Texans: How was Bush as Governor?

[scottcsmith]

Ever since Bush became President, I've wondered why he is so popular with Republicans. How was he as Governor? I read somewhere that in Texas, the Governor doesn't have a lot of power. So, what did Bush do in Texas? Did he have any major accomplishments? I'd be interested in hearing about the legacy of Governor Bush.

[XNASA]

1. Zilch. Nada. Bupkis.

Aside from the 152 executions he signed-off on, he did nothing.

Except that Houston surpassed LA as the most polluted city in the US under his term.

[Avalux]

2. He also

totally screwed up the public school system - what a mess. Bastard!

[scottcsmith]

6. What's the attraction?

I just don't get it. I cannot comprehend why conservatives like Bush. From all accounts he had not accomplished anything of importance by the age of 40, and from what I've read here, didn't do much as a governor, either. Average student. Tested poorly on the Texas Air Guard pilot aptitude test but managed to get a position in it, and then didn't show up for a year. It just boggles my mind that right-wingers like Bush as much as they do. He's a man who was a drunk until the age of 40, and quite possibly a cocaine user at one point. He drifted from job to job, usually failing. His only major accomplishment by age 30 was getting arrested for driving drunk. Compare that to Bill Clinton, who was elected Attorney General of Arkansas when he was 28.

And the so-called liberal media has barely touched on Bush's past. Where was the major reporting on the cocaine abuse? Where was the major reporting on Bush's alcohol problem? Where was the major reporting on Bush being AWOL? Aside from the occasional piece, the media basically gave Bush a pass. To this day it appears that people just don't hold him accountible for anything his administration does. They'll blame someone else -- like CIA director Tenet -- but never W.

Sorry, I got a little off-topic...

[Goldenboy]

16. Where's the attraction of GWB?

Easy...he has the long standing philosophy of supporting the interests of businesses over that of consumers and the environment; his policies generally favor the wealthy over the non-wealthy.

And even though it's popular to ridicule him for being rather anti-intellectual and disinterested in the details of public policy (unlike his brother Jeb, who is, to his credit, a policy wonk), Dubya does have pretty strong political skills and instincts and has surrounded himself with some very shrewd advisors/operatives like Rove.

Molly Ivins has pointed out many times that Dubya has very often been underestimated. Let's not make this same mistake.

[Hippo_Tron]

17. It's simple, he's so stupid that he just does everything they tell him n/t

[Lydia Leftcoast]

28. As Studs Terkel said of Ronald Reagan

while speaking in Oregon, "He made it okay to be stupid."

I think that the huge mass of uninformed, superficial voters recognized one of their own.

[Tempest]

3. Ask Molly Ivins

I'm sure she'd be happy to tell you just how much of a dismal failure Bush was as governor.

Or you can read her book "Bushwhacked".

[yella_dawg]

4. Hmm...

Totally destroyed public education.
Handed the insurance companies anything they asked for.
Pumped up the bank accounts of his cronies.

Actually, between the murder spree and the rape of public education, I had to learn to ignore the bastard. So I don't really know.

[Wwagsthedog]

5. Under the Texas constitution the Governor has very little to do.

Georgie managed to do that poorly, viciously and to the benefit of his buddies. I don't think he ever missed an afternoon nap and bragged about it. After all, he is a good, christian man. Barbara ought to be locked in a dairy cow pen in El Paso for the rest of her life for what she and poppy have given us. No, I can't say anything coherent or good about him but then again, who can?

[TheChibi]

7. As a student...

He really messed the system up. From TAAS to TAKS to TEKS, gods above. We're not actually learning anything but how to test now. Our budgets are shredded, so our Creative Writing class went bye-bye, and they created another Ag class. *shrugs* Not sure that was entirely him, but all his Republican buddies are all here. I'm just happy I'm the last class to take the TAAS. Oh, and he liked signing death penalty warrants. A lot.

[amber dog democrat]

8. He made things WORSE

Makes me say thank god for E J Davis. We have had weak governors ever since Reconstruction.
Bush
Overall impression: generally pathological. Mean spirited. Understands nothing.
Lot of executions, pandered to the Insurance lobby, screwed up public education.

His successor, Rick Perry-site is even worse, as well as evil.

We deserved better.

[Skittles]

9. HE F***ING SUCKED

what did you think I was gonna say?

[SlavesandBulldozers]

10. don't forget FLoridians

we still have Bush as Governor, and Bush as President. You might say we Floridians get more Bush than Dr. J.

[Castilleja]

11. I honestly thought that...

once word got out about what he did as governor, that no one would vote for the man. :shrug: Especially when he spoke of doing for the US what he did for Texas, once people noted we are scraping the bottom in every category.

The only things I recall that he did are those mentioned above; screwed the schools, executed many, helped Houston attain super-polluted status, messed with refinery pollution rules, etc. I am not aware of anything really beneficial that he did for the state. I think, primarily, his role is and was that of a salesman.

I don't know what it is that people see in him, then or now...

[BlueCollar]

12. Hmmm

Who knew Jeb was the smart one?

:shrug:

[impeach the gop]

13. He began the destruction of Texas

WE TEXANS TRIED TO TELL YA SO. We know country, would be the end of democracy under the tyrrany of the Cold Blooded Killer. He gets orgasims from his war against humanity. War tribunal is what we must demand for his war crimes, here and abroad. He must be punished in the same fashion he is so fond of unjustly subjecting the citizens of his
poverty policies.

Now his terror has spread from Texas, thru out the USA, and he has plans for the destruction of the world, and looks like
he wants to domonate the galaxy, Next he may go after God and try to liberate the higher power just in case God has
WMD. Like burning his sorry evil cowardly ass in eternal hell, boiling smirk alive, in black gold he so loves. Ironic. Burn the fucker in his beloved oil. Perfect punishment to suit his crimes.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cosmicdot]

20. so, are you saying * was a good governor or bad?

instead of attacking the above message, why not provide info with links to answer the thread's question

[amber dog democrat]

21. Need I remind you

that, ( presuming there is any accuracy to the poll you are referring to) , you are only talking about the precentage of regestered voters who actually voted.

NOT the majority of Texans. Certainly NOT 60% of the over all population.
You are sampling a much smaller number.

And just what do statistics proove? He was a figurehead, just getting his ticket punched prior to going on to larger things that his dad's employees were lining up for him.

Now he has the distinction of being the WORST president in American history.

And I never knew he had it in him.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

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[mourningdove92]

14. he sucked as Govenor.

Almost as much as he sucks as President and/or human.

[PDittie]

15. A disaster

Of course, it was a perfect job for a lazy, lying no-account SOB to get his feet wet in politics, since the governor in this state barely does anything at all.

[silverlib]

18. My most memorable moment

was when Texas had to return federal funding for the program to insure Texas' uninsured children.

It came during a year our legislature was not in session and he refused to call a special session to match the funds.

Other memorable things have been mentioned, but then again, we also had a big "tax break" that helped the wealthy and was responsible for the increase in property taxes for the middle class and poor.

[imesswithtexas]

22. Texas has a weak executive branch.

The governorship here in Texas is a weak plural executive (power is diffused among many people). So basically they don't do crap. They have little appointment powers. BTW this was all a reaction to a radical Republican Gov. Davis (no not he's not related to the former California governor) whom abused his powers after the Civil War. That's enough of my data dumping of what I remember from GOVT-2301 class.

[amber dog democrat]

23. Right, but like Clements

they can make a lot of bad appointments.

[Th1onein]

25. The govenor in TX doesn't have much power....

The constitution of Texas gives the Lt. Gov. most of the power in our state. But, as governor, Bush had the right to stay or go forward with executions, or grant clemency, etc. Bush, as governor, was responsible for a record 152 executions while he was governor of TX. And, when one of those death row prisoners, Karla Fay Tucker (I am not sure of the name)begged for clemency, Bush made fun of her, before going ahead with her execution.

His "No Child Left Behind" program resulted in a record 55% drop out rate in our public schools. His environmental programs resulted in Houston being rated the second most polluted city in the country.....and now all of us in counties surrounding Houston have to pay extra to get emissions tests on our cars, before we can get an inspection sticker.

In short, he was one of the worst governors we've ever had. No wait. Make that THE worst.

[stepnw1f]

26. I heard something very interesting....

It's rumor that George impregnated a girl and the family pressured the girl to have an abortion. Is this true and did anyone else hear about this?

[stepnw1f]

27. Actually I have a couple links on this issue...

http://democrats.com/display.cfm?id=159

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30216