December 08, 2003

Sidney Blumenthal on Bush: "He was depicted as decisive, in command, somebody who completely grasped and was in synch with the needs of the difficult moment the country faced on September 11. In fact, he is manipulated by his staff, buffeted by the neoconservatives inside his administration, kept from important information, unknowledgeable about so much information, makes decisions on the most simplistic basis, never carries through on his own policies such as the Roadmap to Peace in the Middle East, operates in a closed, small circle, doesn
posted by shotsy 21 years ago
  • Shotsy-- Excellent post! I especially liked Blumenthal's demolition of the right wing's manufactured fallacy that "everyone hates the Clintons..." But it is so damn confusing when everyone starts taking off their black hats (villains) and white hats (saviours) and just wears GREY: Bill took some Centrist positions (just as his model JFK did) and now George is trial-ballooning some more Lefty ones ("Let's think about going back to the moon"). So maybe today's Presidency boils down to a STYLE of GOVERNING (in-the-know, quick to respond, "compassionate", "responsible"), as opposed to the older model of a VIEW towards the PEOPLE (we should help the less fortunate, all should be protected equally under the law, incentivize upward mobility)? And if this is so, it is because when the Righties demonized all Dems, we DIDN'T bite back. Where was Gephardt and the rest of my party when George and Dick et al called us all cowards and commies for asking some basic questions post 9/11? I love Howard Dean. And he has my vote, and my wife's vote, and most of our friends and neighbors will choose him too. But people don't want policy, they want personality, and that is why our current President is not the Father of the Internet but the Son of Bush.
  • Space travel is for lefties?
  • Kennedy's Man in Space program was mostly seen as eccentric pie in the sky until he sold the military and some righteous industrialists the idea of a military moon base application for space travel and as a check on the Cold War. But the way I phrased it was dorky, yes.
  • Is "unknowledgeable" a word now? Hooley dooley, that is pigshit ugly.
  • Your only comment that I would challenge, Dizzy, is to where Clinton stood in the spectrum. I would characterize him as a centrist who made occasional gestures to the left. But of course I view it this way because I am further left than Clinton. That aside, there are many many things I love about Clinton and want him back. Lets strike down the 22nd amendment! I read an interesting article a while back (will try to remember where and bring it into this thread) that challenged my perception of the fundamental nature of Democrats and Republicans. It labels the Republican party as the truly radical party dating back to its inception and the Democrats as essentially peace-makers who came in after the rabble and cobbled together semi-progressive compromises along the way. I think it has been easy to see the radicalism of the right since Nixon's bid for monarchism*, but I had never really thought about it extending so deeply into their history. *Hyperbole! Hyperbole!
  • Shotsy-- You speak true regarding Bill's centrism/v leftism on some issues, although going down a laundry list of such things would probably be more fun to do in e-mail land (gays in military= lefty?...everyone gets to buy a house=centrist...universal health care=?????) than on this thread. Damn right: I'd repeal the 22nd amendment in an FDR minute!
  • Why exactly do you have term limits in America anyway? That has always struck me as odd - almost seems like a lack of faith in the people.
  • dng, I wouldn't call it lack of faith in the people. It's more like acknowledging the inherent weaknesses in people, not just the candidates being voted for, but also those doing the voting. That being said, I'm sure the above posters won't need to repeal the 22nd. After all, they've still got Hillary.
  • George Washington established the two term legacy by stepping aside in the election of 1796. This unofficial rule was respected until Franklin Roosevelt, who was elected four times, but died soon after the 4th victory, leaving Harry Truman in office to finish off the war. In 1951 the 22nd amendment was ratified in order to preserve the 2 term tradition. I don't actually have a problem with two terms, I think it is an appropriate stay on executive powers. And I would vote for Hillary.
  • A lot of people think that Sidney Blumenthal is the blogger Atrios. I have no idea why, but I throw it out there to see if anyone has any ideas why.
  • Space travel is for lefties? But doesn't the earth rotate from left to right? *sigh* I'm so confused.
  • But doesn't the earth rotate from left to right? That all depends on where you're looking at the Earth from...
  • George Washington established the two term legacy by stepping aside in the election of 1796. Which is why he's my favorite president. His walking away from power set an incredibly important example. And he made his own whiskey. What a guy.
  • That all depends on where you're looking at the Earth from... I was thinking about this for a while, then realised that the only way that would work is if you're upside down. To ascertain this, I did a simple experiment with an empty cup of tea, which resulted in the conclusion "Yes, if you don't mind tea dregs being spilt all over your clothes." Expect the cleaner's bill in the post.
  • that would work is if you're upside down That is so earthist
  • Upside down relative to what? Long as you're far enough away not to get sucked into the gravity well orientation is all personal choice. Heh. Replace gravity well with the orifice of your choice. Also also, we get the government we deserve. Apparently a whole hell of a lot of us have guilty consciences. Up next--Pez talks to goddamn much!
  • the only way that would work is if you're upside down It works fine anywhere. It just depends which direction you're facing.
  • Lets strike down the 22nd amendment! It seems every second termer of the past 30 years--Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, and now Bush--has scandal that seems to bubble forth in the most undelightful way in their second term. Granted, much of this is what they did in their first term, but it does make the whole 8 years end on something of a sour note for me. Not sure what the solution is, but I can only imagine nearly half of the electorate growing more despondent and disenfranchised by the end of a third term. And as for Hillary, well, the maneuvering for 2008 has already begun, sigh. Y'know, I think at the very least I need to live outside the States again for awhile. While I was in Indonesia, my American roots came much more in focus.