# Ask George W. Bush a question or kick him in the nuts **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 16, 2014, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647 "2014-09-16T12:48:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/21 "2014-09-16T16:22:54Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Mr. Kobayashi, do you have any example of any politician answering truthfully and to the best of his ability? > > It is easy to evade the first question\*, so sadly your assumption is meaningless in the real world. :rolleyes: :smack: Of course, there’s…you know, what’s his face. Then the guy that did the thing. There’s another fella whose name I’ve forgotten…er, OK you have a good point. But I had to be fair to GWB. Interesting that it’s absolutely neck and neck at the moment, again for some reason I expected a landslide one way or the other. Poor Dubya has a greater proportion wanting to punish him than Dolfy, though, ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/22 "2014-09-16T16:28:31Z")
No, wait. Instead of trying to undo the damage Bush did (which of course cannot be done, but is worth at least a bit of lip service), Obama (and then Hillary) seem bent on doubling down. Save the kicks for later, and ask the questions to the right people. Until Reagan, the Dems had always been the warmongers – now it’s both parties. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/23 "2014-09-16T21:05:05Z")
Neither. Not interested in the god damned toad. Let him rot. However…if my opportunity is transferable, I’ll put it up on Ebay and make some money off it. ---
**Author:** ![LonghornDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/24 "2014-09-16T21:25:11Z")
I would ask him to describe how he thinks his presidency would have been different if 9/11 did not happen. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/25 "2014-09-16T21:58:33Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Bush was not some aberration away from the true nature of the GOP. If there’s anything ruining the Republican Party, it’s the inability to look itself in the mirror and accept that Bush was (and is) one of them, the best and brightest that they put up, twice, as their standard-bearer. I don’t deny that, although the party has changed in response to his failures. Just not particularly in a way you probably like. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/26 "2014-09-16T22:48:08Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I don’t deny that, although the party has changed in response to his failures. Just not particularly in a way you probably like. That’s exactly my point; you refer to “his” failures. They are not solely his, they belong to the party as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/27 "2014-09-16T23:12:57Z")
Oh good, the nuts are ahead right now. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/28 "2014-09-16T23:22:43Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > That’s exactly my point; you refer to “his” failures. They are not solely his, they belong to the party as a whole. Absolutely. From Congress to the talking heads like Limbaugh and Beck, the vast majority of the party backed him to the hilt. But I do want to recognize those who weren’t afraid to dissent, like John McCain. And millions of conservative independents who refuse to call themselves Republican because it’s an embarrassment. In large part because of GWB. ANd of course Tom Delay, Dennis Hastert, Bill Frist, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter(although in fairness to Ann, she’s a lot more independent-minded these days herself). ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/29 "2014-09-16T23:54:04Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Absolutely. From Congress to the talking heads like Limbaugh and Beck, the vast majority of the party backed him to the hilt. But I do want to recognize those who weren’t afraid to dissent, like John McCain. And millions of conservative independents who refuse to call themselves Republican because it’s an embarrassment. In large part because of GWB. ANd of course Tom Delay, Dennis Hastert, Bill Frist, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter(although in fairness to Ann, she’s a lot more independent-minded these days herself). You’re still doing it. Until you (assuming you identify as Republican) can say “we did this”, you will continue to make the same mistakes (and blame them on someone else). ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/30 "2014-09-16T23:56:49Z")
I was always more part of John McCain’s wing of the party than anything else. And I think it’s very unfair that Democrats linked him to GWB just because of a hug. YOu can rest assured we’ll be hanging Obama around Clinton’s neck with a lot more justification. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/31 "2014-09-17T00:30:33Z")
The guy’s powerless to cause any more harm, and I’m disinclined to cause any myself. Besides, I’d the like the truthful answer to “What the ()_@)#_)! were you thinking attacking Iraq instead of actual enemies?” ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/32 "2014-09-17T00:33:49Z")
Uh, people, the hypothetical says he _will_ answer 100% truthfully. I think that changes the equation quite a bit, especially since, if you can get a video of him being kicked in the nuts, you can also video the answer. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/33 "2014-09-17T00:58:37Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Uh, people, the hypothetical says he _will_ answer 100% truthfully. I think that changes the equation quite a bit, especially since, if you can get a video of him being kicked in the nuts, you can also video the answer. It also says to the best of his ability, which is pretty limited. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/34 "2014-09-17T01:05:31Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I was always more part of John McCain’s wing of the party than anything else. And I think it’s very unfair that Democrats linked him to GWB just because of a hug. > > YOu can rest assured we’ll be hanging Obama around Clinton’s neck with a lot more justification. Yeah, when you talk about Obama and Clinton it’s “we”, when you talk about George W. Bush it’s “him” and “them”. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/35 "2014-09-17T01:47:17Z")
I said that I’d ask him a question. I would ask him how he could be his father’s son - a father who ran the CIA and oversaw and subsequently was able to observe the effects of toppling dictatorships in Southern America and the Middle East and our attempts at building democracies there - and be so blissfully unaware of the results of all those test cases? That’s like being Einstein’s son and yet having no idea that there’s such a thing as nuclear energy. Basically, I’d rather ask him a question because forcing him to accept what an active idiot he was is more satisfying than kicking him in the nuts. I couldn’t think of a similar question for Hitler. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/36 "2014-09-17T02:28:56Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > a father who ran the CIA and oversaw and subsequently was able to observe the effects of toppling dictatorships in Southern America and the Middle East and our attempts at building democracies there - and be so blissfully unaware of the results of all those test cases? That’s like being Einstein’s son and yet having no idea that there’s such a thing as nuclear energy. “Uh, it’s pronounced _nu-ku-lar_, guy.” ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/37 "2014-09-17T03:24:21Z")
I would ask him a question, but only because I don’t want the Secret Service all over my ass. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/38 "2014-09-17T05:40:37Z")
Neither option. America has millions of people who’d be happy to serve as President and be just as bad at it as GWB was. Don’t blame him; blame the power brokers who brought it about. And ask a question?? What would I ask? “When you looked at yourself in the White House mirror did it ever dawn on you how unqualified you were? Did you ever have a clue at all?” Dick Cheney, OTOH, would produce some frightening results if he were capable of revealing his true inner thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/39 "2014-09-17T05:41:09Z")
Since he’s getting kicked an awful lot, I suppose it’s worth coming up with a question. I’d ask him something like “If you had the opportunity to go back to the year 2000, would you do it all again, or would you rather have done something else with those 8 years?” I got the sense throughout his presidency that Bush liked the idea of _being_ president, but not actually _doing_ it. He liked the opportunity to meet and talk with all kinds of people, but wasn’t up for all the work that came with it. He seemed better suited for a meaningless figurehead position like the owner of a baseball team rather than leader of the free world. Would he have been happier if he wasn’t coerced into running for president? ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647/40 "2014-09-17T08:10:11Z")
“Did you think Saddam Hussain had weapons of mass destruction when you made the decision to invade Iraq”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-george-w-bush-a-question-or-kick-him-in-the-nuts/698647.md?page=3)