Lets’ see…
Me having to deal with stupid wars, environmental catastrophe and economic blundering
vs.
Me hving to deal with the fact that somebody else got a blowjob in a time of peace and prosperity.
gosh, that’s a TOUGH one!
Jeez, how do you define ‘catastrophe’?
Anyway, a second to yojimbo’s plea: where it comes to re-election, I am someone who can’t vote in your country, yet am living in a world that is severely affected by your vote. I ask voting Americans to think very carefully about what another GWB term would mean to the world, and maybe even to abandon formerly partisan stances and domestic-issues-voting, and GET HIM OUT for all our sakes.
Not much to ask, I know. 
Yeah, but you fail to point out, as others have, that asking the Teeming Millions “Do you support the war?” has a semantic content almost identical to “Do you support the troops?” There are a LOT of people like me, who support the troops wholeheartedly who think the war is dubious and that it’s being handled stupidly.
So your little litmus test is bogus.
jjimm: “GET HIM OUT for all our sakes.”
Nothing would make me happier I do assure you?
How about giving us a hand? Start a petition and collect signatures: UK citizens against the re-election of George Bush. Then send it Canada and elsewhere.
Make sure you eventually include lots of countries so as to avoid retaliation such as the re-naming of the “New England” region of the United States or the banning of English muffins ;).
How about a petition of French Citizens Against Bush? That would help him carry all 50 states.
Seriously, Americans like and appreciate the UK, but we’re not going to select our leaders based on what citizens of other countries think of him.
I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to the world on behalf of the citizens of the United States for the election of GW Bush in 2000. I did not vote for him personally, and never will, unless the Dems nominate Lieberman, and even then I would probably just write in somebody. But I recognize that his “leadership” has harmed not just the U.S. but the entire world, and promises to continue doing so.
In our defense, I can only point out that the majority of us voted for Gore but the election was stolen by corrupt Republican partisans. I can only offer the hope that someday we will be able to put the bastards who did it in jail.
If only the US carried that kind of thinking to their post WWII foreign policy.
Well, duh. And that’s exactly the point. We don’t care if you fuck up the US in a major way. Leave the rest of the world out of it.
Jeb Bush, Republican, Governor of Florida and brother of George W Bush prevented a number of minority citizens (who typically vote Democrat) from voting by including them on the convicted felons list. The list cast a far wider net than could reasonably be seen as accurate (and that’s very much an understatement).
I would not vote for anyone who remotely resembles this guy’s thinking.
Is it legal to vote for persons who have been indited for war crimes?
Sorry, Mr Bush and friends, but you can’t blame someone else for your getting involved where you don’t belong.
How about sending in the humanitarian aid first? Would that have been so bad… forcing people to accept food without the barrel of a gun pointed at the crowd? Giving people the means to facilitate internal change, and staying the Hell out…
I have to laugh at the idea that this “war” was first going to be called Operation Iraqi Liberation, OIL. Sadly, we all have to watch our backs now, because we haven’t rid ourselves of our own greed. We are all to blame for this failure on some level. What is unfortunate is that the US Government has a political agenda that does not reflect well on our use of power. I agree that the political regime we currently live under has squandered the good faith of the planet.
jjimm you have my personal guarantee that, if the space inside the Beltway still exists as an inhabited area in eighteen months, I will carry your simple wish straight to the ballot box.
If you’re an American and you oppose the Bush Administration, allow me to point out one thing: the Republicans have Congress, the Supreme Court, and the White House. If it’s even close, Bush will remain here in DC.
The only way to overcome the traditional Republican “values” of criminal election intelligence gathering, dog-wagging, and obfuscation is to kick the living shit out of this guy in the next election on a scale so overwhelming that no fraud, intimidation, or political maneuvering can reverse the will of the American people. Remember that: they’re against you and you have but one measly shot at putting them down.
Don’t waste what might be your last opportunity: register, and vote Democrat.
Never, No Way, No How!
It would depend on who the Democrats put up against him. I voted for Bush in 2000 knowing that he wasn’t exactly a stellar candidate. And his actions in office haven’t changed my views. Bush is decidedly sub-par, and is definately not the best the Republicans could have put forward. However, if the Democrats wish to get my vote in the next election they are going to have to do better.
The Democrats are also going to have to be very careful. There is a huge base of anti-Bush voters in the Democratic primaries. Energized left-wing voters could nominate someone unelectable. I am perfectly happy to vote for a Democratic candidate, as long as they are as moderate to conservative as, say, Clinton was. The Democrat’s best hope is to find a moderate southern Governor who can feed and dress himself, and stay away from the congressional crowd. Governors always seem to do better than congresshumans.
Sure.
I’m not only going to vote for Dubya, I’ll be campaining for him as well.
I would vote for Bush again.
It would seem that 71 % of the voters agree with me.
I don’t know where YOU live, but around here (SW PA) there is plenty of support for not only G.W. but the war as well. And yes, the flags are flying, too.
Well, it’s not MY “little litmus test.” The Gallup organization is as well-respected as any, and AFIK does not tend to slant their questions or results to suit anyone in particular. If you take a look at the link above, you will see a range of fairly detailed questions. Included paragraph:
Gallup also reports that “Bush’s overall job approval rating is at 71%…”
Now, if you choose to have more faith in your personal observations, well, that’s your right to do, but IMHO it’s not necessarily going to be a more reliable indicator of the mood of the entire country.
Man, oh man, I do love polls. Let’s see, I think George’s dad had pretty good polls (~80% approval) after his war, and we saw what happened to him.
This election is going to turn on the economy, and anyone who doesn’t think so, is just kidding themselves. Moreover, this economy is coming out of the crapper any time soon, so I’m not worried, he’ll be gone. A one-termer, just like his 41.
I too would vote for a snack food item before I ever let another Bush within sneezing distance of the White House.
Against named opponents, Bush still has a majority reelect poll rating, according to Zogby, but it’s nowhere near 71%.
Bush’s reelect numbers against an unnamed opponent is much more dismal. He only just crept up to 46 percent in an Ipsos Public Affairs/Cook Political Report Poll. That’s actually pretty good.
But some of you may recall that Bush the Elder’s job approval rating in 1991, just after the Gulf War, was almost 90%. Less than two years later he was planning fishing trips in Kennebunkport.
I’m with Lemur. I didn’t think Bush was a GREAT choice in 2000, or even necessarily a good one, but Gore was not even an option. I’m centrist tending towards conservative - I’d be more than willing to vote for a Democratic candidate, but really, they have to do better than Gore, and maybe they will this time. We’ll have to see.