Friday, Jul 25, 2008
Oct 26, 2000 | Read the story
Finally! Somebody else besides me noticed that the governor of Texas is a complete, blithering idiot! I thought for sure that after the third debate, in which Al Gore gave by far his best performance, while George W. Bush staggered and drawled like a drunken cowboy, we might end this ridiculous so-called race and hand the presidency to the man who had clearly earned it. But NO! People aren't having any of it. They simply refuse to listen, but are content to be led around by the nose like cattle. The press is little help here. They are so afraid to be ostracized by a Bush administration, they bend over and kiss Dumbya right in the ass.
I, for one, am not buying it!
-- David Jansing
I am a registered Republican, yet nothing would send me running for the border more than four years of Bush. In another competition where it is the lesser of two evils, I would chose the basic competency of Gore over the "Does anyone remember where I parked Air Force One?" of Bush.
Unlike Gitlin, what surprises me is not the lack of attention the media gives to Bush's gaffes and lack of answers; it is the public's readiness to accept him, blunders and all, as their leader. When the man on the street is asked to explain why he is voting for Bush his answer is often as vague and confused as Bush's position on a policy that isn't on a TelePrompTer.
While Gore can lose you in detail and Clinton uses charm and eloquence to dodge uncomfortable questions altogether, Bush seems unable to do either. However just like the C averages that got him into Harvard Business School, this minimum effort to learn the material seems like it will once again lead to another improbable acceptance.
-- Chris Fennimore
Todd Gitlin is right on when he argues that Bush has blundered his way through life, and surprise, surprise, has found himself running now for Homecoming King of the United States.
But I fear his arguments are long lost on the American people who really are voting for Homecoming King. After all, why else would so many people decide their vote based on which candidate they'd rather sit next to on an airplane? The president is just another great entertainer of our time, right on par with the sitcom stars and late-night comedians. Policies, schmolicies! We want someone likeable! Clinton sure was fun. And besides, who can name even one of his policies from the past eight years? We know what we'll remember most from his tenure in office. Wink. Wink. And secretly we want more ...
-- Julyne Derrick
Well, it's about time Salon offered up an honest account of George W. Bush without, as Todd Gitlin said, bending over backward to be "fair" to our ridiculous governor from Texas. Here in Austin, Texas, thinking people all know the emperor's got no clothes, and hopefully the rest of the country will finally wake up from their Clinton fatigue and realize this, too.
George W. Bush may not be the moron that many late-night comics joke about, but he is a poor little rich kid who has had everything handed to him his entire life. His paid handlers have take great pains to put an "average Joe" spin on George W.'s misstatements, but the fact remains not only does he not fully understand what he's talking about, intellectually, he doesn't really care to understand.
-- Jason Moses
Oh, how I longed to vote Republican this year in the presidential campaign. I sent money to John McCain, and when those hopes were dashed, I looked longingly at Dubya, hoping he would impress me in some way, any way, and make it possible for me to cast my vote for him.
I can't do it. George W. Bush possesses a demonstrated lack of command of the issues, an anti-intellectualism that's frightening to behold and a dangerously lightweight manner. Think for a second about President George W. Bush at a summit of world leaders. Try to imagine him negotiating a peace agreement in the Middle East. Think about him making a decision to send troops into the Balkans ... it's impossible.
Add to this the profoundly disgraceful way Bush has conducted his campaign, and this is one Republican voting for Gore. I can at least trust him to make decisions based on an understanding of the options involved. I'm going to bet on the prospect that a Republican Congress can block President Gore's wilder notions.
And frankly, I would joyfully vote for Clinton again over my other two options. Is it too late to amend the Constitution?
-- Brad Kurtz
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