George W. Bush -- grand strategist

townhall.com ^ | 2/11/04 | Tony Blankley

[ClancyJ]

Good comments. So glad you intend to vote for Bush.

Just mention to your son that there are many reasons - different people see conservatism in different degrees of conservatism; compassionate conservatism is what Bush stated he was - we are seeing compassionate conservatism; a President has to look at all agendas and pick those that he can accomplish - some are for now, others will be done later, others will not get done due to opposing forces.

We cannot expect one man to be perfectly aligned with our views and accomplish everything we wish to accomplish. A man has to direct his efforts to a few items and try and get them done - yet people expect all to be done or else.

All of these expectations in changing government when his top priority is fighting the war on terrorism. Just how much can one man accomplish in a 4-year period. Also, please note all the forces against him as he fights our battles while we sit back comfortably and criticize because he moved two steps forward when we expected 10 steps.

It might help matters if there was a little less criticism and more support and help. Yet - a president cannot expect that because people get scared if they don't agree with his every move. When scared, they fear they misread the man. Guess that is politics.

[ClancyJ]

You know - I get tired when I hear all the whining, bashing and criticism and I feel like just giving up. How must Bush feel?

He has to spend every waking moment calculating what the conservatives will say, what the democrats will say, what will be used against him, how this or that is interpreted. And we wonder why a president ages so much.

This president especially as so much rabid opposition is mounted against him - you would think he had run the terrorist organization himself with all the furor against him.

And, he has to fight a war and protect this homeland from attack - with every move being scrutinized by "committees" investigating him rather than the terrorism links trying to bring down this country.

No rabid rush to track down terrorists groups in the U.S. -no, only a rabid rush to find something to bring down Bush.

I am ashamed of our government representatives.

You would think our fellow Repubs would be mounting defenses for their president. They sure are quiet.

[DoughtyOne]

I want you to reread your last post to me and tell me when it would be okay for a conservative to address issues of a conservative nature.

As long as Bush is in office I'm supposed to offer up 'a little less' (read that no) criticism, support him and help.  Then in 2008 when another "conservative" runs, I'll need to support them and not criticize or they won't get elected.  And if they do get elected I shouldn't criticize or they'll never get anything done.  If they don't get elected I shouldn't speak up because I'll ruin their chances in four years.

This sounds like a thriving healthy conservative party to you?  Lordy!

I stated that I support the war on terroristm with regard to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.  I cannot support allowing Yasser Arafat to continue his terrorist ways, and the condemnation of Israel for defending itself.  I cannot defend open borders under dire terrorist desires to do us harm.  I cannot defend allowing people from terrorist states to immigrate here.  I cannot defend allowing commerce to enter our nation with as much as 98% of it going uninspected.  While I'd like to support the president with regard to his war on terrorism, we have at best a very selective partial war on terrorism.  With glaring holes in our terrorist safety net, we none the less have some of the most restrictive and draconian policies geared toward our own citizens.  Why?  If we're not going to go the whole nine yards, why not give our citizens the breaks, not the non-citizens from terrorist states and known terrorists?

I don't think this presidency or our nation is strengthened by silence on these issues.

[CyberAnt]

OMG the democrats are going to have cardiac arrest when they read this. This is most awesome. I bet Rush talks about this tomorrow.

I was channel surfing the other night and caught Tony Blankly and Eleanor Cliff going at it .. she was practically screaming while Tony was trying to talk, and Ed finally had to tell her to be quiet. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen. These democrats are really going off the deep end.

[CyberAnt]

I think you have Jim Robinson confused with DU!

[Ophiucus]

Available soon at Amazon!

Sweet

[Carolinamom]

Mega thanks for this ping!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

In assessing Bush's progress to date, The Boston Globe article quotes Professor Gaddis: "so far the military action in Iraq has produced a modest improvement in American and global economic conditions; an intensified dialogue within the Arab world about political reform; a withdrawal of American forces from Saudi Arabia; and an increasing nervousness on the part of the Syrian and Iranian governments as they contemplated the consequences of being surrounded by American clients or surrogates. The United States has emerged as a more powerful and purposeful actor within the international system than it had been on September 11, 2001."

Excellent assessment.

[Right_in_Virginia]

BTTT

[windchime]

"Great article, thanks. I hope that posters keep this bumped for the morning."

Great find, Kattracks! Happy to oblige on the bump.

[kellynla]

Now if GWB would secure the borders, deport the illegals and eliminate the deficit spending...we just might make a conservative out of him before November 2...

[TexasNative2000]

Thanks for the post. It is another in a long line of "Bush is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers" articles by honest intellects.

[reformedliberal]

What can I tell the kid? I can tell him that there's a war on terror, but that $500 billion isn't just the war on terrorism and the kid knows it.

---

Tell him that we have a Congress and specifically the House, whose job it is to dispose of the proposals made by the POTUS in a budget. Point out that Tom DeLay and a coalition of House conservatives is slashing this budget to the bone. It will be a huge fight and there is no way he can miss it.

Point out that we are winning in Iraq and Afghanistan because GWB will not quit and run, & therefore the supplemental for the military appropriations will be much lower than projected.

DeLay's team has a goal of cutting the deficit to zero in 5 years. I don't know if that can be done. W wants to cut it in half in 5 years. I don't know if that can be done. But the only way we have a chance is to elect conservatives and have a President in office who will sign/veto in favor of less spending. W has promised to veto any increase. Daschle wants to add 18.4% to the gas tax to distribute more tax monies to the States via the Highway Bill.

We got here via liberal incrementalism. We get out of it via conservative incrementalism.

Bush's Medicare and Social Security reforms will privatize these for the younger ones. That will end them as a weapon of choice for the liberals.

And I am glad you will vote for Bush. I don't think you will regret it, but it will be contentious nailbiter of a 2nd term, IMO.

[edwin hubble]

Great Post.

This is big stuff.

It is the answer to the question:

Would we be safer with Saddam in power, Ben Laden in his fortified camps, and the UN dictating terms and conditions of our national security?

(specifically the latter question).

[windchime]

Article puts the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq into perspective.

[alnick]

I want you to reread your last post to me and tell me when it would be okay for a conservative to address issues of a conservative nature.

Well, for starters you could express your criticism about domestic spending on a thread about domestic spending.

[windchime]

Bump!

[hoosiermama]

Thanks for the ping! That a book I'd like to read.

[nuconvert]

Yes it is. But don't tell the rest of the media or Dems that.

[OldFriend]

We must find a way around the leftist america hating media.

Truth as it is written in this book will never be a part of their so called reporting.