorists".
Your state and local pols are jobbing you. If the immigrants can't get welfare ... they'll go home if they can't find work.
Try going to Riverside County and getting benefits if you live in Orange. Yet, Riverside County WILL give benefits to people who live legally in Mexico. That's not Bush, that's your California leaders who are chopping you off at the knees.
You guys need a courageous County Attorney who will rule that entitlements are not available for non-residents, contest the inevitable lawsuit, and take it all the way up the channel to the nine vampires in D.C. Demand it. If you have elections in November, run a guy who PROMISES IT. He'll be elected, nobody want's to pay for the housing and schooling of illegally or temporarily resident foreign nationals. NOBODY! That's righteous indignation ... you don't want drifters form San Bernadino County fleecing you either.
Funny, but most of the people I hear from Texas have a markedly different point of view about the immigration there than you do.
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