Nixon v Bush

[Stinky The Clown]

In 1974, Tricky Dick resigned after a year or three of scandal, investigation, innuendo, indictments, and convictions involving those in the deepest corridors of power. His highest aides, indeed, went to jail.

The country reacted by electing a Dem congress and a few Dem presidents. But the Repbs, while taking a hit, didn't die. Instead, they came back stronger than ever. Just as corrupt. Just as evil.

And now, here we are in 2005. Having been around in the Nixon years, I can say that, to me at least, the stench is far worse and far wider now than then.

Are the Repubs the political version of the cockroach? Immune to everything, including, quite possibly, the political equivalent of a nuclear holocaust?

What will be the fates of the Democratic and Republican parties post Bush?

[H2O Man]

1. Antibiotics.

If you are ill, and a doctor precribes antibiotics for 14 days, you need to take them for the full 14 days. If you don't, the virus mutates, and comes back stronger. The country stopped taking the medicine the day Ford pardoned Nixon, and the disease mutated, and infected the nation with Iran-Contra. Again, we started to take the medicine prescribed, but stopped short of the full dose when Bush1 pardoned criminals. The present condition can only be correctly understood as the mutant Watergate/Iran-Contra virus.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Excellent analogy.

[Finder]

6. Agree, but...

Bush is no Nixon. Cheney on the other hand...

I believe he will be our Spiro. Rumsfeld will resign also.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. I generally agree. Some points however.

Bush is Nixonesque with his loyalty fixation and with Rove's dirty tricks. However Nixon was a liberal compared to Bush, who is a hard right corporatist conservative and an opportunistic social conservative, even though he is spineless on budget deficits.

Rostenkowski did Democratics no good by being corrupt and getting convicted.

Clinton did Democratics no good by having a zipper problem.

It is important to have positive programs. The Republican did not get their power by being solely anti-Democratic-Party. They presented an optimistic vision of America and the future that appealed to voters. Of course it included a deeply flawed vision, a passel of smears and dirty tricks, a stolen election or two, and culture of corruption. But they used a positive platform, not a basically "anti" platform. The rest was at the margins but, given the polarization created by the stupidity of the two party duopoly, a positive platform gave them enough of a base to operate from.

The Democratic Party and candidates must have positive platforms.

[mrcheerful]

4. Actually the dems were only in power

for a short time after Nixon. Carter was the first dem president since Johnson, then we got Reagan and daddy Bush. It seems that by telling people your ''born again'' and scaring the be-jesus out of them works better then actually standing up and doing something to make america better for all americans and not just those at the top. Also Remember that while Carter was in charge the repukes controlled the house until the page boy scandal hit, Thats where the good christen repuke congress were sleeping with the college students that were doing the foot work for the congressmen. I brought that the rebukes were well known for gay sex and got banned from a forum because the administrator disagreed with that ever happening to his beloved repuke party. Then when he found out it was true, He took it out on me. lmao at repukes.

[newscott]

5. Fool me once shame on you

Fool me twice shame on me.
Fool me thrice a war there'll be.

1 Nixon
2 Reagan
3 *

[Bloodblister Bob]

7. Nixon was loathsome, but...

One of the most discouraging things about our current situation in the US is the nagging nostalgia many are beginning to feel for even the most vile administrations of the past.

Nixon was indeed loathsome, but, unlike Bush, he was at least intelligent and hard-working.

Reagan was short on substance, but he knew how to "Be President". His natural way with people and words stand in sharp contrast to Bush's confused detachment.

Today's Republicans (which bear little resemblance to Republicans of yore) have succeeded in co-opting the flag, "patriotism", God, and maybe even apple pie. Progressives have more or less let them do so.

Progressives should keep their eyes on Bush's meltdown, and - like the cavalry in an old B western - ride to the rescue when the time is right, with flags waving, guns blazing, and the promise of a fresh apple pie.