I've read so many threads about people being devastated by Bush's reelection and all of the horrible things that will happen as a result. I'm curious to know if anything can be done to make people feel more confident in the next 4 years.

What if the Iraq situation all of a sudden takes a dramatic turn after the Iraqi elections? What if the Iraqi's are so excited about having their first free elections they manage to take their Country back themselves and we are able to get other Countries in for peacekeeping and we reduce our troops to a very small number. Would that help you be more tolerant of Bush?

If the deficit is cut in half during the course of his term and you see rapid progress in this area annually, will that help?

Would you be happy if the Patriot Act was modified?


What will it take for you to stop living in panic mode that Bush is our President and start thinking, 'this might not be such a bad term after all'?

After 9/11 Bush's approval rating was at a historic level. What would need to happen to make YOU feel better about being an American?

Jemison

Less reclusiveness.
Less arrogance.
More of a feeling that he owes the people an explanation, and not scorn.
More press conferences, and less hiding.
Only hiding stuff related to national security, and not have private meetings while drafting our energy policy.
Stop massacring our environment.
Stop telling us you have a "mandate."

You want more?

You want more?

Bottom line, if Bush did everything on your list, would you accept him? Or would you refuse to accept him because you disagree with the way he handled his first term?

Jemison

Well check this out...

I supported him in 2000...I used to consider myself Republican, until the Neo-cons took over, then I became independent and supported Dean (who's not really left wing) and then went with Kerry (who really wasn't so leftie either, but whatever)...anyways...

Bush was not what I expected...I was with him all the way up until the Iraq talk started. I knew it was BS to begin with (the WMD thing), and I always said so, and everyone told me I was wrong...well?

I don't like Cheney's style of governing: appearing from hiding to threaten the public, then retreating to his cave.

What I really don't like about Bush is his friends (his cabinet, etc.)...

But to answer your question, would anything change that?

I don't know anymore, I really don't. He had me at the beginning, and he totally had me after 9/11, he had me during Afghanistan...then he lost me. I've seen Bush exposed, and I don't think I can forget it all, so maybe I wouldn't totally like him, but I wouldn't be so disenchanted with him if he started acting nicer.

There's a slim chance, but would Bush even try?

Thanks for bringing me back to reality...I almost felt like forgiving him kinda...

DAMNIT....I need to stay tough.

Sometimes a part of me wants to be nice, it's the part of me that loves animals.

Then there's the other part of me that wants to behead Ann Coulter.

There's a slim chance, but would Bush even try?

I think he will. Bush is very well aware of the fact that what he does in the next four years will determine his place in history. He will either be forever known as the worst President or one of the best Presidents.

Bush keeps reminding us that he went to Washington to get things done. I think he will work hard to clean up all of the messes before his second term is up ... if he doesn't he will undoubtedly be known as the worst President ever.

Maybe I'm just being overly optimistic, but I believe he will do whatever it takes to be remembered as one of the best Presidents our Country has ever had.

Jemison

So twitchy, what your saying is...He's a turd?

I am going to have to agree with both twitchy and cstyle226 on this. They all are turds but the way I see it everyone can redeem themselves. Not with words but with actions. I would also becouse of history not trust his intentions of why he would want to redeem himself. Knowing how he/they are, they only look out for thier circle. So more than likely they probably would have a personel agenda for doing it.

This is not to say though that they cannot earn my trust. Like I said it would be all in the actions they take. But to truly know they actually have to do it. Becouse I really do not know what I would do.

Im sorry Jemison, but after the last four years, it will be hard for him to redeem his self to everyone who didnt vote for him. I didnt want him in office in the first place, and I dont want him there now. This president is the only president I can remember that actually scares me. I have laughted at other presidents, even thought a few were complete id10ts. But Bush flat out scares me with his willingness to invade a country without real provocation. Mark my words on this one my friend. Iran is next. Wether we do it ourselves or we have Isreal initiate it and then we jump into the fray. Its going to happen because Iran doesnt suit him. It doesnt agree with him, but he wont consider our opinions on this when making his decesion.

Do your homework, then you tell me how to redeem that turd?

Sorry but reading sites like bushlies.com is not exactly doing my homework.

But you answered my question. I wanted to know if people would be less disgruntled if Bush came through and cleaned up messes and improved situations. Obviously there are some people that will detest Bush no matter what.

Jemison

Presidents are not judged on on a 1 term basis, meaning that Bush, like others before him, have both of his terms judged together. One cannot say "although he did a crappy job the last 4 years I will wipe the slate clean now". The fact is he did what he did, and that cannot be erased from history.

Now, with that being said, I would be fully support Bush if he corrected his wrongs that he made during his last 4 years. However, from what I have seen during his campaign its going to be more of the same...ie anti-gay, anti-abortion, pushing the Patriot Act (among other things), which I do not agree with him on. Therefore, I see the next 4 years as more of the same administration that we have put up with for the past 4 years. At this time I am willing to put aside some of my differences and give Bush the benefit of the doubt until I see otherwise. I have a feeling, though, that I will be seeing the "otherwise" very soon!

I truely hope I am wrong and that somehow Bush & Co. get stricken with morality, but I highly doubt it!

But Bush flat out scares me with his willingness to invade a country without real provocation. Mark my words on this one my friend. Iran is next. Wether we do it ourselves or we have Isreal initiate it and then we jump into the fray. Its going to happen because Iran doesnt suit him. It doesnt agree with him, but he wont consider our opinions on this when making his decesion.

I can understand where you are coming from, that IS worrisome but it isn't written in stone ... yet.

What if Bush does NOT go into Iran and lets Israel handle it themselves? What if Bush opted to let the UN deal with Iran and said that until we clean up Iraq and Afghanistan we will let others deal with the problems?

I hope that we do not have another 9/11, but if we did, I wonder if Bush's approval rating would shoot back up to what it was right after 9/11 or if it would actually decrease because people would fear that it would mean it was justification for another situation like Iraq.

Jemison

Even if there was NO Iraq war, this man doesnt deserve respect since the arrogance and the taking of the White House in 2000. It was sort of a coup d'etat and his henchmen's arrogance dont help him any.
The vives coming from this administration are extremely bad and negative.
since day one. The secrecy, the "we'll do whatever we please" attitude they have is comparable to a dictatorship since day one too.
The name "Bush" in power is synonimous with WAR.
No- there isnt much he can do to make things right. Evita Peron, he aint.

The vives coming from this administration are extremely bad and negative. The secrecy, the "we'll do whatever we please" attitude they have is comparable to a dictatorship since day one too.

Can you refresh my memory. Which secrets pre 9/11 are you referring to? I'm not saying there weren't any, I just don't remember anyone complaining about secrecy issues until after 9/11.

I'm kind of on the fence when it comes to secrecy surrounding 9/11. I'm one of those people who believes that it was A.Q. that hit us, not our Government, and though I would like additional details about the attack I also understand that if certain things are publicized it might reveal how we get our intelligence and could put lives in jeopardy.

Jemison

Not until Mr Bush redeems himself in the rest of the world's eyes. I do not like this planet America attitude.
also....
I do not feel comfortable with the way he incorporates religion in politics. This has often proved deadly.
(Am I the only one creeped out by the fact our leader believes in the End Time??)

Mr Bush seems to be regressing America at godspeed, and it is not the way of human evolution to do so. We are losing rights not gaining them. This scares some of us.

I am sorry, Jemison, but this approval rating never stayed too high in my city, or that where my family lives. Both were 911's targets (Manhattan and DC)...In this past election these cities were highest for Kerry, too.
There is a big difference in (longer-term) approval when it comes from those who see the wreckage on tv, than there is from those, like myself, who had our streets barracaded for a long time.
Any president would have a raised approval rating through such a national tragedy, but how many of us actually think he handled it especially well?? I don't know any in my neck of the woods. We are constantly reminded that we need someone who knows how to wage a war on terror intelligently.

The way Bush has handled the "war on terror" is deplorable. Iraq??? I think this is when so many started viewing Bush as not only a moron, but a dangerous one.
I am not saying that Saddam should have been left to trapse through the meadows with the happy little bunnies, but Bush went about Iraq like a blindfolded goon. Not to mention, when our president speaks of "spreading freedom" I understand the rest of the world's reaction. It does sound as though freedom's just another word for "LiebensRaum"

It would probably take a whole lot to change my mind....I sure hope he does something to at the very least, IMPROVE the way I, and so many others, domestically and internationally, view him.



[edit on 6-11-2004 by duh squared]

Any president would have a raised approval rating through such a national tragedy, but how many of us actually think he handled it especially well?? I don't know any in my neck of the woods. We are constantly reminded that we need someone who knows how to wage a war on terror intelligently.

I think that most people (or most non-conspiracy believing people) were pleased with how Bush handled the aftermath of 9/11 until Iraq. It all went downhill from there.

Jemison

Originally posted by Jemison


Bottom line, if Bush did everything on your list, would you accept him? Or would you refuse to accept him because you disagree with the way he handled his first term?

Jemison

There is NOTHING that man can do to redeem himself in my eyes, ever. It has little to do with the way he handled his first term, but the way he has handled everything that has been GIVEN to him throughout his life....

The man is nothing more than a spoiled rich kid that has done nothing but ride the coat-tails of others to his current place in exsistance. In order for one to redeem themselves, one must first have at least some redeemable qualities, this man has not a single one....

[edit on 6-11-2004 by thethrall_nb]

By the statment in this thread I would think that the USA is at a crossroads in its history. I really see this country pushing towards two TOTALY different sides of the board.

What is worse is that you people hold huge, enormous, grudges towards the very people that are the leaders of you country... Almost like you are starting the push toward internal fighting in the USA, and eventually maybe even civil war.

Do you guys that are making these negitive comments toward Bush feel like you would stand up against him and his gouvernment if you had the backing or means to do so??? If so you need to ask yourself why you "want" to live in that type of country, or if this topic is just something that you need to vent about verbally and not feel the need to take action.

... I just find it really scary from an outsider looking in on the USA and seeing the huge amount of shear hate for the leaders of your country (the leaders that represent the face and attitude of your people to rest of the world) and the power your country holds being this "unstable" as I see it... I see this turning in something close the the USSR's problems years back (the collapse of their nation) if nothing is done by both the Leaders of your nation, and the people living in it, how ever this is done.

To be fair to Bush, the great cultural divide between the religious and the non-religious, the conservatives and the liberals, existed in America before him. Even the political divide existed before him - but instead of shrinking under Bush, it widened.

What I think is dangerous is that a lot of people are taking Bush's black-and-white attitude at face value. The dichotomy between "us" being right and "them" being wrong is growing, and that doesn't make for productive political dialogue. Liberals are infuriating conservatives by their talk of leaving the US, while conservatives are infuriating liberals by their talk of being the true representatives of American values. It's a downward-going spiral.

Internationally, Bush's "go it alone" attitude has troubled a lot of people. While these countries understand the United States' need to defend itself - that's why you had a lot of support for the operation in Afghanistan - they can't subscribe to the "If you're not with us, you're with the terrorists" doctrine, since that's tantamount to asking other countries to follow the U.S. wherever it goes - as shown when France and Germany supported the war in Afghanistan (France sent troops), but opposed the war in Iraq. The expectation that other countries will follow the U.S. in any war, plus the economic and moral retaliation against those that didn't, have embittered a lot of people in Europe to the U.S. In turn, a lot of Americans respond to that bitterness by their own bitterness, saying "who cares what the rest of the world thinks".

So the discourse of the Bush administration has caused the deepening of a double polarization: one at the national level, the other one at the international level. If Bush wants to succeed in his second term and be well-remembered, he has to heal that divide and re-establish dialogue, not only with the liberal half of the country, but with other countries as well.