Did Bush Destroy The Republican Party?

Captain's Quarters ^ | Jan. 25, 2008 | Ed Morrissey

[RockinRight]

No, we all did.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1959452/posts

[Brilliant]

Very nearly. Of course, his chief opponent in 2000 was McCain, and he would most definitely have destroyed it completely.

[Huck]

Don’t sell the Republican Congress short, Peggy.

[Thunder Pig]

I think it may be a nation-wide thing.

The local GOP chieftains here seem pretty intent on destroying the party, and cozying up to the lefties and pauleroids as much as possible...and most of the rank and file don’t seem to care.

[Agent Smith]

Peggy is exactly correct.

Bush43 makes John McCain look like Ronald Reagan. Aside from two good SC Judges, Jorge's seven years in office have been a DISASTER for the GOP.

[maica]

Peggy Noonan turned against Bush on the day of his second Inaugural, and she has been irrational in her comdemnation of him ever since.

[jdm]

Really? I didn’t sense that.

[ishabibble]

Truly incisive analysis.

[absolootezer0]

not any more than george 1 did.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Noonan is right on target with this. At least that’s the way it looks to me. Bush has been running on a deficit of political capital for a long time. He just can’t see it. He is a nice guy but he’s a divider, not a uniter.

[dinoparty]

Republicans are simply a victim of their own successes from 1980 through 2004. Everybody loves a “revolution” but people tire of “same old, same old”, even if it is correct.

[turducken]

Quite simply - yes - GW Bush largely destroyed both the Republican party and American conservatism.

[Scarchin]

Reading articles like this and a lot of the posts on this site in recent weeks, I think that folks need to look up the terms “hyperbole,” “Chicken Little,” and “gloom and doom.”

Sheesh!

We’re doomed, Gulliver! Doooooooomed!

[BallyBill]

It just seems like a short time ago everyone was asking if Howard Dean destroyed the Democrat Party.

May as well blame Bush, he doesn't believe in fighting back on worthless attacks.

[Clemenza]

Judges and tax cuts. We would have had a deeprecession in the early-mid part of the decade had it not been for the tax cuts.

As far as the WOT is concerned, he erred greatly in listening to the NeoCon intellectual mafia at first (who are largely Rudy people, btw) rather than the Generals. This led to severe errors in execution of the Iraq war.

[Just mythoughts]

Peggy Noonan turned against Bush on the day of his second Inaugural, and she has been irrational in her comdemnation of him ever since.

Totally agree. Totally amazing how President Bush met the majority of the liberals demands and they are still foaming at the mouth mad at him.

[Clemenza]

Judges and tax cuts. We would have had a deep recession in the early-mid part of the decade had it not been for the tax cuts.

As far as the WOT is concerned, he erred greatly in listening to the NeoCon intellectual mafia at first (who are largely Rudy people, btw) rather than the Generals. This led to severe errors in execution of the Iraq war.

[Antoninus]

Peggy's right. His second term has been a disaster. His idioitic position on illegal immigration cost us the Congress in 2006. And his inability to name a viable VP as heir apparent has resulted free-for-all mess of a campaign we see now.

Add to this his inexplicable decision to leave Clintonoids in the State and Justice Departments, CIA and the Pentagon.

Bush gets a solid D in my book, downgradable to a D- if Alito and/or Roberts rule the wrong way in the DC gun control case, and an F if Iraq regresses.

[PGalt]

Another great article by Ed Morrissey! Thanks for posting.