LA Times: "Bush Worst President in American History"

[Jack_Dawson]

Damn...and I thought we were harsh!

LOS ANGELES TIMES COLUMN: BUSH WORST PRESIDENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY
Fri Oct 08 2004 09:46:43 ET

He's So Bad, He Might Be Perfect
Under an odd logic, Bush deserves another term. Shouldn't he suffer for his blunders?

COMMENTARY


An editor at the paper suggested that I use this week's column to try to make the most honest and persuasive case I could for President Bush's reelection. At first I was skeptical. To say that I consider Bush a "bad" president would be a severe understatement. I think he's bad in a way that redefines my understanding of the word "bad." I used to think U.S. history had many bad presidents. Now, my "bad" category consists entirely of George W. Bush, with every previous president redefined as "good." There's also the fact that, on a personal level, I despise him with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns. What I'm saying is, advocating Bush is kind of tricky.

But then I thought, what the heck. Why not try it for the sake of intellectual experimentation? After all, lawyers often defend some pretty repugnant clients, right? In keeping with that, I won't attempt to deny that my client has done some awful things. What I'll argue instead is that his very awfulness is the reason he deserves reelection.

Begin with the premise that a second-term Bush administration is unlikely to make things a whole lot worse. First of all, domestically, GOP moderates and deficit hawks have finally begun to wake up and realize that they have to rein in Bush's reckless fiscal policies. At the same time, if John F. Kerry is elected and tries to raise taxes or rein in spending, he'll probably suffer substantial political damage, as Bill Clinton did in 1994. But, unlike Clinton, he'll not enjoy Democratic majorities in both Houses, which means he stands a good chance of failing. That would be the worst of all worlds: Democrats would suffer the political costs of demanding sacrifice from the public, without the corresponding benefit of making the country better.

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker has estimated that there's a 75% chance of a major financial crisis within the next five years if we don't reduce our budget deficit. That may be too high, but assume he's right. Whoever holds office would quickly become extremely unpopular, whether he had tried to deal with the deficit or not. If the choice is Bush doing nothing versus Kerry doing nothing, why not let Bush take the blame for his own mess? Why have a Democrat bail him out?

...

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-chait8oct08,1,4008389.column

[ronnykmarshall]

1. Hey Jack ...

What's the link to that??

I want to send that to my Step-dad in cause he missed reading it this morning.

[Jack_Dawson]

2. Posted it - but you may need to register

[noahmijo]

3. Uh no fuck you asshole Bush must go

You wanna play rebel? you wanna deal some punishment to the Chimp by letting him stay in for another 4 years? then elist yourself or your kids and send yourself or them to Iraq, because I, as a healthy 23 year old, will NOT be drafted so that you can stay at home and gloat at how bumbling Bush is.

[mrbassman03]

4. I also find myself on the fence about letting Bush clean up his own mess..

But it comes to the point where one wonders how bad it will get. If this is the worst it could get, Bush may be the one to clean it up. However, there are still many civil rights that I enjoy that I fear Bush may take away.

[Jack_Dawson]

6. It will get so much worse

beginning w/ overturning Roe v. Wade

[madrchsod]

7. just remember----supreme court----------

[gpandas]

5. i have these thoughts, also. n/t

[ElementaryPenguin]

8. I read this this morning! Hysterically funny - while making some valid

Points! Why shouldn't Bushler be forced to contend with the incredibly awful mess he created? (Other than the fact that BushCo might be the only administration ever that could and would actually destroy the frickin' planet - either with malicious intent or by amazing incompetence - or a combination thereof!)

[ixion]

9. got a good belly laugh from this line... because I can relate

" There's also the fact that, on a personal level, I despise him with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns."

I feel the same way, Mr. Chait.

[nostamj]

10. isn't that line from a Will Pitt rant?

[Mandate My Ass]

12. That's from an early Cheers episode

Diane said it to Sam.

[nostamj]

13. well... I was close...

;-)

knew I heard it somewhere...

[Mandate My Ass]

14. It's a great line, isn't it?

Somehow in the past four years I've found myself using it alot. That and the f-bomb. :hi:

[progressivebydesign]

11. While amsusing, remember two words: SUPREME COURT!!! n/t

[AmerDem]

15. Interesting article

If it weren't for the Supreme Court issue I would be in that camp, let shrub and his party dig themselves out. The end result would be pure annihilation of their party. Given the fact that decisions a staunch rightwing Supreme Court can make can so adversely affect our country and the moral ground we bring to the rest of the world I don't feel we can chance another 4 years of this clueless fascist fuck.

Kerry will have a hell of a time straightening out the mess this idiot has caused but if there is one team capable of doing it it's Kerry/Edwards. I say bring on the challenge.

[Jack_Dawson]

16. Rush talking about it now

www.kogo.com

[calimary]

17. Amusing read, but I can think of lots of holes in this logic.

I am COMPLETELY unwilling to bet the next four years against a chance - REPEAT - CHANCE that bush would eventually be held accountable for this if he stays around to have to face his own messes, on the chance - REPEAT - CHANCE that all the dominoes would fall, according to the "predictions" on which this premise is built.

Assume this administration is UNlikely to make things a whole lot worse? You REALLY wanna do that?

Assume GOP moderates would continue their awakening and rein bush in?

Assume a Kerry victory would NOT generate momentum for change that the Dems start to accellerate, and a reluctant press forced to acknowledge that the people wanted this idiot OUT, or that Paul Volker is correct (dunno - he could be).

Assume we won't regain the House or Senate - hey, who knows, at this point?

Assume bush WILL be prevented in starting yet another war, facts be damned. Assume anyone will want to challenge him on ANYTHING if he wins and inevitably parlays that into the for-real, iron-clad mandate he only pretended he had, four years ago.

Assume the religious extremists WON'T read a bush victory actually as THEIR mandate. THEIRS PERSONALLY. This'd prove they were correct all along. This'd prove God really was on their side and everybody better bow to them now, or else. They have PROOF. American Taliban, here we come.

Assume the Supreme Court WOULD want to "chicken out and uphold Roe anyway" to avoid a backlash. Yeah, sure. There wouldn't BE a backlash...

Assume the center-left, pro-choice crowd, would be "reinvigorated." MAN, do I doubt THAT one. The demoralization would be worse than 2002, worse than we've felt watching the swifties onslaught - that was virtually unopposed. We'd be demoralized, which our opponents would exploit (Wish I'd saved the article by Howard Dean, diagnosing the Democrats as having suffered from a demoralizing, demobilizing depression when everything seemed to be going against us). They would not be graceful or generous in victory. We've already seen that. The republi-CONS and the biased elements in the media would only gather momentum and power, and they never hesitate to use, overuse, misuse, and abuse it.

Assume the media won't become even more pliant, genuflecting even lower now, because, after all, king george kept his crown.

Not an alternative, or option, that I'd seriously consider for even a moment. If/when Kerry wins, the momentum, mandate, and muscle, are OURS. Under New Management, and the voters ordered it that way.

That said, the first paragraph is a World-Class keeper.

[Strelnikov_]

18. Kerry Or Boosh, Massive Challenges Are Looming

With Boosh, we will have to struggle alone to survive the effects of the economic collapse, since no aid from the Government will be forthcoming. All efforts will be directed to ensuring continuing viability of the richest 1 percent, and profitability of the largest corporations. On a plus side '04 will be the last election they win in a generation.

With Kerry, some help from the Government will be forthcoming. More importantly, sane and sustainable policies will be implemented, building the base for a better future. However, we will have to work hard to keep him from getting thrown out of office in 2008 as the GOP places blame for the collapse on Democratic policies.

For me, I greatly prefer the second choice. I would rather have a competent administration now, and deal with '08 at that time.

I now know how Hungry Joe felt when he was approaching the mission limit. After Nov. 2, we will have a reference point for how the future may unfold.