# All hail the conquering hero: Bush in Baghdad **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 27, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594 "2003-11-27T17:40:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/101 "2003-11-28T02:51:52Z")
I will not take a back seat to anyone in suspecting that politics has more to do with this than troop moral. None-the-less, it is a perfectly appropriate thing for the President to have done. When John Kennedy visited the troops in Berlin all were gratified. So too should the troops in Iraq be gratified that the President went out of his way to pay them a visit, especially about 500 Iowa kids from the local reserve battalion. Plus, what would he have done if Senator Clinton went and he did not. Hillary is in Afghanistan today. She will be in Baghdad tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/102 "2003-11-28T02:56:08Z")
When I first heard about this, I thought, “What a brilliant move!” In one day, Bush has boosted the morale of the soldiers in Iraq, showed his resolve to the resistance, the other Arab nations, and the world at large. He met with members of the governing council, which was an important diplomatic move. He also showed some balls and creativity. Way to go." My second thought was, “Man, the rabid Bush-haters over on the SDMB must be going apeshit over this.” Thanks for not disappointing me. So far, this thread has decided that he was reckless for going there, and a coward for not staying longer. He did it because of the ‘timing’ (a quiet Thanksgiving a year from an election - hoo boy, that’s some precision timing work, that). He turned it into a media stunt, but he didn’t let the media know about it. He’s being arrogant and aggressive, yet he’s skulking around like a wimp. He’s the hate-all President. For all of you so concerned about the military - Do you have ANY idea how popular Bush is as commander-in-chief? When he walked into the room unannounced, the reaction was immediate and unscripted - they didn’t just cheer. They didn’t just stand at attention and smile politely as they do with Hillary when she shows up at a military function. No, these guys (600 of them, not 60) immediately began cheering, screaming, standing on their chairs, and choruses of “Hoo-ah!” were erupting. And since the reporters were allowed into the room at the time, Bush was absolutely confident that that was the reaction he’d get. It would have been pretty awful PR if Bush had been greeted with boos from his own soldiers, eh? The military LOVES George W. Bush. He’s probably the most popular CinC they’ve had since at least Reagan, and maybe since Ike. I know a lot of you are baffled by this, and can’t imagine why anyone sent to Iraq would like the guy. But that’s just another example of the big disconnect the left has with the average soldier. You guys just don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/103 "2003-11-28T03:12:13Z")
Aw, get real, **Sam**. How can any reliable judgement be made? Are you trying to pretend that every single soldier in his captive audience is gushing with joy and admiration for GeeDubya? Every _single_ one? There’s not _one_ of them who wouldn’t want to say “You suck, sir!” If it were me, I’d want to. You bet. But I _damned_ sure ain’t fool enough to make such thoughts publicly known, since “living Hell” is not my idea of a good time. 'Cause, you know, they kind of frown on that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![randy054](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/54ee81/32.png) [@randy054](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randy054)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/104 "2003-11-28T03:15:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Michael Ellis \* > \*\*Well, I guess I won’t visit my family for Christmas. I’ll wait until April. \*\* Having been in the military and on an Aircraft Carrier, every Christmas and Thanksgiving day, the Captain and XO were personally dish out the food on your plate in the chow line. How would the President go to Iraq and serve the food as is customary in the military in such a way to please everyone? Please provide an answer: Nevertheless, it would have been a strong boost in my morale had I been there, as can be seen by the troops there as well. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/105 "2003-11-28T03:19:44Z")
> [@](#): > > The military LOVES George W. Bush. He’s probably the most popular CinC they’ve had since at least Reagan, and maybe since Ike. I know a lot of you are baffled by this, and can’t imagine why anyone sent to Iraq would like the guy. But that’s just another example of the big disconnect the left has with the average soldier. You guys just don’t get it. Cite please. And we are talking the grunts here. Not the brass. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/106 "2003-11-28T03:26:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Aw, get real, Sam. How can any reliable judgement be made? Are you trying to pretend that every single soldier in his captive audience is gushing with joy and admiration for GeeDubya? Every single one? There’s not one of them who wouldn’t want to say “You suck, sir!” Oh, I’m sure there are a few who dislike him. Hard as this is to believe, there are probably even some Democrats in the military. But the vast majority of them love the guy. Bush’s approval ratings among soldiers is stratospheric. The last numbers I saw put it somewhere between 80 and 90%. When Bush said, “We did not charge hundreds of miles into the heart of Iraq, pay a bitter cost in casualties, defeat a brutal dictator and liberate 25 million people only to retreat before a band of thugs and assassins,” he did not just get polite applause. He got a standing ovation. From the very people he is committing to battle. I know this may be hard for you to understand, but these people are in the military for a PURPOSE. For them to get such strong support from their President is a big, big deal to them. ---
**Author:** ![Milum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Milum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milum)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/107 "2003-11-28T03:27:01Z")
**elucidator** > [@](#): > > Aw, get real, Sam. How can any reliable judgement be made? Are you trying to pretend that every single soldier in his captive audience is gushing with joy and admiration for GeeDubya? Every single one? There’s not one of them who wouldn’t want to say “You suck, sir!” Yeah well just maybe **elucidator** , there was a bug on a soliders shirt that was unhappy with President Bush coming to Thanksgiving Dinner with the troops but who cares. What a man! What a leader! What a wonderful future is in store for the people of Iraq! God bless Bush! ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/108 "2003-11-28T03:30:25Z")
Yes, **Sam** , you do need to tell us how you reached that conclusion, unless it was by prefiltering your sources as usual. There has been quite a lot reported out in the broader world. If what you think had any relation to reality, it would hardly be necessary to threaten courts-martial against dissenters, would it? > [@](#): > > Do you have ANY idea how popular Bush is as commander-in-chief? At least as much as you, probably more. Now, who really thinks the audience privileged to be in the same tent as Bush was not just as prescreened as the audiences for any of his other public appearances? Besides you, that is, Sam. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/109 "2003-11-28T03:34:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xtisme \* > \*\*Diogenes the Cynic, I must be living in another reality than you are…I missed the whole ‘begging the world’ thing. Why don’t you fill us all in with some good examples of Bush begging. It will go well as an after dinner treat. > > -XT \*\* Hello? He went to the UN asking for money and troops. He’s been making sanctimonious statements about how other countries need to chip in money and send kids to die for his approval ratings. What rock have you been living under? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/110 "2003-11-28T03:40:26Z")
God, some of you people are dupes, and so is a lot of the military. It’s a conservative culture, i was in it, I know, but but there are _plenty_ of people in uniform who can’t stand Bush. The “spontaneous” response was totally scripted and orhestrated just like everything else this piece of shit does. They _have_ to stand at attention, it’s the CIC. They stood at attention for Clinton too. I think it’s sad that so many in the military are so brainwashed that they actually think it’s some kind of privelege to be paid a visit by their would-be killer but there’s a lot I didn’t like about the military. It has a lot of morons in it. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/111 "2003-11-28T03:44:53Z")
> [@](#): > > When Bush said, “We did not charge hundreds of miles into the heart of Iraq, pay a bitter cost in casualties, defeat a brutal dictator and liberate 25 million people only to retreat before a band of thugs and assassins,” he did not just get polite applause. He got a standing ovation. From the very people he is committing to battle. I know this may be hard for you to understand, but these people are in the military for a PURPOSE. For them to get such strong support from their President is a big, big deal to them. Why _did_ they do it then? Please stick to legal justifications only. BTW, they didn’t “liberate” a fucking thing. They illegally occupied another country killing lots of innocent civilians in the process. ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/112 "2003-11-28T03:46:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Milum \* > \*\*Forgive me good people. I hear you say that our President has done a terrible thing by visiting our troops in Iraq. But I don’t understand - Why am I smiling? 🙂 🙂 🙂 \*\* You’re smiling because you’re consumed with wondering about what other people think. If you weren’t concerned about what other people think, you wouldn’t have bothered letting us know that you’re smiling and then gone on to ask us to comment on it. The irony here Milum is that you’re infinitely more addicted to our responses than most of us are to your presence. You did ask… ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/113 "2003-11-28T03:48:51Z")
> [@](#): > > I know this may be hard for you to understand, but these people are in the military for a PURPOSE. For them to get such strong support from their President is a big, big deal to them. The _purpose_ of the military is to _protect its people_. The invasion of Iraq had nothing to do with protecting anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/114 "2003-11-28T03:50:50Z")
> [@](#): > > When Bush said, " **We** did not charge hundreds of miles into the heart of Iraq, pay a bitter cost in casualties… I must have missed the pics of Duhbya leading that charge. ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/115 "2003-11-28T03:54:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > \*\*What makes you think he made them happy? > > Personally, I think anyone over there who would be gratified by such a hypocritical and self-serving gesture is a gullible tool. \*\* What makes me think he made them happy? Why, the actual servicemen themselves. > [@](#): > > “I think that shows real personal courage,” said Sergeant Gilbert Nail from Oklahoma as he returned from a night patrol through Saddam Hussein’s still dangerous home town of Tikrit. > “It’s a total morale booster,” said Nail of the 4th Infantry Division when he learned of Bush’s flying visit to Baghdad. > “I didn’t get to see him but what matters is that he cares enough to come and visit.” ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/116 "2003-11-28T04:00:02Z")
You quoted one man. And what did you expect him to say? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/117 "2003-11-28T04:06:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by milroyj \* > \*\*What makes me think he made them happy? Why, the actual servicemen themselves. \*\* Why don’t you quote the guy he said he wanted Rumsfeld’s resignation? Oh, I remember, he got threatened witha COURT MARTIAL. Of course it’s going to be easy to find some naive, deluded fool who actually thinks Bush did something courageous o0r honerable. The military is filled with guys like that. That doesn’t mean they’re right. ---
**Author:** ![randy054](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/54ee81/32.png) [@randy054](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randy054)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/118 "2003-11-28T04:10:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > \*\*Why don’t you quote the guy he said he wanted Rumsfeld’s resignation? Oh, I remember, he got threatened witha COURT MARTIAL. > > Of course it’s going to be easy to find some naive, deluded fool who actually thinks Bush did something courageous o0r honerable. The military is filled with guys like that. That doesn’t mean they’re right. \*\* You can save a lot of time Diogenes and just admit that this has nothing to do about Bush’s trip to Iraq but rather there is nothing ever he can do that in your eyes would have good intentions. ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/119 "2003-11-28T04:23:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Reeder \* > \*\*You quoted one man. And what did you expect him to say? \*\* All right then, quote me one man who wasn’t happy about it. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594/120 "2003-11-28T04:24:31Z")
Gotta love it! In one fell swoop, GW has shown his support for the troops _and_ managed to send **Diogenese** , **Reeder** , and the rest of the loyal(?) opposition into conniptions. My esteem for GW has gone up a notch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-conquering-hero-bush-in-baghdad/215594.md?page=7)