Why do they hate President Bush?

[HankReardon]

Seems like a simple question. The people I talk to cannot tell me why they hate him. And I think it is hate, they use words and phrases like "his daddy" and "bushies" in a very demeaning way. Also, some one asked me, why do they hate Bush, I did not know how to answer. I mean, the same people that can unconditionally love a President who tried to fix a U.S. court case against an American citizen are the often the same people who hate Bush. The same people who can for decades excuse a U.S. Senator for vehicle homicide while driving under the influence of alcohol are often the same people that hate Bush. How does President Bush merit this hatred?

[Lunatic Fringe]

One simple word: power.

[So Cal Rocket]

Leftists detest anything that gets in their way of their "ideal Socialist state".

[Puppage]

the same people that can unconditionally love a President who tried to fix a U.S. court case against an American citizen are the often the same people who hate Bush

The tolerance of the left only goes one way.

[HankReardon]

I am wondering more about why the grass roots people hate him, not the ones seeking power.

[FastCoyote]

Part of the definition of hate (versus animosity, or dislike) may well be the unknowing emotion that is involved. Kennedy and Biden and Kerry are all 2020 in hindsight.

[mewzilla]

Intellectual amd moral bankruptcy.

[MrB]

power.

close, but you can put a finer point on it.

The leftists know they've been losing power steadily since 1994, and they saw 2000 as the turnaround point for them.

Since Bush "stole" (their word, not mine) the presidency from them, he has been THE symbol of their continuing loss of power.

Folks, with every loss, they get more desperate and hateful.
Be careful out there after November.

[dirtboy]

Liberals hate traditional American values. Bush stands for those values, and, even worse, acts on those values. Therefore, liberals hate Bush.

[counterpunch]

They hate George Bush because he is a Republican president and they are partisan Democrats.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Intellectual amd moral bankruptcy.

Satan appears in many forms.

[Paradox]

There was a similar hatred of Clinton, but only among the most die hard conservatives (well, some liberals pretty much hated him too). It was pretty evident here on FR, still is to this day (I am not one of the haters however.) As much hatred as I saw for Clinton, I NEVER saw it as "mainstreamed" as the hatred for Bush has become. It comes down to partisanship. "The other side" hates it when your guy wins, and then does "well". They then invent or distort reasons to HATE him. It catches on especially well in groups that are prone to believing in Conspiracies, thus the Left REALLY gets into it.

[Dr. Frank fan]

He has the gall to be a President while having an (R) after his name. Only by having Presidents with a (D) after their name, can we remain on the one true path to utopia.

Isn't it obvious?

[RightWhale]

They don't. They don't like {fill in the blank}, a Republican, in the White House.

[HankReardon]

Some villians are worthy of hate.

[blackdog]

It's what they've been conditioned to do.

[MississippiMan]

I too have been surprised by the vitriolic hatred the left has for Bush, especially considering how liberal he is for a Republican. I mean, it's easy to understand how Clinton was so despised by the right, but this hatred for Bush shocked me. I think we may have entered an era of extreme polarization, where any candidate for the opposing side draws a fervent, often illogical ire. I of course think this tendency to despise will be stronger on the left, since liberalism is essentially based on the backward equation of emotion over intellect.

MM

[A CA Guy]

Bush is a man of Christian faith who is not a reflection of them. When they don't see themselves in power they get all bent. They don't have the podium to push their agenda and that is the core of the issue IMO!

Their (HATE) stems from terrible lack of tolerance they suffer.

[walden]

They hate him because he's a good man. It's just that simple. They like people who are morally lax, because it makes them feel better about themselves.

BTW, they also hated Ronald Reagan.

[RightWhale]

I don't believe most here actually hated Bill Clinton. Some disgust, no doubt. They don't like Hillary's blatant dishonesty at all. Co-president, two for one, what a load.