’)Glenn Reynolds links approvingly to this latest spewing of conservative derangement syndrome:
George W. Bush isn’t at 29 percent because he’s lost support among moderates and liberals – he’s at 29 percent because he has been too willing to cave in to moderates and liberals.
The recipe for restoring his popularity to above 50 percent is simple: Bush must screw the Left every chance he gets.
That’s right homegamers. Bush is in trouble because he’s been too moderate. The most conservative president in American history, is now just a wimpy moderate.
Of course, I for one encourage the Republican party to move to the far nativist psycho right. It’s the best way possible for us to have a new Democratic majority. CDS is sweeping across red America, catch it!
“The most conservative president in American history,”
C’mon. More conservative than Jeff Davis?
Indeed.
Well, Bush’s popularity has dropped in different spurts. Remember, he had 92% approval in September 2001. First he lost the liberals with his ramp-up to the Iraq war. Then he lost the liberal-leaning moderates in 2004 when the Iraq war went sour. Then he lost conservative-leaning moderates and conscientious conservatives with Schiavo, Social Security and, of course, Katrina. He started to lose wingnut conservatives with Harriet Miers, and continued to lose them with the Dubai ports deal. And now he’s losing more wingnut conservatives because of immigration. High spending has always been a grievance with conservatives (conscientious and wingnut) but it’s only served as background music for the most part.
So, can he rebound by “screwing the Left?” Well, I suppose it depends on how he does it. He’s lost moderates and liberals forever – mostly for policy reasons. And he’s most likely lost moderate-conservatives and conscientious conservatives forever, if mostly because of his corruption, incompetence and dishonesty. But suppose he secures his wingnut base, how much will that help him? I bet it’ll help only a little because he’s so disillusioned conscientious conservatives with the spending and general incompetence that he can’t win them back. Of course, a move to the left or the center probably won’t help either because liberals and moderates don’t trust him.
“Conservative Derangement Syndrome.” Gee, plagiarizing much? I guess “Bush Derangement Syndrome” has really gotten to you if you need to rip it off.
Stick to the DNC talking points, Oliver. “Republican culture of corruption” at least has the merit of being original. When you try to come up with your own catch phrases, it just falls flat.
J.
Bush has always been a moderate Republican. He spends a lot, including a lot on education and his foreign policy is interventionist, which is not the traditional conservative approach. Reminds this old head of when compoassionate progressives hated LBJ. Your hatred of Bush is hatred of a moderate.
Dugger
A couple of points and questions:
1. How in the world did you arrive at the conclusion that Bush is the most conservative President in American history?
2. It is likely that Bush’s numbers are so low because of lost support amongst conservatives.
3. Thanks to bedrock conservative principles and ideas, the GOP was swept into power in 1994. It is only because of their dithering, spending and complete lack of conservative governing that they are on the verge of losing their majority.
I hate to say it, but they’re right. Reagan was the most conservative modern president we’ve had. (I’d argue that James Buchanan or Coolidge were more so, but I’ll stick with “modern” for the time being).
That being said, I certainly don’t think Bush is a moderate, nor do I think he could rebound by “screwing the left”. (I’m not sure how he could screw them anymore than he already has.) The only major thing I’ve seen Bush do that wasn’t very conservative was on spending. Everything else seems to follow the template of folks like Reagan.
Wow. Looks like all the rats are heading over the side …
Thanks to bedrock conservative principles and ideas, the GOP was swept into power in 1994.
Actually they swept into power because the Dems had become complacent and too many of them were corrupt. If the country had experienced some sort of conservative upswing, we wouldn’t have re-elected President Clinton two years later nor would Gore have won the popular vote six years later.
The elephant in the room that Reynolds fails to see is that the hard right conservatives really aren’t that big of a voting block, maybe 10-15%.
By moving further to the right, they solidify people that would vote for them anyway, while alienating everyone else.
Bush has always been a moderate Republican.
and I’m Lex Luthor.
He spends a lot, including a lot on education and his foreign policy is interventionist,
Interventionist? BWAHHAHA! All the Alcoholics Anonymous snarky jokes aside, is this a euphemism for Invader with dreams of Empire of countries that didn’t do anything to us?
Except that Clinton, after the 1994 elections, swung hard right. Remember welfare reform?
“Remember welfare reform?”
I do. I also remember the capital gains tax cuts and the balanced budget amendment (all favored by conservates, hated by liberals – yet signed by Clinton).
The most conservative president in American history. And you actually get paid to write tommyrot like that?
If the country had experienced some sort of conservative upswing, we wouldn t have re-elected President Clinton two years later
Righhhht. The same Bill Clinton that signed welfare reform, tax cuts (including cuts in capital gains taxes) and declared “The era of big government is over.” But there was no conservative upswing. Uh huh. Democrats didn’t lose what was pretty much a 40 year stranglehold on power in Congress because they were complacent. There was a shift in the political dynamic in this country and it went more conservative. Deal with it.
Whether the most conservative president was Reagan or bush, both still drastically increased the federal deficit, largely by increasing defense spending (everyone knows that to be conservative you have be a big spender in that area, and that includes borrowing from China to pay for it). Heavy spending on defense has always trumped fiscal restraint in the Con list of priorities. Some on the right are criticizing bush now for what he has done ever since 1/21/01. They didn’t have this level of outrage until his approval numbers started circling the drain. Too little too late, I say. He’s your boy, wingers.
Hey, don’t hate the playa, hate the game. Clinton knew how to people-please and it’s pretty obvious that pandering is not exclusive to one side of the fence.
And jay, the pendulum seems to be swinging back.
Hey, don t hate the playa, hate the game. Clinton knew how to people-please and it s pretty obvious that pandering is not exclusive to one side of the fence.
And jay, the pendulum seems to be swinging back.
Duros, I’m just pointing out to Oliver that Clinton didn’t get re-elected running on a progressive platform. He clearly moved to the right and embraced conservative ideals such as lower taxes, welfare reform, and smaller government. Oliver seems to think any GOP victory or Democrat defeat is the result of something other than in the realm of ideas.
And maybe the pendulum is swinging back. Who knows?
This lecture …
Frank_D Says:
May 17th, 2006 at 8:51 am
The most conservative president in American history? For cryin out loud, Oliver, read a book!
from a man who hasn’t been on a plane in 20 years …
Frank_D Says:
May 15th, 2006 at 5:39 pm
midderpidge: How the hell should I know? I haven t flown in a plane in twenty years&
Just believe and swallow what Frank spouts because it’s Frank spouting it.
And would you concede that Clinton wassmart enough and shrewd enough to read the shift and capitalize on it?
Maybe that’s what make him such a good swinger. Hyuck, nyuck, nyuck.
And would you concede that Clinton wassmart enough and shrewd enough to read the shift and capitalize on it?
There was no better politician than Bill Clinton and that includes Reagan.
Oliver, you could really have tightened up this post if you had just said,
“Wow, five more moths of this and conservatives might look as batshit crazy as I’ve been for the past 6 years.”
What really brings it home, though, is that your blind spot is so all-consuming that you think that conservative anger will lead to Democratic electoral victory, but you’ve never been willing to admit that the biggest reason Bush is still president today it’s liberal anger like yours and your fellow moonbats.
That’s some funny stuff!