Staying The Course With George W. Bush

July 26 2004
Counterbias.com
Doug Griffin
R E A L   T A L K


George W. Bush wants America to trust him for 4 more years.

He says he has America’s best interests at heart.  He tells us that he will protect us.  He tells us a lot of things that he wants us to believe and that many of us want to hear.

America, believe George W. Bush at your own peril, because the fact of the matter is, George W. Bush is a liar.  His administration is more dishonest than any in my lifetime.  This cannot be disputed!  It is the plain and simple truth.

Based on his track record, George W. Bush wants America to “Stay the Course…” 

Bush-Cheney = Thelma and Louise

Bush claims to be a steady leader that does not waver in the face of adversity.

You know?  Thelma and Louise were steady in the face of adversity too.  When the heat was on, the steadily drove right over a cliff!

That’s the Bush Administration.  Staying the course.

Right over a cliff.

What this country needs to realize is that when Mr. Bush says, “Stay the course…” he really means, “Keep believin’ me, people, ‘cause I ain’t got no other plan!”

President Bush’s campaign hinges on the lie that he is a strong leader.  Do Conservatives really pay attention to the Bush-Cheney campaign ads?  They profess strong leadership without providing examples of that leadership.  Immediately after the “strong leadership” line, it’s time to attack the opponent.

I never saw any of the negative ads that Kerry reportedly ran prior to the Edwards announcement, so I can’t comment on that.  However, the Kerry-Edwards campaign ads that I have seen haven’t mentioned Bush and Cheney at all.  Kerry and Edwards talk about their own vision for this country.

That’s strong leadership!

Imagine that.  Running campaign ads focusing on what you can do for the country and not what your opponent reportedly has or hasn’t done?

That’s rather novel in this modern age of mudslinging – which the Republicans have taken to a whole other level.  I have yet to see a single Bush-Cheney ad that actually showed how they’ve been strong leaders without attacking Kerry and/or Edwards.

If you’re a strong leader, why do you have to run-down your opponent?

If your record is so solid, why not run on that?

Do Republicans ever ask themselves these questions?

Obviously not.

What has Bush done to prove he should be trusted as President?  If by some chance there’s a Republican out there that just might happen to read this, I challenge you to give me just one valid reason to trust George W. Bush.  I’d be willing to listen.

Integrity?  Please!

So far all I’ve heard is, “He’s a great leader.”

How so?  Just saying he is doesn’t make it the truth.  Unlike the Right, the Left doesn’t continue to blindly follow ill-suited leaders.  Lynden B. Johnson comes to mind.  As I recall, the conflict in Vietnam began under Democratic leadership (Kennedy-Johnson).

Were those Conservatives out protesting that war?

LBJ at least had the decency not to run again.

Not Dubya, though!

So what do you do when you have no positive record of your own to run on?

Stay the course.  Keep lying.  And hope to God that nobody notices.

Tell them what they want to hear.

Recently, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Bush was selling the crowd on his being just a regular guy:

“… And only taxing the rich, first of all, creates a huge tax gap, which means buyer beware. You see, if you can't raise enough by taxing the rich, guess who gets to pay next? Yes, the not rich. That's all of us.”

~ GWB Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jul. 20, 2004

Thing is, he’s not just a regular guy.  He’s a very wealthy man who, like most politicians, tells his audience what it wants to hear:

“This is an impressive crowd. The haves and the have-mores. Some people call you the elite. I call you my base.” ~ GWB at a campaign fund-raiser  in 2000

George W. Bush went to Yale University.  That costs a lot of money, especially since it’s doubtful the President went there on any academic scholarship.  The majority of people can’t even get into Yale.  And I dare say that the only mediocre students (like George W.) that do get in, have extremely wealthy parents.  Not exactly the credentials of a regular guy.

Also, regular guys don’t get bumped ahead of the waiting list when it comes to serving in military services that guarantee not going to Vietnam.  Really wealthy ones do, though.

Any comment on that, Right-side?  What about you, less wealthy Right-wingers?

Is he a rich guy or a regular guy… like you?  Which base are you a part of?

John Kerry isn’t claiming to be something he is not.  John Kerry was born into wealth too.  The difference is, Kerry doesn’t feel it’s his birth-right to be President of the United States.  He wants to be President because it is the natural culmination of a lifetime of service to this country from his distinguished service in Vietnam – to his career in the United States Senate – to now.  It is his duty.

Tough on Terror

President Bush talks a good game when it comes to be tough on terror.

“I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, ‘Wanted: Dead or Alive.’” ~ GWB about Osama bin Laden - Sept. 17, 2001

“I don't know where he is. I have no idea and I really don't care. It's not that important.” ~ GWB about Osama bin Laden - March 13, 2002

“…And many others have met a different fate. Let me put it this way. They are no longer a problem for the United States and our friends and allies.” ~ GWB at January 2003 State of the Union Address

Tough talk.  Wimpy walk.

Mr. President, Osama bin Laden is still a “problem for the United States and our friends and allies.”

The military had Osama on the ropes in Afghanistan.

Any great military strategist will tell you that the obvious next move should be to shift the strength and focus of your forces to a completely unrelated endeavor like, say, Iraq.

That’s the problem with having Neo-Con chickenhawks running the military.  They seem to have honed their tactical skills playing Atari Combat!

John Kerry is a distinguished combat veteran.

Doesn’t it strike anyone as odd that the group that is so gung ho for war, never actually served in one?  This is the tripe the Republicans are serving, folks.  And so many Americans are still buying it… staying the course.

Staying the course

Before you cast your ballot in November, make sure you know who it is you are voting for and in what direction they are taking the country.  More importantly, make sure they know the direction in which they are taking the country.

Are you voting for George W. Bush because you believe in his ability to lead America?  If so, ask yourself what it is that he’s done exactly to earn your trust.  Don’t just go by the same old tired soundbites that he gives:

        “We’re making great progress in the war on terror…”

        “Making the tax cuts permanent will keep our economy growing…”

And my personal favorite:

        “Stay the course…”

If I’m going to stay the course… I think I’ll ride with John F. Kerry and John Edwards.

They’ve got a map and a compass.