Why do so many people on ATS hate Bush?

I can't believe how many threads I see on this board bashing Bush. I am a registered Republican and I don't always agree with some of the things Bush has done, but come on.

Most of the bashing is unsubstantiated and out of line. Look at some of the things that went on during Reagan's tenure, Iran Contra scandal and so forth. But when he died, he was hailed as one of the greatest Presidents ever.

Are there that many Dems on this board, or do people really hate the guy? BTW, I put this in the pit because I imagine it will turn into a flaming match, but I am really curious.

Did ATS exist when Clinton was in office? Is it just the norm to focus on the President who is currently in office? Serious responses please, not like "cuz Bush is insane". That is not a worthy response.

Oh not this again. *sigh*

*sits back and waits for everyone to show up*

Everyone come on explain to this member why we hate Bush.... Will be waiting for eevryone, then ill post.

some hate him because he's bush, others hate him for his policies, other hate him because of ideals. others hate him because others do and just glom onto whatever seems popular.

personally i dont understand the point in hating a person who doesnt know who are, doesnt car who you are and doesnt care why you hate them. like all of us he's doing what he feels is right, i dont agree with what he does or says 100% but just because he does something i dont like doesnt mean i should add more negativity in my life by hating him. it wont solve any, it wont change anything and its just going to make me look like a bitter angry person.

and i shouldnt see any flaming in here, you brought this up in a fairly mature manner and i think the responses should be given in kind.

i do want to address this question though...

Is it just the norm to focus on the President who is currently in office?

yes. i remember during clinton's tenure lots of conservatives bashed him made fun of him, jay leno letterman, etc. its a tit for tat game people love to play but act like it only happens to certain presidents. i didnt agree with bashing clinton then and i dont agree with bashing bush now. like the conservatives that bashed clinton i dont see what this is going to get those who are currently bashing bush. i think this is also happening BECAUSE clinton was bashed, as if two equally ignorant actions somehow cancel each other out. "fight ignorance with ignorance!" seems to be the rallying cry of those engaging in this childish behavior.

and if kerry gets into office see if the same thing doesnt happen to him. it happens to bush, clinton, bush, reagan, carter...its going to keep going on. its not going to end here.

all i can say is epopel should take their anger out on the ballot box, not other people.

[edit on 19-6-2004 by ThePrankMonkey]

Thank you Prank Monkey. That is exactly the kind of mature, thought-out response that I was looking for. The points you brought up were valid and make a lot of sense.

K enough people..i guess. Personally i hate him for the war in Iraq. Some hate him for what he has done for the country. Some because he's Republican, and others because of what he has done in the past.

Originally posted by nyarlathotep
Is it just the norm to focus on the President who is currently in office?

Bearing in mind what PrankMonkey already wrote...

I believe that the anti-Bush feeling around the world is far too strong to be dismissed as a predictable backlash against an incumbant leader. Though I don't agree with the "mindless" Bush-bashing which takes place - as PrankMonkey observed, a lot of people just do it because it seems to be popular, and the "insane" comments don't add anything to an important political debate.

I'll try and be concise.

Bush wasn't elected.
The farce in Florida in 2000 was disgusting, that much is obvious. I know many Republicans who've told me they would condemn Bush as an interloper - but he is a Republican president, and that has to count for something. I say: crap. You just have to look around ATS at the threads regarding the election in November - "who knows what stunt the GOP will pull this time to get their boy back in the Oval Office?" - to see that the 2000 election damaged democracy itself. Who is to blame for this? Well, although it was obviously a team effort, the short answer is Bush. He should admit that he screwed the electorate, and step down.

Bush is stupid.
And, of course, only passingly familiar with English. I realise we live in a dumbed-down soundbite world, but I still expect our leaders to be literate, thoughtful men, not denim-clad hicks who can barely string a sentence together - and worse, parade that ignorance like it's a badge of honour, the flag of the "common man".

Bush invaded Iraq illegally and - worse - stupidly.
Personally, I think we should have gone into Iraq long ago, to remove Hussein from power. But it should have been done under a UN mandate, with the approval and the agreement of the whole western world. Bush's rampage through the middle east in the name of the oily dollar, however, has compromised the integrity of the "civilised world", outraged enormous numbers of people, caused uncounted deaths, increased the threat of global terrorism, and shown a flagrant disregard for the sovereignty of another country.

Bush lied.
WMDs. Al Qaeda. Bin Laden. These were not "intelligence errors", and they were not "honest mistakes". They were flat-out lies - and here's a thought: when Republicans start protesting that Bush could only be impeached for lying under oath, it's a tacit admission that even they think he's a big lying bastard. When your supporters are saying that most of your lies aren't legal basis you get you impeached, it's time to go, Junior!

Ah. I feel cleansed.

Now I'm not an American. I agree with some of the things the Republican Party stand for - not all of them, by any means, but some. But I believe that Bush is a bad president, and that he has sold out the potential of America and of Western Democracy.

Hate him? In all honesty, probably not. But I do want to see him impeached, humiliated and punished - not so much for what he's done, but as a warning to those who come after. The American people need a president who represents the very best in their national character, a president who acts as a leader at home and an ambassador abroad, a president who is a statesman and an inspiration.

Does anyone - anyone - think that description matches George Dubya Bush?

I realise that I'll probably get flamed for this, and that apoplectic Republicans will jump up and down, but I don't care. I know that, deep in their hearts, in the still, sleep-shrouded hours in the middle of the night, even the staunchest Republican knows that Bush is a bad president - after all, these people aren't stupid, they're just Republicans. I still hope that, one fine day in the near future, they'll all just admit it, stand up for their honestly-held Republican ideals, and commit to a bipartisan action to get the stupid lying oaf out of office. It would be a wonderful moment - and it would do the GOP a world or good.

So yes, I want him out. I want him dragged through the streets, I want to see him pay for crimes, his staggering arrogance, his pitiful failures. And, at the last, I want to see, writ large on Bush's gibbet: Thou shalt not betray the electorate.

StrangeLand, I am a die hard republican, but I am not going to flame you at all. that is why I started this thread, to find out what people really think about Bush without it turning into a falming match.

I appreciate your point of view. Allthough I may not agree with every thing you said, it is refreshing to hear other points of view that are intelligent and thought out. That is why I love ATS so much.

Basicly, for the same reasons people all around the world hates him. Why would us at ATS be any different?

This hate is not restricted to ATS only, believe me.

[Edited on 20-6-2004 by m0rbid]

Originally posted by m0rbid
Basicly, for the same reasons people all around the world hates him. Why would us at ATS be any different?

This hate is not restricted to ATS only, believe me.

[Edited on 20-6-2004 by m0rbid]

Wow. Is there any way you could be more vague? That is like saying the sky is blue. No s**t Sherlock. I know that people hate him, the question was: Why? What are the reasons people from all around the World hate Bush? Could you please elaborate?

I think, outside the US, it's really fear that makes people hate Bush. And I'm not talking about the kind of fear that comes out of respect. I'm talking about the kind of fear you have for someone who's out of control with his finger on the button. Not only that, Bush really seem to personify ignorance and arrogance. A scary combination when that person is the leader of a country such as the US.

The reason people look at Bush this way is of course due to his actions - whether it's through winning elections in a shifty manner, going against the UN by attacking Iraq or just showing lack of brains everytime he opens his mouth unprepared.

I think Bush is really putting the US and its citizens to shame.

[edit on 20-6-2004 by Durden]

Do you want the brutal truth? Here it is...

The hatred for bush isnt just on ATS, its not even just on the net, or just in the USA... Its global! The Anti-Bush sentiment here is just reflective of the sentiment felt all over the world... I dont think any other leader in the world is as disliked by the international community as George Bush is. He claims he is fighting for international security, when in reality the world is less secure than before he came to power and the USA and its allies are now targets of many more terror groups than previously, and the terror groups have more recruiting grounds than previously.... also he's just flat out incompetent...

And in regards to Reagan... do you think people would be like 'Worst President Dies'.... no they wouldnt, its called respect for the dead... also Reagan was the first of the Neo-Cons (who are still in power and stronger than eveR), so it makes sense that, since the USA is run by Neo-Cons now, Reagan would be idolised. I'd spit on his grave personally if i got the chance... and i's spit on bush too (why wait till he;s dead)

from Strangelands
not denim-clad hicks who can barely string a sentence together - and worse, parade that ignorance like it's a badge of honour, the flag of the "common man".

And this makes you a better man, being "educated" enough to string that line of tripe together?

Some people in the world hate Bush because he is the leader of the most powerful nation on earth. He is not the center of their universe, so they instead focus on the news they get from the world news feeds. Being embroiled in Iraq, and dealing with terrorism gives them an almost entirely negative view of the man. If there had been no 9/11, no Saddam Hussein, and instead Bush had been able to focus on working on highly visible "good works and deeds", then their view of him would be much different.

Domestically, he is our president. There is a lot of partisan politics involved.
And, if you examine it, you will see that there is a core of Bush-haters here at ATS that are very vocal. They scrutinize every move the man makes so that they can bash him in another post. Not everyone here hates Bush. I think that there are his supporters, as well as those neutral about him. But not as many haters as would seem. It's the old adage "The squeaky wheel gets the grease". It reminds me of a nest of baby birds, their heads tilted backwards and cawing at the sky to be fed.

Those who say, or are afraid that, he is the cause of spreading terrorism because of his actions are wrong, IMO. He is taking on a problem that most of the world is too cowardly to address, and I support his efforts.

One more reason that Bush seems to be so hated here on ATS, and this is only my opinion - I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong:

From reading many posts here, it appears that ATS was for a long time populated almost entirely by liberal/left-wing/democrats. Recently, more people from the other end of the political spectrum have been visiting ATS, and the predictable battles have followed.

I also believe that what you see is frustration from liberal/leftwing/democrats, and from countries that can only be classified as weak. Bush is portrayed by them to be this incompetent, stupid, bungling, corrupt liar. His poll numbers should be in the single digits, and the economy should be in shambles, if all that is true. Yet the opposite is happening. So the weak lash out in frustration with hatred and vitriolic bile.

I personally do not understand how people can mock him because of his mis-statements, or lack of mastery of the English language. He has been called dim son by some here. Bush probably has physical ailments that contribute to this. Where I came from, we were not taught to make fun of those who were different, especially those who were disabled in some form or another. We were taught to show compassion. But, that's where I came from, and how I was taught. That this mockery comes from the democratic party, the party of inclusion, baffles me.

Besides, if he is stupid, then he should be admired for rising to the presidency.

Originally posted by jsobecky
Besides, if he is stupid, then he should be admired for rising to the presidency.

No, if he is stupid - and can there be any doubt left? - then he should be kept far, far away from the seat of power. Being President of the US is quite possibly the toughest job in the world, and is altogether too important to trust to someone who'd rather be staring out of the window. And if he does have some kind of disorder - beyond the obvious, I mean - then he should be removed from office immediately! This is not some damn supermarket job, this is the Presidency of the United States! You'd have Clinton impeached for having sex, but Bush gets a thumbs-up despite being a stumbling, witless, lying, draft-dodging fool?

Well, at least Republicans have their priorities right, huh?

To paraphrase the West Wing - and how blindly optimistic does that show look in the Era of Dubya? - make it about smart, and not; committed, and not; qualified, and not. It's no longer the economy, stupid - it's just stupid.

Originally posted by jsobecky
And this makes you a better man, being "educated" enough to string that line of tripe together?

Tripe? I notice you didn't argue with the content, just the fact I used slightly more complicated language than Dr. Seuss. How typically Republican! But as for it making me a better man than Dubya... how can I put this?

Yes, it does.

By all means, agree with Bush's policies in Iraq, that's your right in a democractic society. But even the staunchest Republican must concede that Bush is stupid, and a stupid President does America no favours. His supporters would have you believe that Bush is connected to the common man, that he's a straight-talker, an average guy. Great. Good for him, really, particularly since "average" is actually pitching his intellectual capacity a bit high. But ask yourself this: should an "average guy" be in charge of the country? Why, when you have any number of smart men on both sides of the fence, would you elect an "average guy"? Look out your window! Look at the guy filling up his car across the street, or the girl with the wide variety of facial jewellery, or the guy mowing his lawn in jeans that do little to conceal his butt cleavage? Look at these people, these average people, and think about twhat that really means.

I don't want an "average guy" in charge of the economy, or the education system, or - God forbid - the military! I want a "smart" guy, I want a "competant" guy! And yes, damn me as an intellectual snob, I want an "educated" guy. Don't you?

Admit it, jsobecky. Bush got in because of his daddy, and because Republicans will vote Republican no matter who -or what - is nominated. Without Bush Snr., Dubya would be flipping burgers somewhere in Hicksville, Texas, drooling out the side of his mouth, cackling at America's Funniest Home Videos.

Some, I will concede, bash Bush because he's American, and being anti-American is the flavour of the month. I hate Bush precisely because I like America, and I hate to see your fine country being ridiculed around the world because the GOP pulled a fast one and nominated a neanderthal.

I notice that the Republican flames I predicted haven't manifested - even from those evangelical Republicans who seem to turn any given topic into a right-wing tirade. Could it be that even they know that we're right, and maybe they're feeling just a little bit ashamed?

And finally, it's funny that you think ATS used to be stuffed to the brim with liberals and democrats and bears, oh my! It seems that whenever a group is losing the argument, they come over all oppressed... atheists, christians, jews, left-wingers, right-wingers, pagans - they've all played the minority card.

Could it be that it feels as if the whole world is against you because you're just plain wrong?

Originally posted by StrangeLands
I don't want an "average guy" in charge of the economy, or the education system, or - God forbid - the military! I want a "smart" guy, I want a "competant" guy! And yes, damn me as an intellectual snob, I want an "educated" guy. Don't you?

What you "want" is irrelevant. You are not a US citizen. BTW, here in the states, the word is spelled competent. I thought an "intellectual" snob might like to know that.

Could it be that it feels as if the whole world is against you because you're just plain wrong?

You're starting to make this personal, for whatever reason. I won't respond to most of it, because there is no content, only hate. There are two points, however:

Tripe?

I notice you didn't argue with the content, just the fact I used slightly more complicated language than Dr. Seuss. How typically Republican!

There is no content, no substance to debate. You are just showing ignorance in belittling a class of people that you think you are better than. That makes the rest of your post tripe.

And finally

And finally, it's funny that you think ATS used to be stuffed to the brim with liberals and democrats and bears, oh my! It seems that whenever a group is losing the argument, they come over all oppressed... atheists, christians, jews, left-wingers, right-wingers, pagans - they've all played the minority card.

The author of this thread asked for our opinions on why GWB is hated. I gave mine. You took it as further evidence that your post is tripe. Which you should.

And please, stop it with your baseless conclusions on my opinion of Clinton. Your ignorance is showing once again.
:shk:

Well you could say Stangelands and I occupy opposite ends of British political opinion. You could call me conservative(ish), and as a "Euro-Skeptic"(tm) I have no interests in Europe vs US debates or any other "power" insecurities about the US.
However on this issue I agree with Strangelands completely.. Bush is a dangerous, cynical, ambitious, warmongering moron. It's plain for all to see.

Why do so many people on ATS hate Bush? Maybe becuase many here do not look to mainstream media for news, and actually understand how bad Bush actually is. One day in the future everyone will accept this. He isn't the President, he is just a cheat, in the elections and in life as he has been paid through by Daddy. He couldn't even sucessfully run an oil company let alone the most powerful nation on the planet. There are so many bad things about Bush ot's hard to know what place to start. Strangelands covered some good ones. Bush stands for the elite poeple who shouldn't have the power.

Jsobecky,

Actually, it�s spelled competent on this side of the Atlantic too. I apologise for the error. Also, the �you� I mentioned when I referred to Clinton was supposed to be a generic, third-person thing, not specifically aimed at you. I guess it wasn�t entirely clear. Again, my fault. And you�re right, too, that I�m not a US citizen � I seem to remember saying that I wasn�t American, and it says Scotland right there under my avatar, but I�m feeling generous, so I�ll take the blame for that one too. After all, no-one else is allowed to express an opinion on the Bush regime, are we? It's not like the President of the US is an important figure in global politics or anything...

Most of all, however, I�m sorry you feel my comments are �tripe�. You�re entitled to your opinion. Other people, it seems, disagree with you, but fair enough. If you�re happy that stupid people are as eligible to run the world as educated people, then good for you. If you�re happy that Bush isn�t a deceitful moron who rode into office on his Daddy�s coat-tails, then I�m pleased for you, really. It must be a great comfort.

I've no interest whatsoever is seeing this degenrate into a flame war. I didn't intend for my comments to be construed as a personal attack, and I'm man enough to ignore the fact that you attacked me by calling my post tripe. After all, this is the new pink and fluffy mudpit!

...

One thing, though: I notice that you took the time out of your day to quote and criticise my minor typographical error, but you didn�t say one single word against the conclusion that Junior is a lying, warmongering idiot who should impeached and imprisoned.

Isn't that interesting...

Strangeland,

Why is Bush stupid? How has this been proven? Are the IQs of past Presidents public knowledge (other than that email string that was debunked LONG ago)?

You seem like a very smart individual and I don't want to see you regress into the "Shut up, Bush is stupid!" retort. Please don't just repeat what you've heard; too many people are beginning to sound like parrots; *SQWAK*BUSHISSTUPID*SQWAK*.

I know people with MDs who routinely butcher the English language, so please don't fall back on that crutch. By the way, I'd rather have a President who uses the word "misunderestimate" than another President who needs to debate the meaning of the word "is".