# A Question For Fellow "Liberals" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 8, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814 "2004-12-08T21:04:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![goofyfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b77776/32.png) [@goofyfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goofyfish)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/1 "2004-12-08T21:04:34Z")
Has President Bush accomplished _anything_ in office of which you approve? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/2 "2004-12-08T21:14:46Z")
He has released some English ‘terrorists’ from Guantanamo Bay. After months. Of solitary confinement. And violent interrogation. With no access to lawyers. Or their families. (Strangely they faced no charges upon return - stupid UK justice system.) Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/3 "2004-12-08T21:20:06Z")
Found the Department of Homeland Security. Got rid of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Put airport security under government control. Ended steel tariffs ( would be more impressed if he had never created the tariffs in the first place, but…) Provided fodder for many amusing Onion headlines. That’s about it that I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/4 "2004-12-08T21:22:17Z")
Not really a General Question, I think, as the OP is calling for opinions rather than a factual answer. Did you mean to post this in GD? ---
**Author:** ![goofyfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b77776/32.png) [@goofyfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goofyfish)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/5 "2004-12-08T21:25:52Z")
Having made few posts, I’ll certainly go along with wherever it should be. ---
**Author:** ![goofyfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b77776/32.png) [@goofyfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goofyfish)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/6 "2004-12-08T21:26:53Z")
…although I am not looking for a debate. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/7 "2004-12-08T21:36:11Z")
> [@ITR champion](#): > > Found the Department of Homeland Security. > Got rid of the Taliban in Afghanistan. > Put airport security under government control. > Ended steel tariffs ( would be more impressed if he had never created the tariffs in the first place, but…) > Provided fodder for many amusing Onion headlines. > > That’s about it that I can think of. 1. Was the Department of Homeland Security lost? (Sorry!) 2. “A violent resurgence of Taliban and al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan is putting U.S. soldiers and international aid workers at increasing risk, especially in the southern part of the country, the back yard and birthplace of the Taliban.” [http://www.news-leader.com/\_sunday/0801-Talibanrea-146191.html](http://www.news-leader.com/_sunday/0801-Talibanrea-146191.html) 1. “Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, may be one of the most recognizable politicians in the world, but that didn’t stop some airport screeners from treating him as a potential security risk.” [http://us.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/19/kennedy.airlines/](http://us.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/19/kennedy.airlines/) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/8 "2004-12-08T21:41:23Z")
General Questions is for questions with factual answers. Since you are looking for opinions, I’ll move this to IMHO. **DrMatrix** - GQ Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/9 "2004-12-08T21:54:51Z")
There was something recently he did which I agreed with, but I can’t recall now what it was. The first few months of the Afghanistan campaign went pretty well before he went in search of a new toy. Can’t think of anything else, but I’m sure there’s gotta be something. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/10 "2004-12-08T22:12:46Z")
Working to get rid of the Taliban. That’s good, although I don’t know if it’ll ever end. Unlike the war in Iraq, there actually seems to be a purpose worth fighting for, however. He’s backing the intelligence reforms proposed by the 9/11 Commission. I’m not 100% sold on this stuff, though, I think the Republicans who say it’s just another layer of bureacracy have a valid point. Mmmmm…he’s said a lot of unintentionally hilarious things that the Daily Show has mocked. There’s probably some other stuff, but that’s all I can think of off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/11 "2004-12-08T22:18:43Z")
His 9/11 speech, especially “Don’t blame Muslims, blame terrorists.” The No Child Left Behind Act was a good idea. Unfortunately, without sufficient money it’s become just another unfunded federal mandate. ---
**Author:** ![Spongemom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Spongemom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spongemom)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/12 "2004-12-08T22:43:31Z")
I’m getting sick and tired of my people saying that the presidency of George W. Bush is a failure. With the string of successes he’s had, nothing could be further from the truth. Let me list a few: 1. He has successfully rid America of that troubling budget surplus and turned it into a $500 billion deficit. 2. He has successfully helped America’s trading partners have the highest trade surplus with us in America’s history. 3. He has successfully lowered the taxes for the richest Americans and corporations at the expense of 99% of the American population. 4. He has successfully started another Viet Nam in Iraq after lying to the whole world. 5. He has successfully pushed the price of gas up to the highest level ever here in America. 6. He has successfully allowed American corporations to dramatically increase their pollution. 7. He has successfully thrown about 10% of the population out of work. 8. He has successfully allowed corporations to export our best middle-class jobs. 9. He has successfully divided our country as never before. 10. He has successfully driven our oldest allies away. 11. He has successfully united the terrorists as never before (he said all along he was a uniter, not a divider). 12. He has successfully broken his oath to uphold the constitution of the United States of America. 13. He has successfully united Democrats (yay!) as they haven’t been for years (I told you he was a uniter). 14. He has successfully driven me to detest the Republican party for the rest of my life. Is that enough? ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/13 "2004-12-08T22:54:18Z")
Well, I thought that little speech he gave praising Clinton at the unveiling of his official portrait was pretty swell. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/14 "2004-12-08T22:58:20Z")
He had to do something to get 51% of the popular vote. I think his removal of the Taliban and Saddam Hussein were good moves. These were 2 of the worst governments on earth according to Freedom House. I remember a year or so ago Bush saying in order to promote democracy in the middle east he was going to reward the more liberal countries with aid packages. He slightly increased the pell grant ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/15 "2004-12-08T23:02:23Z")
He has hired minorities for cabinet positions. And I agree on the 9/11 speech: The idea that we should not blame _all_ Muslims for the acts of a few was absolutely right, and needed to be said. Also, I agree with his call to continue research on hydrogen power. I think he needs to do _more_ with respect to alternate-energy, but I agree with it as far as it goes. And I don’t think the action in Afghanistan was wrong; I think it was an appropriate, measured response to the 9/11 attack. If anything, he didn’t go far _enough_ in Afghanistan - I suspect they dropped the ball to a certain degree in trying to apprehend bin Laden. I can’t think of anything else right now. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/16 "2004-12-08T23:02:59Z")
I support No Child Left Behind. There are problems with it, but the aim behind it is good. There are plenty of GD threads about it, so I won’t start another debate here. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/17 "2004-12-08T23:03:45Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > He had to do something to get 51% of the popular vote. Yeah, but that “something” isn’t necessarily being a good president. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/18 "2004-12-08T23:33:09Z")
> [@](#): > > He had to do something to get 51% of the popular vote. As we were constantly told after the 2000 election, the popular vote is meaningless and only the electoral college vote is a true reflection of the election. Bush was re-elected with 286 votes; Clinton was re-elected with 379. So here’s a summation of the Bush presidency: “After four years in office, he was judged by the American people to be only three quarters of the President that Bill Clinton was.” ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/19 "2004-12-09T00:08:49Z")
I thought the way he handled the run up to the war in Afghanistan after 9/11 (taking his time, gathering international support, etc.) as well as the war itself was quite good. If he had stayed there and finished the job instead of fishing for reasons to go after Iraq, I think we would be in a very good position right now in terms of a drastically reduced risk of large-scale terrorism and strong international cooperation to find and prevent it. Alas… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814/20 "2004-12-09T01:42:59Z")
His actions after 9/11 and his invasion of Afghanistan were generally good, but I really can’t think of anything else I approve of. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-fellow-liberals/278814.md?page=2)