Letters to the Editor
-
Give the devil his due
Not all of Bush has been bad. Politically none of the dirt seems to have rubbed off on McCain, who enjoys decent support in the polls. It could be that Americans confuse Republicanism with Conservatism. Perhaps a list of the Democrats failings would help. Their greatest failure is clinging to the last generations blue collar voting bloc, and fiscal solutions to the healthcare. Rather than trying to make the system affordable, they prefer to underwrite the costs. (Iraq redux?) Instead of addressing taxes and regulations for the self employed they court labor unions. The Republicans are winning on these issues because the other side doesn't recognize these issues exist.
On the point of Iraq Bush can rest on promise to do it with an all volunteer army, and a compliant Congress who pays the bills.
The Republicans have been running away from Conservatism since Goldwater, Reagan was held in the same disregard as John McCain is now, by core Conservatives. For a long time the Democrats had the market in self-loathing, but the Republicans have passed them by. Bush the globalist, advocate of big government, and fiscal spendthrift, is the object of their love hate relationship.
Reagan proved its all a game. (Schwarzeneggar is his most visible accomplishment). Bush has learned the lesson of Reagan, though possessing none of the emotional range. I look forward to his post White House years, when he reveals how very little he cared about any of the issues he mounted the bully pulpit to assault, including Iraq.
Bush faces a long and difficult rest of his life. The people he offended will file civil actions, and some groups will possibly attempt to prosecute him as a war criminal in another country. How well all that goes, and whether it breaks through the MSM's three monkeys, who neither see, hear or speak evil, about the President, is a question that is left open for the time being. For the moment give the devil his due.