a simple question
 

I asked this in another thread but the discussion moved on before it was answered.

One thing that we don’t understand about Bush is his popularity. Everything he done has been either an obvious action or a mistake. I for one don’t see from where his popularity springs from. And no we don’t think he’s a strong leader.

Secondly (this is a bit off topic and involves Bill O'Reilly) when FOX News announced a proposal to expand into Canada a prominent paper, the globe and mail, ran an editorial predicting that there would not be an audience for the likes of Bill O'Reilly. In response fans of the O'Reilly factor sent in angry letters calling the author of the piece an “intellectual”, a “Canadian”, and asked if he fought in Vietnam”

Wtf. How is intellectual a bad thing, what wrong with being Canadian, and what does Vietnam have to do with anything

I kinda reacted the same way as the responders when I heard about that, but they overreacted. "The likes of Bill O'Reilly." Apparently they didn't hear that his court case was thrown out.

what do you mean "obvious action"? isnt anything anyone does an "action"? and why would it be bad to be obvious?

as for the O'Reilly thing, from what I understand, Canada refused to let his show air on their networks (while allowing Al Jazeera) and so he was kind of mad about that with the whole free speech thing and all. and it sounds like you just heard the angry extremists in the fan reponse. there's always people like that no matter which side you're on.

maybe he wants Bush to be more covert and underhanded?

Bush is popular because people like him. He is a man the people can identify with. He is a rancher from Texas who has a family just like millions of other Americans. He has a wife and two daughters who have been raised very well and how good a job a parent did rasing thier kids can tell a lot about a person.

He is a man of strong conviction. He is a religious man, as is the mainstream of America. I also like him because he shares a lot of my views about many of the important issues of our time, and because he has a great sense of humor. I belive character is extremely important in the man that holds our nation's highest elected office.

yes but how do you define character?



Actually I don’t think he could get more underhanded if he tried.

I’m just saying that when I look at his first term I get the distinct feeling that I would have done better. All the actions he took that I agreed with, Afghanistan for example, where no brainers. and all the actions I didn’t agree with at the time turned out to be gigantic mistakes. like Iraq, supply side economics, his ridiculous style of tax cuts, the specifics of the patriot act, snubbing the UN, and the list goes on. Maybe I just happen to be an undiscovered political genus, but I doubt it.

And on the topic of Mr. no spin I've been reading a few transcripts and he keeps using intellectual as a four letter word. That just confuses the hell out of me. Could someone please explain.

What he meant was that everything Bush did was either a mistake, or something anyone with a quarter of a brain would be forced to do in a similiar situation.

You know, there's a sarcastic quote. Something like, "It's too bad all the people who know how to run the country are too busy driving taxis." A 'rancher from Texas' with a family does not equal an intelligent man with a strong grasp of economic, diplomatic, and social principles. In fact, Bush is a pretty good example as to WHY the two things aren't equal.

So does his raising them to be alcoholic prove something, then? But then again they're better off than daddy was at their age.

A strong conviction towards hypocrisy. http://www.progress.org/archive/drc12.htm Voting to increase penalties against drug users even while he himself has been accused, admitted to, and then changed his story towards cocaine abuse?

Yes, but is the mainstream of America Methodist? How about the Jews, the other sects of Christianity, the Buddhists? He's religious and trying to legislate things on with no basis other than his religion. That's what we like to call 'bad'. Kind of like I'm sure you'd call it bad if a Jewish president tried to create an amendment outlawing pork of any kind.

And I'm going to leave it at that.

I like how the thread title says "a simple question", but the leading post features two questions, and neither of them are simple.

Edit: actually its three questions, but I was just going to assume the "intellectual/vietnam war" one was rhetorical.

Edit of on-topicness: Bush's popularity stems from two things, primarily..... an image of "down-to-earth-ness"(for lack of a better term), and a seething dislike for the other candidate. For the former, it has to be mentioned that it is calculated to a freaking t... trust me, the man CAN pronounce nuclear correctly. As for the latter, it applies all over the board towards both candidates.

"he looks good" and "people hate kerry"?

how about, you know, some peopel like his policies? *gasp* noo wayyy!

Seriously, if you think everything he did was a mistake, of course you don't understand why people like him. Those things you call "mistakes" are, you know, supported by some people. Like i support the war in Iraq.

Why are you acting confused because people disagree with you?

Well, the old "people like his decisions" thing is a given. Guess I shoulda stated that. I just figured RJ was looking for more subtle reasons.

For the record, I voted for Bush because I hate Kerry. And its brutally obvious that many people voted voted for Kerry because they hate Bush.