Why is George W Bush considered a "great" president by some people?

[kentuck]

And some say that he is the "greatest" president - and I'm not talking about Stephen Colbert. There are actually folks that believe he is the greatest president of all time! Greater than Washington. Greater than Lincoln. Greater than FDR. Greater than Jefferson. How do you explain that?

Is it because of his great prowess as a Commander in Chief? Well, we haven't been attacked since 9/11. Of course, do we need to remind you of who was in charge on 9/11? Or is it because he has given the greatest taxcuts to the wealthiest 1% ? Or is it because he has run up the greatest debt in the history of the nation? What criteria do they use to judge his "greatness"? Could someone answer that?

[RagAss]

1. because they shit their pants after 911...and needed a Daddy....

[Mind_your_head]

16. Remember that the "Y2K" scare came before 9/11 , ....that 'prepared'

everyone to what was to come. (i.e., electrical grids will go down....one must 'prepare' (my brother was on contract for a manufactring company that 'still' had their records on index cards.....parts numbers, clients. This company 'bought' the computerized crapola system that my bro's company was selling....BUT, they were already Y2K compliant 100% b/c they were a 'manual system'......$50 million later.....they're not any better off

[RagingInMiami]

2. If anybody said that to me

I would punch them right in the fucking face. I swear.

[smokey nj]

18. You get my vote for greatest response ever!!!!!!

:yourock: :applause:

[silverojo]

19. It's got my vote, too! n/t

[jobycom]

21. I dunno

That might almost seem like a logical argument to them. Might want to kick them in the nuts, too, just to be sure they get the message.

[RagingInMiami]

24. I'm a liberal

I never hit below the belt unless my life depends on it. That's a republican trait.

[jobycom]

28. You could always

pull their pants down first, so their belt is a bit lower. :shrug:

Maybe you're right. Republicanism is more a mental illness than an ideology, and it's wrong to hold mental illness against someone.

[NuttyFluffers]

31. it IS always better to give than receive...

in fact, charity is a moral virtue. i'm sure they can be talked into the righteousness of this. oh, and i hear they're supposed to turn the other cheek as well; all the better to plant a swift parting kick to the ass. we should think of it as *giving* their memory a gentle jogging.

[opihimoimoi]

32. Collective Delusion

[ginnyinWI]

3. It's a Cult.

There is no reasoning these people out of their adoration. Need to be deprogrammed! :rofl:

[jobycom]

23. That's exactly right.

They are a cult. They have been programmed into believing that Bush is beyond question and above reproach, practically a divinity. If anything challenges that view, it is immediately dismissed as being impossible. Divinities don't make mistakes, so the information is wrong, or the mistake is someone else's. And only they know the real story. Everyone who disagrees with them is part of the enemy, not to be trusted. If you agree, you are a part of the chosen cult, if you disagree, you are an enemy to truth.

It's exactly a cult. Some people use the term "Koolaid drinker" around here without remembering where it came from. It's a reference to the Jim Jones mass suicide, where his followers drank poisoned Koolaid when he told them to, because they had been programmed to believe Jim Jones was the only truth in their world. Those in the middle and the end of the line could already see that people were dying from the drink, but they kept right on drinking.

[Norquist Nemesis]

41. Nailed it! And this is constantly reinforced by hate-radio

and Faux. I don't listen/watch the religion stations but I'd lay odds they help reinforce as well.

[mwb970]

38. They are "authoritarian" types

with a strong inclination to submit to authority. Read John Dean's book - it's out today.

The most amazing thing about the current mess America is in is the juxtaposition of Bush's virtually perfect record of failure in every area with the unquestioning adoration he receives from the Bushbots and their radio mouthpieces. It represents an absolute, categorical denial of the plain reality that is right in front of their eyes.

The human mind is an amazing thing.

[ginnyinWI]

67. I'm going to read it, for sure.

This is a fascinating subject. The authoritarian personalities get that way through a rigid upbringing, if I remember correctly from my old Psych books.

I had an uncle who was like this: very much dominated by his father his whole life, and then when his dad (my grandfather) finally died at the age of 93, he became a rabid flag-waver and would write long patriotic rants to the local newspaper. This was in the 90s pre-Bush era,and he died in 1991, but I'm sure if he were alive today he'd be a Bushbot to the max.

[Bjornsdotter]

4. Well

It's either a high lead count in the drinking water or inbreeding...I can't decide.

Seriously, not a clue :shrug:

Cheers

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. He sent $300 checks to everybody after 9/11.

And he hates queers and isn't afraid to say so.

[Catherine Vincent]

6. You can't explain it.

Some cspan callers says he's the greatest president. I think they're just saying that because they know deep down he's a miserable failure.

[movonne]

7. Because he is a good, religious man...

[SensibleAmerican]

8. 9/11 and the War on Terror

They think Bush is visionary.

However, 34% of Americans think he's the worst President for exactly those same reasons.

[jaxx]

9. They like yellow kool-aid.

[lpbk2713]

10. I would keep my distance from such people.

And don't let them get near any sharp objects.

[skipos]

11. I know many rightwingers and NONE of them think he is even good

let alone great.

Why do some people think he is great? For the same reason "Cool As Ice" made a couple of million dollars at the box office. No matter how bad something sucks, there are a lot of idiots out there who will like it.

[quiet.american]

12. Because some people can't get enough of all hat, no cattle?

Actually, the best explanation I've ever seen for this goes along these lines --

George W. Bush provides cover for the worst in people. He gets away with, and celebrates, being greedy, a bully, self-centered, callous, lazy, a jerk, a criminal, a bigot and all else. People love it that he's as sick as they are and that he gets away with it.

The others who love him are just as incurious and disengaged as he is. I'll always remember someone posting about a Bush-loving woman who, in shock, (after Shock & Awe) said, "Are they really killing children over there?" You've got to be dumb as a rock to have had no clue.

Anyway, that's one theory.

[TygrBright]

13. It's because their preachers have told them he's a "good Christian man"...

...who will defend their families from the evil Godless libruls, the gays trying to recruit their children, and the brown heathens who blow up buildings. And he's doing all this in the face of a Satanic opposition from the all-powerful conspiracy that includes the Librul Media, Librul Academia, and Librul Hollywood.

God bless him. He's doing that. For you and your little white childern and all the innercent unborn fetuses.

How can you say he's not the greatest ever?

sadly,
Bright

[CoffeeCat]

14. Some in America think Junior is "the greatest"...

...and some people in America attend churches, where people speak in tongues and writhe on the floor because they're filled with the Holy Spirit.

...and some people eat fried pork rinds and Velveeta dip while they watch NASCAR.

...and some people Bedazzle flags on their denim halter tops.

...and some people haven't seen a dentist in 3 decades.

..and some people will invite you over for a housewarming party--but require you to help them take the wheels off of their home, before you can help yourself to the baloney roll ups.

...and some people ARE TOTAL IDIOTS!

This country---however wonderful, beautiful and amazing it is---is always comprised of 20 percent nimrods. Unfortunately, most of these nimrods vote. When you hear that Junior is "the greatest" you are surely talking with one of these nimrods.

BTW--I have many Republican friends. I don't know ANYONE who approves of Junior's administration from hell, anymore. Anyone who today says that freak boy is "the greatest pResident" should be tagged and studied!

[tnlefty]

50. LOL!! "tagged and studied". I love it, do you mind if I repeat it?

Unfortunately, I still encounter large numbers who would fall into the "tag and study" group.

[conflictgirl]

15. For the same reason some people deny the Holocaust ever happened

In other words, they don't view reality in the same way that sane, clear-eyed people do.

I'm convinced that a lot of it comes down to two things: religion and 9/11. Many people are beyond thrilled that "finally" we have a president who doesn't care about the separation of church and state and talks like a preacher. The people in the other camp are still so traumatized by 9/11 that they don't want to ask questions about why it happened or whether or not our government dealt with it in the right way. All that matters to them is that Bush was president and, like a daddy figure, he told them everything would be okay as long as we went after the bad guys. :eyes:

[Mind_your_head]

22. I was never so scared in my life as I was on 9/11

I wasn't "there"...in fact, I'd only been to NYC once in my life. But I was SCARED AS HELL, b/c "everything HAD changed"....everything that I thought was "good, right, and true" was all upside-down. My government wasn't working in 'my/the general population's behalf. No, it was a cancer that was working to advance it's own narrow interests.


BUT...
Remember what life was like before Y2K. Remember what life was like before 9/11. It wasn't very long ago. Compare & contrast. Keep 'the good stuff' and throw the rest away.

M_Y_H

[smokey nj]

26. What scared me most on 9/11 was that Bush WAS.........

the President. That day, my husband and I had a discussion about people we wished were President, because we had absolutely no confidence in his abilities.

[Mind_your_head]

30. Your instincts were correct....

Bush....gets the 'no confidence' vote!!!

Here, here, aye! I 'second' and 'third' that.....

[bdamomma]

44. bush is just a puppet for cheney and rumsfeld

they are using bush for their own agenda, and bush is using his so called "base" to see his agenda go further, for his sick religious reasons. It is a cult, but again we are the only ones to stop this insanity. my rant.

[Erika]

17. He's the authoritarian security blanky for the weak minded

They loved his John Wayne attitude. John Dean said it right.

[radwriter0555]

20. A lot of people thought HITLER was great too. They're empty words

that are part and parcel of the web of lies that comprise this corrupt and criminal regime.

[blues90]

25. Thing is you can say anything

but it does'nt have to be true , this much bush has proven .

[chookie]

27. Social pathology

The most recent person to discuss this (although TahitiNut and I have been writing about this for years) is John Dean, and he has written a book which deals with the social pathology of authoritarianism. Important stuff. Black and white world, intolerance of anyone who differs from them in any degree, absolute allegiance to a supposed infallible leader, paranoia, and motivated towards judgementalism and vengence.

Another aspect: there has been an underground movement that has been demanding all out war for decades. They have never gotten over the fact that the US did not annihilate China, or Russia, or Cuba, or Viet Nam, Korea, et al. In George W, they think they have their man who will give them their fondest with. They glorify war. They WANT war. And, by golly, they'll do ANYTHING to get war.

Re FDR: there are folk that NEVER forgave him for creating social programs to aid the impoverished and most vulnerable ("GODLESS COMMUNISM!"). Same folk who never forgave the Kennedys for making them sit next to "negroes." Latter presidents are not forgiven by empowering women and sticking them in the work place, where supposedly incompetent bitches steal the bread off higher performing males, who are "an endangered species."

So let's get personal: My Story of A Close Encounter with Bush Madness: I have sometimes posted of my conversations with a close friend of mine who has gone to the Dark Side. Yes, he believes George W is the greatest president of all times. The main reason is his supposed standing up to America's enemies, when supposedly prior presidents coddled them. His definition of "America's enemies" does not stop at the usual suspects, but includes a lot of people stateside -- like the liberal media and Democrats (Joe Lieberman excepted -- he is forgiven for running with Al Gore in 2000!). That's the usual bullshit, but he kinda threw me for a loop when, with tears in his eyes, he said that George W did more to advance science than any world leader in history . When I asked him what he thought of George W's efforts to bring religion back into politics, and efforts to outlaw stem cell reseach, he said that was a lie planted by the liberal media. When I asked him about the recent high profile cases involving the teaching of evolution in schools, and George W's statement that all theories should be taught, and students choose for themselves -- even though he is a professional in a field that has as its central organizing principle the theory of evolution, he'll say stuff like -- it's not Bush that is doing this stuff -- it's the Democrats (:wtf:). When I replied that I had quoted George W exactly, he insisted I had gotten it wrong because I take the liberal media at its word, when it really is an anti-American infiltration by our enemies. All of this is kinda strange, as this guy is not your wealthy white-shirt-wearing conformist Judeo-Christian -- in a lot of ways, um, in most ways, he's kinda way out there -- but he simply does not perceive that folks like him are not welcome in the Republican party, even though they are most welcome to VOTE Republican against their own interests.

Three things at work in my friend, IMHO: #1 -- he is a Viet Nam vet, who has always felt persecuted as such. #2: simple pathology: he did not get batshit nutty until after he had a stroke. #3 Sept 11 sent him waaaaaaay over the edge, to the point of no return - a crisis like that is often at work in converting susceptible persons to authoritarianism. George W, Dick CHeney, Rumsfeld, Coulter, et al are people he admires unconditionally. Talking to him these last few years has been, um, interesting -- in spite of all this madness, and the wide gulf between our world views, I have tried to keep our friendship alive by saying things like, ties of family and friendship are more important than political differences, and if we, as old friends, cannot hold together, it bodes very ill for our nation.

Another theory: authoritarian types are MEAN! While certain opportunities to out of control ideological beating up fellow humans still exist among liberals, there are far more opportunities, and a broader base of support for one's personal pathology, among NeoConservatives.

[NuttyFluffers]

35. interesting, and sad, story

but it teaches a valuable lesson: when people lose their minds like this it is best to become their God than their friend. they are suffering from pathology, but the only way to save them from such is to indulge their pathos to the logical and extreme conclusion. and the best way to do this is to become their new object of salvation, instead of allowing their weak mind to become the tool of another evil/person. besides, i can always use another slave to build my pyramids. :evilgrin: eventually things will reach a head where they'll either succumb and fracture, or they'll come to their senses. it is best that the good friend does this exploitative evil than a foreign exploitative evil; better the devil you know, right? ;) a little cruel to be kind, in the right measure, so to speak.

sadly, just about all of my friends are right in the head, so they cannot allow me to indulge in illusions of grandeur... so, regretably, we are just on the foundation level of my pyramids. but someday soon i aspire to get the project up and running full force -- i even have the whips and manacles and everything! :evilgrin:

[ginnyinWI]

69. thanks for telling us the story of your friend.

It's very sad. The shadow of Vietnam still lingers. It is absolutely evil the way people in this administration prey on people like this guy--it's criminal. I know stuff like this has gone on for ages, throughout human history, but it's still heartbreaking to be living through such times.

[walldude]

29. It's actually pretty simple. Fucked up priorities.

Greed, apathy, and ignorance are their values. They thrive on destruction. Tearing things down. Dismantle, deconstruct, deforest and bomb back to the stone age. We, on the other hand, thrive on creativity, art, music, theater, babies(my personal favorite).

[Initech]

33. Two words: blind faith

Blind faith is the scariest thing ever. It's a danger to this country. Look at those freaks who joined "God's Army". Look at the people who not only watch, but send money to the 700 Club. Look at the people declaring that they need to take back America for Christ. Or the members of the American Family Association.

The people screaming about religion and Bush are dangerous. They're using the credo of suicide bombers.

[Contrary1]

34. Someone actually posted in another forum I frequent

that Reagan was the "greatest" president ever with Bush I and Idiot II running a close second.
No way to reply to these folks...they are too far gone.

[6000eliot]

36. Because deep down they know he isn't.

I think they're trying to convince themselves.

[Historic NY]

37. Because they bought him like a buying a car or appliance....

the GOP sold him to America in other words brainwashed a whole lot of people. He got the religious holy rollers by saying he was born again.....humm...why don't he go take a bath now. He then latched onto daddy's & St. Ronnie's men to show him how to act.

But basically its because he didn't get a BJ. :sarcasm:

[flordehinojos]

39. this may be part of your answer,

it is an excerpt from john dean's new book entitled. How Conservatives Have Become Authoritarian and What It Means.

Conservatism has noticeably evolved from its so-called modern phase (1950‐94) into what might be called a postmodern period (1994 to the present), and in doing so it has regressed to its earliest authoritarian roots. Authoritarianism is not well understood and seldom discussed in the context of American government and politics, yet it now constitutes the prevailing thinking and behavior among conservatives. Regrettably, empirical studies reveal, however, that authoritarians are frequently enemies of freedom, antidemocratic, antiequality, highly prejudiced, mean-spirited, power hungry, Machiavellian, and amoral. They are also often conservatives without conscience who are capable of plunging this nation into disasters the likes of which we have never known.



(you may read more, here: http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_john_dea_060710_how_conservatives_ha.htm


(also, if you access to his interview by Keith Olberman in the program yesterday (7/10) you might find some more answers there.

[Norquist Nemesis]

43. When I read that paragraph the first person I thought of

was Tom DeLay. Fits him to a tee.

[flordehinojos]

70. it seems to also describe people like

SENSENBRENNER, NEWTY GINGRICH, THE DIAZ-BALART BROTHERS, ILEANA ROS-LEHTINENEN, ORRIN HATCH, ARLEN SPECTER AND soooooooooo maaaaaany others, not to mention, of course, the bushes all!

[nosillies]

40. Some people are just flat-out too stubborn to admit their mistakes.

So they'll instead go overboard defending and enabling their mistakes. It's like Britney Spears not divorcing that dumbass husband of hers.

[earth mom]

42. Only the delusional think so.

And they scare me! :scared:

And they tick me off! :grr:

[napi21]

45. Simple! He's NOT Bill Clinton!!!!

They HATED Bill sooo much, anyone with an "R" behind their name would be considered GREAT in their opinions!

[Strawman]

46. This administration is an authoritarian's wet dream.

That's why they love him. They're part of that 23% John Dean talks about in his new book. Excellent post on that here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2717461&mesg_id=2717676

[lectrobyte]

47. We haven't been attacked? What about the anthrax letters?

How anyone could categorize Bush as great is beyond me. I take that back, if you own a lot of Halliburton or Exxon-Mobil stock, then he probably is doing just great if you go by portfolio value. The rest of us think he sucks donkey balls.

[MurrayDelph]

48. "The big lie"

as Jon Stewart once said "They say it a lot, so it must be true"

[genie_weenie]

49. Here'a a simple and an absurd response

Simple: War. When someone takes the Nation to war it always energizes people, in an abstract way. People like to hear "we are getting the evil doers" as long as they need not experince the actual horrors, depression, sorrow caused by the war. It's very Nietchzeian.

Absurd: W is the GREATEST because he received more popular votes than Washington, Adams, Jefferson, MAdison, Monroe combined! QED He must be the greatest.

[flaminbats]

54. lol..so did Goldwater, Mondale, and McGovern

each received more popular votes than Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe combined. :wow:

Some people think Bush is the greatest President for the same reasons they think a huge sales tax would be great, for the same reasons they think waging war on terrorism is a solution, and for the same reasons they think banning stem cell research is prolife.

They'll never understand the law of cause and effect.

[genie_weenie]

57. WHAT?!?!? Those Commiepinkoliberals!

Hurry must get those election results to the memory hole... American people must only remember Nixon, Reagan and Bush.

Dictators err... Presidents who became Great Americans by killing people...

Onward American Soldier!

And now I turn to the greatest sage of the 20th century, no it's not Carlos Castenada... It's Yoda.

War not make one great."

[HughBeaumont]

51. I call it low IQ.

Anyone who voted for that fucking doorknob even once needs to be booted in the ass and biffed upside the head. I'm not accommodating in this regard.

I mean COME ON!! He's a BUSH. What's the damned mystery here? Did anyone HONESTLY think that under his boot, things would be hunky dory, they'd get a raise, they'd pay less taxes and we'd have peace and prosperity? Shit. He lies, he cheats, he steals, he invades innocent countries, he leaves a trail of shit and failure in his wake and rich people benefit hand over fist all the way. That's what they DO. This is what ALL of their family has done since they were shat onto this Earth by whatever beast bathes in the abyss.

I call it people sharing the same brain. Bad news, all around.

[kentuck]

52. I like your response..

:)

[HughBeaumont]

59. Just PUNT 'em, man!

[Beelzebud]

53. Some people are just stuck on stupid.

[LWolf]

55. I've never heard him referred to in that way

other than on call in radio programs. I live in a red area, with a lot of Bush voters, and I've never heard ANY of them ever say he was a "great" president.

[lectrobyte]

56. They did something to improve Reagan's image, too. In 1988, he

was best noted for "trees causing pollution", "ketchup is a vegetable", and vaguely scandalized by Iran-Contra. Ten years later he's a saint, shitting vanilla ice cream or something.

[Vinca]

58. Anyone who thinks Bush is the greatest president ever has

picked their nose so long and deep, their finger has embedded in their shrunken brains.

[cascadiance]

60. It's because he pisses off liberals more than any other pol has!

And that is the measuring stick that folks like Limpbaugh have brainwashed them into thinking is the most important merit to look for when voting for folks. Liberal is "the most evil thing", and anyone who can piss them off is doing something right! They don't care about details. They like others to tell them how to think and feel.

That's a constant rationalization I hear when even Republicans don't like some of the things that they don't like. They say that well, he's certainly better than the "disaster we would have had" with a "liberal like Gore or Kerry" winning the presidency.

I'm hoping that this mentality isn't a majority of us folks in this country, or we're really f'd! You can't rationally discuss how the future of this country is going down the tubes with such a mentality. But it is significant enough to get this bastard the votes he gets. I'm just hoping that there's enough of those on the right that think outside the "liberal epithet" meme that has been conditioned into so many of them for so long!

[kentuck]

65. I think this is a big part of it..

Screw the country so long as he screws the liberals and keeps them pissed off. That's the way I think a lot of them think?

[porphyrian]

61. Most people are fucking stupid. - n/t

[Swamp Rat]

62. lobotomized zombies

[flaminbats]

68. yikes..you even have this flying rat shakin! n/t

:scared:

[ComerPerro]

63. Because, just like members of the Reagan cult, they go way over the top

in order to make what they believe at least seem true.

After all, if so many people think he is so great, then he must be great.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

64. The same reason a lot of people thought that Hitler was a great leader.

Flag-waving, mindless, nationalisim and a host of supposed threats from bogeymen.

�The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.� H.L. Mencken

[KansDem]

66. Apparently, 23% of us are "some people"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2717461

[FUGW]

71. Thank God for John Dean, I no longer ask that question.

I am longer trying to understand these Anti-American Half Witt's, I am going to help stop them. I am going to volunteer to work for who ever is running against Congressman Peter King here in N.Y. and right now I don't even know who that is. These people can't be reasoned with they just must be stopped and with the info Dean has given us I feel I can help. King is calling for the prosecution of the N.Y. Times which in my book is an assault on the freedom of the press.