Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

I was just curious to see if anyone actually thinks Bush is doing a good job. The polls indicate that the large majority of Americans think he's one of the worst presidents ever, which he is in my opinion.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

:agree:

Economy is in the toilet. We have a war where we are spending billions that could be better spent in this country. We have a congress that only works on special interest items. Bush and the congress seem to care more about everyone else in the world. Forget about the American taxpayer, lousy medical health care. Cost of living going up. Jobs leaving the country.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Let's take a look at what you said.

"I don't think he's the worst President we've ever had." You're welcome to have that opinion, but not too many people, including most conservatives would agree with you. "I don't agree with his stance on illegal immigration" why? His stance is good for big business and if it's good for big business then it's good for big profits. "I don't agree with the prosecution of the war (not the war itself)." That means you believe there were WMD in Iraq. Oh, and yes you don't want any "spending money on social programs like a Democrat." Have you been returning your SS checks, or have you refused Medicare? You also said. "If you're not happy with Congress, remember the majority are Democrats." That may be true, but only for a short time. Look what Bush and his cronies did in eight long years. And you don't think, "The economy is not bad either. People who bought sub-prime mortgages they couldn't afford and didn't have the brains to read the contract they were signing should not be my problem. I have made fiscal mistakes that I didn't go and expect anyone else to bail me out." Maybe you're right, but then we should also not bail out our the failing banks as well. After all, shouldn't those dolts should have been smart enough to see what they were doing to the economy? And finally "If you want socialized medicine and socialized government running your lives, then you should try another country, like Russia." Well, I would then suggest that any of us getting SS and Medicare should lead the way out. Sorry in advance if I think you and the rest of the conservatives are out of step with reality. And as far you believing in the truth, I would ask whose truth is that. It's certainly not mine.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

I believe that Bush believes in his principles and I'll give him some credit there.

Some decisions have been wrong and I believe he is mediocre at best, but not the worst.

The economy is a mess, and our energy independence threatens us both militarily and economically, and there is no solution earnestly being pressed for by the govt.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Actually, this wasn't a bash Bush question. I was genuinely curious to see how people in the Villages felt about Bush's record, compared to people in the rest of the country.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

English: According to you everything and everyone is uninformed but you! I find that amazing! Maybe you should run for office. I agree with fullrob, stop taking your social security checks and using medicare. Put your money where your mouth is. Just my humble opinion. Oh, and yes, I do think and history will tell, that Bush is indeed the worst president we've ever had. :)

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Let me see hmmmnnnn, he has been President for the last 7 years.....economy is a mess(?) if it is....and I repeat...if it is, hasn't it only been the last maybe 6 months!!!
The media and the political processing is what has talked y'all into a slowdown...if there is one.

Sorry folks my memory isn't good enough to compare past Presidents.
So all I can really say is under our current Presidents term, there have been no additional attacks here at home in the good old USA...along with all the security steps taken here at home, getting involved in Iraq has significantly contributed to that peace (of mind).

Bush is far, far, FAR from the worst President we have ever had. He is unfortunate to have been President during the time in our history where the 24/7 media influences everybody. If the past Presidents you can remember had to deal with the daily crap from the media and special interest groups of today....perhaps they would have fared differently too.

Most opinions from most people these days is nothing more than a one for one amplification of what the media peddles. A source that for the most part is partisan, biased and untrustworthy.

We all are currently suffering from the ongoing drum of the 2008 Presidential race that can only tell us what the other guy did, didn't do, etc., etc....exacerbated by the media.

BTH

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

As a quick followup to my original posting, and whether or not the question is "relevant" or not, it always appears to me that the opinions posted seem for the most part very conservative. I'm just trying to satisfy my intellectual curiosity - is The Villages a microcosm of society at large, politically speaking, or is it in fact more far to the right than the country at large. That's relevant to me. English, if you don't find a topic relevant, its easy to deal with - just don't post.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

:joke:


I think all of you Bush bashers should keep this forum in mind and wait for a year from now when Obama or Hillary raise your taxes and put America in a state of socialism with there national healthcare programs where you will never get quality care from your physician anymore, raise your taxes, stop the medicare program and medicare drug coverage and eliminate the social security program for your children and grandchildren.

There will be at least 3 major attacks on our country as a result of leaving the war and allowing the terrorists to destroy our country. Up until now, Bush as prevented this from happening, not the worthless democrats in Congress and the Senate.

Let's take a look a year from now and we will all judge for ourselves how worthless his presidency has been.

PRAY FOR OUR COUNTRY AT A TIME WHEN IT NEEDS IT MOST. BUSH DOES THIS EVERY DAY OF HIS LIFE.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Good grief! Why does everything have to be an attack? How hard is it to have a political opinion that disagrees with yours without basically going into the namecalling rhetoric?

Personally, I'm not a Bush fan (to put it mildly). Well, I've always liked and admired Barbara Bush but not the rest of the family. Do I think he's the worst president EVER? No. Is he one of the best? Nope. I'd put him below average -- some of it his own doing by having poor advisors, some of it just plain poor judgment, some of it media hype.

No matter what, he does not run this country alone. Congress has to take some responsibility. So does our judiciary. They all have a voice in what happens to America. We may not like that voice because it isn't our voice but we need to accept it.

To even try to predict the future of anyone running today is impossible. Many have said they will make changes while running for office. Few have had the power to do so. Our forefathers worked hard to make sure there were checks and balances. Most of the time, these work they way they should -- to prevent any one person or entity to have too much control. Sometimes they get in the way of having good things happen. Whoever is president will have to find a way to work with this Congress. Definitely not an easy thing to do.

When running for president, people really don't have the inside story -- much of it is too confidential to be told to wannabees. They find that when they're in office the things they wanted to do are just not possible, either because of economics, politics or whatever.

No one person should ever get all the credit nor all the blame when it comes to running this country. There are too many outside factors.

Is The Villages a microcosm of society
 

No, TV is not a microcosm of American society at large. Firstly, it does not have a permanent welfare class as has been created in this country. TV do not have welfare mothers breeding new generation of welfare mothers while contributing nothing to society. On the other end of the economic spectrum, TV does not have the super wealthy class. There may be some few exceptions among residents, but we really don't have the Fortune 500 CEOs, Westchester Country Club members, or Hollywood elite. But approaching either end economically, we do have representation. There are a number of people here who exist solely on Social Security, not an easy task. The Family (the developer ~~ owners and residents) are apparently quite well off and like so many people in similar situations in overall society, they use their wealth entrepreneurially to create a multitude of jobs. Some other residents are very, very comfortable and use their wealth for investments, again providing capital for growth and jobs. The vast majority of us, however, are blatantly middle class with enough money to get by and a bit of a nest egg for emergencies. Many, many TV residents are here only because they were able to sell their homes "up north" for a considerable profit to finance the move here.

Politically, TV is a bit more conservative than the rest of American society, but not that much more so than their socioeconomic peers in that society. Certainly TV has it's lunatic fringe on both wings, but they are here primarily for entertainment value. Occasionally they do succeed in imposing their idiotic ideas on the majority, but are for the most part pretty harmless. However, by eliminating a very large subclass, this allows TV in general to be slightly older, better educated, and wealthier than society. And as any study will demonstrate, the older, more intelligent, and more experienced one is, the more like he/she will be conservative.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/...continue_thri/

I was trying to remember that thing about a democracy lasting only 200 years. I found this column. It's a little something to think about.

Aaaaaugh!!!! I have got to stop giving people homework.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Someone told me to try out Talk of the Villages. So I did. And the first thing I ran into was a Bush basher. What a bummer. I think that first in line for worst president is Jimmy Carter (really nice guy but totally incompetent in his job). Second in line would be Clinton who spent more time on extra-curricula stuff than he did running the country and nearly destroyed our military capability and our economy in the process. George Bush has some faults but he may just go down in history as the "gutsyest" president we have ever had. Just where do you think our country, and the world, might be if Al Core were elected? Did it ever occur to you that we have had no terrorist incidents in our country since 9/11?

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Without any negative remarks, if you track the times U.S. holdings, overseas bases or embassies have been attacked in a big way or what they would call successful, the period between is typically 7 to 9 years. It is my belief that, no matter who was President, we would not have been attacked anyway.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

:agree: :agree:

Re: Does an he'syone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Compared to Jimmy Carter?

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

I agree that Jimmy Carter wasn't one of our most effective presidents, if at all. But, as the doctor's say "First, do no harm." I think Bush has done much harm. Traveling through Europe over the past 7 years, I can see an unsettling change in the way Americans are perceived. In Barcelona last summer, every lampost had F&#k Bush scratched into it. I'm sorry and saddened. But it is my opinion that his ego, his lack of planning, his poor strategies, his inability to see the big picture has brought us to where we are today. He didn't want to be President, he wanted to be King. And now that a lot of his cronies have backed out and some away, he's finally shut up. Yes, I think he has done much harm.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Yes, I think most people will agree that Carter was not effective as president. He is a good man, however. Look at all the charity work he's done since retiring, especially with Habitat for Humanity. I do think that repairing America's image abroad will be a daunting task for our next president, whoever he or she will be. I guess that's one of the things that appeals to me about Obama. He's calm and measured, intellectually astute, and seems to be able to work across party lines for consensus. That, and the fact he would be the first black president, and has openly advertised his plan for "change" should play well internationally. I find McCain worriesome, with his obvious hardball attitude, and his well known temper tantrums.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

I too have traveled through Europe and I witnessed what the US media has spread throughout the world. Listen to CNN in Europe and you'll hear constant denigration of Bush and anything the administration or the US does. We have media people (movie stars) that beat up the US on foreign soil. Sharon Stone just did that in the middle east. Michael Moore that great sage of the left has said the people in the US are stupid, that's us folks. Bush was called names and made to look stupid by the media before he was even inaugurated. There is no president in the history of this country that could have maintained a decent image internationally with the rotten campaign to destroy him and his presidency that was and continues to be carried out by the media. The media will go to any length to destroy the man even at great cost to the country. Media with an agenda can be a dangerous thing.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

I spent time working in Australia in he 80's and many there had no love for Reagan, "The Cowboy".

All I can say about Europeans and the other's dislike for our country and our elected leaders is, @#&*- off. You guys loved Saddam, Putin and the jerk in Iran, so it is not hard to understand why you don't like us and our leaders. We know where your Anti-American feelings are coming from.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Right on Hancle, my feelings exactly.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Wow Hancle, can there be a more childish comment than that! Whoo, now that's one "Ugly American". And to those that have commented on the media: We, the people, think for ourselves. I'm also astonished that you can believe that our media is hell bent on making Bush look stupid. Why would they would they do that? That's one job he has managed to accomplish on his own. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Right on C :bigthumbsup:helsea.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

I was born in Europe and have been there several times as an adult. Americans weren't well-liked when I was little. Yes, they were greatful to the GIs for shedding blood but resented the fact that Americans seem to think that they were the only ones who died in WWII. There was the added factor that the war was fought on their soil, not America's. This dislike has turned into hatred by many. It is partially fueled by the simple fact that many Americans go to a foreign country and are downright arrogant -- they really do yell at people for not speaking English; they want McDonald's over a five-star restaurant; they don't bother learning conversion rates, rather expecting others to know what "real" money is worth; when the dollar is strong they gloat, when the dollar is weak they whine. Cliches? Yes. The truth for enough to make people flinch when someone is American? Also yes. It doesn't help that we push our form of democracy down the throats of people who truly don't want it.

People may take our aid but that doesn't mean they don't resent needing that aid. Just a fact of human nature. It doesn't help that we frequently have a lot of strings attached to our aid (even if the cause is just such as the stopping of apartheid).

I was in England shortly after 9/11. The majority of Brits expressed sympathy or simply said nothing. There were two who told me flat out that America got what it deserved. There were a few, though, that said it was about time that terrorism hit the United States, not because America deserved it but because maybe now America would take off its blinders and help go after the bad guys.

To blame American media for people of other nations' hatred is not realistic. To state that Europeans loved Saddam, Putin and that "jerk in Iran" (which one, the Ayahtolleh or Shah Pahlavi?) is small-minded. At one time, we loved Saddam. We backed Shah Pahlavi even though he was a despot. Heck, we even gave financial aid to Idi Amin Dada.

If we want others to like us (and that is important to most Americans), we need to treat other nations and their politics and belief with some respect. We need to accept that English is not the only language in the world and that US dollar is not the only currency. Our politicians need to be willing to send aid to a country that needs it without interfering in internal politics. We need to quit being rude, arrogant bullies!

Sorry, Hancle, on this one I respectfully totally disagree with your comments other than Reagan was not well-liked in many corners of the world.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

To answer the original question. No I don't think Bush is, or has been doing a good job. My point was there have been critics of America and it's leaders for many years that pre-date W's Administration. I choose however, not to accept the criticism of those that don't live here, mainly because many have had and always will have a strong dislike of anything American.

Childish answer, maybe, but it is my Country and I swore to defend it, did you?

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

I'm defending our country, sorry I won't defend George W. Bush.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

When I was 21 I too was called to protect my country, from the threat of communism from Vietnam. I responded and served, and by the grace of God, returned mostly unscathed. Only to find out 20-30 years later that it was all a lie. Hundreds of thousands of good men and women killed and injured. For what? MONEY, POWER, and GREED. We need the free press to ask even tougher questions of our leaders. I'm personally tired of the Halburton's of the world, controlling our government.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

I agree Fullrob. Many of us would do anything to protect our country, but its hard to determine what the truth is, we are fed so much bull from the government. Everything has a spin on it to promote whatever agenda they are pushing at the moment, doesn't matter which party it is. Many of us got a rude awakening during the VietNam conflict. We had always accepted what the government told us, never questioned it, then we found out otherwise. I've become very jaded as a result,and I appreciate the investigative reporting that the media does. At least there's some chance of learning the truth.

However, we're getting off topic here.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

I'll give President Bush credit for sticking to what he believes is the best for the country. Doing so even tho the public polls show little support for some of his policies. It is kinda refreshing to see a politician not be swayed by public opinion.
Has he been a good president? Well, only history will prove one way or the other. All I have to do is remember Jimmy Carter and I know that Bush certainly hasn't been the worst.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Washington is doing a bad job. Vote them all out.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

And every other President in office during a war did a good or better job?? Yeah right.

If other periods in history had the 24/7 media, the outcomes would have been very different.
Like the days of old, if the military were allowed to go in and win....blow the enemy away....collatoral damage, permissive pacifists, special interest groups be damned!!!!

None of will know why the President does what he does.....and we sure as hell won't get a fair shake from the media.

I guess a populist President would do a better job eh? Like Jimmy Carter...eh?

Yeah right!!

BTK :edit:

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Some of you folks really sound like you're on the defensive. Bush is doing a crummy job, so let's attack Carter. Whatever.....

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Why do people keep bringing up Jimmy Carter didn't we have other presidents
This is about Bush not the other presidents

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Not a fair question.

How can anyone respond to that without holding their nose?

Then you can't type.
???

Tony

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

;D ;D ;D 1rnfl Good one Toncat!

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Bush has been the worst President of my lifetime. He has been wrong on many issues and policies. Our country is in bad shape for the working and middle class.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Is the Bush administration (and all of the folk within it) any better or worse than any other in the past how-many-years? I guess that would depend on what was the state of things when he took office, what happened during his term(s) and the result of his (and the rest of the administration's) actions.

We had a budget surplus, but that was due to prior extreme cuts in defense and intelligence-service spending. As a result, the national security was risked so the bank account could be more flush.

We had an unemployment rate of 5.6% with the prior administration, and the latest information shows a current 5.0% rate.

We had no war during the prior administration, but we also had no attacks on the homeland then as well.

We have 15+ million illegal aliens in the US now, and this number has grown steadily for the last 20 years. Has ANY administration in the last 20 years really cared?

The efficacy of public education during the past 7 years really won't be known for another 5-10 years at best, but could it get worse than it was? ((possibly!))

The housing market skyrocketed, and came down just as fast. Is any president at fault because people made risky financial decisions regarding mortgages or purchases?

Unless someone has gotten rich and nothing negative has ever happened to them during that time frame, I don't think anyone is ever really happy with the job any president is doing while in office. After the sitting president is replaced, it's amazing how many people selectively remember things that happened during an administration, and bother to measure how many things that occur in one administration that have serious effects on subsequent administrations.

Has Bush done a good job? History (as subjective as that can be) will provide a synopsis - positive or negative (or both). He hasn't been impeached, and if the current Congress wanted it and thought it had grounds, do you think they'd go after him?

I remember the same "good job" question about the Clinton years, and every other president prior (in my lifetime). It makes you wonder why anyone would want the job.

Is it time for a change - Yes, and thank the Founding Fathers for having the foresight to limit a term to 4 years, and the Truman administration (Democrat) for endorsing the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.

After all of the negativity towards Presidents during the last few administrations, hooray to ANYONE willing to vie for the job!

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Well we haven't had a Federal Tax increase since Clinton gave us the biggest ever in 1993. I like that Mr. BUSH! Have you noticed the European countries are all on a flat tax. They saw what happend with the Reagan and Bush tax cuts and they liked it too. To bad we can't have a flat tax, like them.

My state of Michigan is in the toilet, but I feel that too was the handy work of Clinton and his democrats with NAFTA. Thats why the economy and housing is so bad here in Michigan. Remember Ross Perot with his hand to his ear saying "Do you hear that sucking sound, it's your jobs going to Mexico". Democrats here laughed and said he was nuts! Now the UAW is encouraging their workers to vote for Obama because he's the man who will stop NAFTA and bring home all the jobs. The Miracle Man! Suddenly their telling all the union workers the Clintons aren't the answer anymore.
The democrats have tried every chance they get to increase the federal taxes and Bush veto's the bills every time. Obama and his Democrats have already promised to let Bush's tax cuts that expire in 2010 die in the wind. Get ready to get hosed if they win.

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

I will wait until there is a new President to compare him to as the past is what ever it was at the time and we know not what any President could or couldn't do at the time.....just like we don't know all the issues, except what the media presents, about Bush or any other subject.

I want to see which candidate running their lips about the war...how long it takes for them to make everybody happy......in the mean time don't hold your breath.

I will give my opinion about Bush one year after January 1, 2009.....remember we could have done and could do worse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTK

Re: Does anyone really think Bush is doing a good job?
 

Hmm, I can't imagine how we could have done worse. I guess it all depends on your perspective.