Why are people so sensitive to criticisms of Bush?

[Tim4319]

Does the truth hurt that bad?

[CO Liberal]

1. Yet Those Same People....

...will spew the most venom-filled, horrible lies about John Kerry.
:shrug:

[SudieJD]

5. They Have To Believe..

if they admit to his failure, they would have to admit to their own and how wrong they are/were to elect him. And then again, they may just be to stupid to admit it.

Sudie

[Warpy]

15. That's my take, as well

Admitting what Bush is would be the same as admitting their own gullibility and failure to understand what Bush was at the beginning. Admitting that would be admitting they got completely bamboozled by a moron.

When somebody gets nasty and defensive, I think they know deep down that Bush is a monster and that they were fooled. My guess is that Bush can kiss their votes goodbye. They will hit a bar rather than the polls.

[SemperEadem]

37. Because you're basically telling a bunch of 5 yr olds

that Santa Claus doesn't exist. That doesn't go over too well with them.

[Kid_A]

2. Evidently, yes.

I infiltrated Free Republic today, and this is what happened.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1176486/posts?page=1,50

The truth hurts so bad it's driven them absolutely batshit loony.

[MaryH]

16. My Gosh

Those people are nuts. You troll you.

Stay away from there. You could get seriously hurt.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

3. Because

HE'S A MORAL, HEROIC, SELFLESS, PATRIOTIC, POPULAR WARTIME PREZNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GEEEZ! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT OR DOES YOUR RAMPANT HATRED OF 'MURRICA BLIND YOU THAT MUCH? :silly:-

[qwlauren35]

20. Some of it I agree with.

He's definitely "patriotic" and he's definitely "popular" and these last 4 years have seemed like "wartime" in the minds of many Americans... especially those in NYC and those with family members in the military.

I question whether he's moral - he's clearly pusing the "moral majority" agenda.

I question whether he's selfless - he takes ALL those vacations...

I wouldn't give him "heroic" - WWF spent more time in Iraq than he did.

I know it sounds like I'm defending someone that is generally considered abhorrent around here. But I think it's important to recognize the things that people like about him, and to find ways to address them instead of just beating them over the head with our point of view, i.e. he's the worst president we've had in decades.

[sadiesworld]

35. .

Patriotic- In a wrapping-oneself-in-the-flag, jingoistic, manipulative sort of way...yes. But if patriotic means doing what is best for the country and its inhabitants...er,NO.

Popular- For a time following 9/11. Now? His ratings are pretty bad for an incumbent and that's so even with a captive media and a largely uninterested populace.

Wartime- Sure. But his war is based on lies.

I understand your point, but if we don't point out the fallacies inherent in *'s definition of "patriotic", and the lies behind the Iraq War, we're enablers.

[NWHarkness]

4. It's hard to keep lying to yourself

When those around you insist on speaking the truth.

[tom_paine]

6. Why were Nazi Germans so sensitive to criticism of Hitler?

The answer is the SAME, it is only varying in degree of response, and by 2050 even that will have evened out.

[gratuitous]

7. A lot of people are emotionally invested

I can't explain it any better than that. You point out that Bush doesn't really give a flying Cheney about them or their situation, and you'd better be ready to put up your dukes.

Some people have listened to the lies for so long, they don't recognize the disconnect between the rhetoric and the reality: Iraq's better off, your taxes have been cut, America's stronger than ever, the economy's great and improving every second, we don't need any more troops, the deficit's nothing to worry about, the estate tax is crippling our country, and so on and so forth.

When they see information that contradicts what the administration is saying, it's usually only in dribs and drabs, and they don't gain an overall picture of just how much they're being misled. That's part of the reason the mighty Republican Wurlitzer has been wheezing overtime in response to F911 -- the sheer number and magnitude of the deception is neatly assembled in one package that anyone can understand.

So the people who aren't fooled, but who have a stake in the Bush program, are angry because they know it's their collective ass on the line. The people who have been fooled and haven't been receiving the promised payoff, well, nobody like to admit they've been suckered, so they get angry, too. Right now, teevee is telling them to be angry at Michael Moore, Linda Ronstadt and Sandy Berger.

[havocmom]

8. Those suffering from delusions ALWAYS fight anything which threatens

the to disprove those delusions. Violence is not that uncommon among delusional people.

[DrWho]

9. it's

It's the 9-11 Blinders.

Once people lift off the blinders, they see the light.

[Lisa]

10. they've got a cult of personality going ...

It's now at the stage where they identify themselves with the Dear Leader so much, any criticism of him is interpreted as a direct slam at them. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and all kinds of other totalitarian rulers in history have encouraged this type of thing, because it makes it much easier to suppress dissent.

Check out some of the bizarre stories that make Bush out to be some kind of saint (the "glurge" category at www.snopes.com) and the adoring artwork that makes him out to be some kind of religious icon:

http://www.talkingpresidents.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TP&Product_Code=ANPIT


When one considers that the real-life Bush doesn't really have that compelling a personality, it's pretty ludicrous ... but then again, I guess the point of imagemaking is that even a mediocre person can be presented in this way.

[GreenArrow]

11. because they identify so deeply with him

that to insult or critcise him, is to insult or criticise them.

[SudieJD]

12. After See The Freepers

I have to ask, how does anything live that long, to be that stupid when born without a brain????

Sudie

[Joanne98]

13. Because they're evil

Why else would they defend Bush? Nobody is this stupid.......

[Hoping4Change]

26. i don't think they'evil, I think they are obsessed. They remind

me of abused women who keep going back to husbands who treat them like a**wipes. Despite the abuse and neglect these women stand by their man and know with all their hearts that he reallly really cares.

[Joanne98]

31. They're defending evil, they're voting for evil

You are what you eat. I used to think they were stupid but I don't buy it anymore.

[Hoping4Change]

33. I know what you mean but I still think they are emotionally

manipulated. People make a joke of drinking Koolaid but all those people in Jonestown really believed till the last that Jim Jones was a good man. Jim Jones was evil, his followers were emotionally manipulated. At least that's how I see it.

[slappypan]

14. delusions of adequecy

George W. Bush is a symbol to mediocre people everywhere. He gives them hope that despite any particular competence or talent, they are "good enough." When Bush fails, their dreams are dashed.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

17. What's Margaret Cho's line?

"The truth really gets to stupid people"?

[aden_nak]

18. Because God speaks through Bush, to question this is herecy!

Poor God. His name gets raked through the fucking mud all over this planet. Me, I'm an aetheist. But if God does exist, he sure as hell isn't hanging around this shithole planet anymore. ;)

[leanings]

19. Why are people here so sensitive to criticisms of Clinton?

Modern society is so sharply divided among a multitude of lines that it leaves many people totally bereft of any empathy for the "other side". Leaders are brought forth that people feel represent their own world view. Folks on the one side of the spectrum view the leaders of the other as totally alien. It's us v them. So we call Boo$h* a evil stupid chimp and they call Billary Klinton an immoral lying pervert and any criticism from either end is viewed by the other as part of an evil, cynical plot and totally without merit, both sides are further forced apart and, voila!, we have American politics in 2004.

[Tim4319]

23. I hear you!

But, I do not recall a comedian loosing their endorsement deal, or a performer being escorted off stage in the middle of a performance, for criticizing Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton was getting ripped every night, mainly over sex! Bush is pretty much getting away with murder, and anytime someone addresses his faults, they are either arrested, loose their job or their name is dragged through the mud.

[leanings]

27. Yeah, corperate America

is much more sensitive to criticisms of Bush than to Clinton. That's to be expected to some extent, as Republicans are the party of business. I was just talking about people on a personal level.

[Jacobin]

32. Because, compared to what sits in the WH right now

It seems almost blasphemous to complain about him.

I like him a lot and think he did a fantastic job. I agree with about 75% of his positions, but LOVE the fact that he fended off the neo-cons so deftly.

However, I have no problem with others criticizing him, particularly if they leave his sex life alone, since that seems to me to be a completely personal matter that has NEVER EVER had anything to do with a president's job. I'm astounded at those who think fidelity in marriage was EVER a prerequisite for the job.

[Jacobin]

21. They don't like his policies

Hell, they don't even know what his fucking policies are. They are fucking idiots.

They just love the Smirk and his down home cowboy ways, have adopted him as a "special olympics" kind of president, and think of him as their wayward son who stumbled onto a good job and needs to be defended when he fucks everything up.

Of this, I am completely convinced.

[Hoping4Change]

28. ""special olympics" kind of president" what a riot.

thanx for the LOL.:thumbsup:

[Skidmore]

22. Because they are trying to give his administration

legitimacy. They know that the way he was installed in that office was illegitimate. To get their agendas through before he bites the dust means they need to defend him vociferously. He's an unelected fraud who has taken this country to the brink of ruination and we need to keep reminding the nation of this.

[KansDem]

24. "Buyers' Remorse"

People don't want to be reminded that they made a bad choice.

Remember that lemon of a car you just had to have? Or the worthless college degree that you paid dearly for in terms of time and money? Or how about that second mortgage or additional credit card(s) you needed for that "house remodeling" or "dream vacation?"

How do you feel when someone "reminds" you about what as transpired since you made your decision???

Don't get me started!!!

[porphyrian]

25. Bush fans are little fucking wimps.

Whatcha gonna do, Kid Rock? Bleed on me and give me hepatitis? Please.

[Canuckistanian]

29. It's classic denial

Did you believe it when your parents (or someone else) finally told you that there was no Santa Claus?

[GreenPartyVoter]

30. Because they see Bush as a representative of themselves, so to call *

a murdering, lying sick son of a gun is to call them the same. That's why they take it personally.

[Tight_rope]

34. Yes...the truth does hurt...and many people are too weak to take it!

PUNKS!

[gatorboy]

36. I gotta tell ya. This is starting to piss me off...

These people seem to forget that Bush works for me now. We are now his employer. If I don't like the job he's doing I will damn well be critical about it and let people know. I am sick of the conservatives treating him like royalty. If I can't have a say, then stop taxing me.

[Tim4319]

38. Well put.

[mmonk]

39. cults react that way.