# Bush says nobody needs to be accountable **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 16, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042 "2005-01-16T18:00:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![ouisey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ouisey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouisey)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/81 "2005-01-17T19:50:40Z")
It seems to me that if the American public elects a complete fuck up to office, and he completely fucks up, then we should be held accountable for electing said fuck up. A leopard can’t change his spots, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, etc. Maybe that’s what bush meant. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/82 "2005-01-17T19:54:18Z")
> [@ouisey](#): > > It seems to me that if the American public elects a complete fuck up to office, and he completely fucks up, then we should be held accountable for electing said fuck up. A leopard can’t change his spots, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, etc. Nitpick. The people _who voted for him_ are held accountable. /just wanted to make that clear ---
**Author:** ![ouisey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ouisey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouisey)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/83 "2005-01-17T20:02:03Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Nitpick. The people _who voted for him_ are held accountable. > > /just wanted to make that clear Counter Nitpick. I may not have voted for him, but when it comes time to clear up the mess, little good is done by pointing fingers at fellow citizens. Also, the rest of the world is not very concerned with who voted for him or not; they’re more pissed off that America is apparently a bunch of moronic bullies. ---
**Author:** ![litost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@litost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/litost)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/84 "2005-01-17T20:02:47Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > Only _some_ of the American people chose him – a slim majority of the voting Americans chose him to be President. What about the millions of Americans who _didn’t_ chose him? And I don’t think that the people who voted for him have said that they no longer demand an accounting. If you hire someone for a job, that person is constantly accountable for doing a good job. She or he can’t just rest on one halfway supportive vote by the Board of Directors. Yes, I agree. The issue of accountability for mistakes made (intelligence, war planning etc) goes beyond Bush’s re-election. It is foolish to claim that because Bush was re-elected EVERY SINGLE ACTION he has ever taken in the four years has been vindicated. How is that a defensible position in a democracy? Even a substantial number of people who voted for him (and I’ve talked to a few myself) believe that there were some errors/mistakes made by the administration in selling and prosecuting the war. You will find some of these people on this board. Is their vote = Bush admin getting a carte blanche? No! No one is asking Bush to resign but it is fair even for those who voted for him to expect him to look into the mistakes made. That’s what accountability means. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/85 "2005-01-17T20:44:51Z")
> [@ouisey](#): > > Counter Nitpick. I may not have voted for him, but when it comes time to clear up the mess, little good is done by pointing fingers at fellow citizens. Sure it is. We need to point to the people that believed the lies and ate up the bullshit without asking questions. We need to point out that they need to educate themselves, and that we’re in this mess because of the them. Of course we need to find a nice way to do that so we don’t hurt their feelings. > [@](#): > > Also, the rest of the world is not very concerned with who voted for him or not; they’re more pissed off that America is apparently a bunch of moronic bullies. A major reason that I’m annoyed at the people who voted for him. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/86 "2005-01-17T20:52:36Z")
On another note, I’m still upset over the outing of Valerie Plame (yes, that old pesky intelligence thing). If it is learned sometime during the next four years that Bush himself had anything to do with it, I do not expect his hiding behind the power of his office will get him out of trouble. I do not believe “I was reelected” would serve as a justifiable defense. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/87 "2005-01-17T20:56:51Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > On another note, I’m still upset over the outing of Valerie Plame (yes, that old pesky intelligence thing). If it is learned sometime during the next four years that Bush himself had anything to do with it, I do not expect his hiding behind the power of his office will get him out of trouble. I do not believe “I was reelected” would serve as a justifiable defense. Eh, I’m sure they’ll come up with some spin that people will eat up like cupcakes. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/88 "2005-01-17T21:20:14Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > On another note, I’m still upset over the outing of Valerie Plame (yes, that old pesky intelligence thing). If it is learned sometime during the next four years that Bush himself had anything to do with it, I do not expect his hiding behind the power of his office will get him out of trouble. I do not believe “I was reelected” would serve as a justifiable defense. Eh, I’m sure they’ll come up with some spin that people will eat up like cupcakes. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/89 "2005-01-18T02:36:42Z")
Accountability is for poor people. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/90 "2005-01-18T15:55:01Z")
I just thought I’d add this as a counter-argument to both Bush and Brutus. Yes, yes, everyone agrees with Bush, that’s why he was elected. Oh, wait… [http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/17/iraq.poll/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/17/iraq.poll/index.html) > [@](#): > > Fifty-two percent of respondents said they thought it was a mistake to send U.S. troops to Iraq versus 47 percent with the opposite view. One percent said they had no opinion. Apparently they don’t. And don’t you dare say that the opinions now don’t matter, because he was elected. “Ha ha, made you feel okay about me for a day, now everything is forgiven!” Bullshit. Once again, this is the first issue that’s ever made me actually -mad- at the president before. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/91 "2005-01-18T16:34:22Z")
I agree with **World Eater** really. I certainly personally believe that there needs to be a helluva a lot of accountability for a war predicated on lies and/or other mistakes. People are dead, billions of dollars spent, international goodwill gone, the world more dangerous than before, U.S. military stretched so thin that there are murmerings of a draft all based on an exuberance for war, a bias in deciphering the intel and hubris beyond belief. But the practical truth is that the election probably did nullify any amount of accountability we could expect. Simply put, who will hold the President, his administration or anyone else accountable? Who? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/92 "2005-01-18T17:08:45Z")
Congresscritters. True, a more craven band of whores can hardly be imagined, but nonetheless, it’s come to this. GeeDubya’s election is over, he is free to bask in his triumph. They are not, they start running for re-election five minutes after their opponent gives a concession speech. If supporting GeeDubya gets to be a political liability, they will display the behavior associated with rodents during a nautical crisis. Even as we speak, GeeDubya’s Social Security “reform” shows signs of incipient train wreck. My two bits says he will find a way to push it to the back burner while declaring victory. The recent interview contains a droll sidebar, as the Prez tries to pretend he never even uttered the words “partial privitization”, as if such had never crossed his mind. If it hobbles like a lame duck, quacks like a lame duck, it is a dead duck. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/93 "2005-01-18T17:15:24Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Congresscritters. True, a more craven band of whores can hardly be imagined, but nonetheless, it’s come to this. GeeDubya’s election is over, he is free to bask in his triumph. They are not, they start running for re-election five minutes after their opponent gives a concession speech. If supporting GeeDubya gets to be a political liability, they will display the behavior associated with rodents during a nautical crisis. Nah, won’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/94 "2005-01-18T17:26:02Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > So… any conservatives OTHER than Brutus want to defend Bush here? > Oh, and Brutus: there are at least two glaring flaws in your logic… **Brutus** _is_ a glaring flaw in logic. Don’t feed him. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/95 "2005-01-18T17:36:04Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > **Brutus** _is_ a glaring flaw in logic. Don’t feed him. Don’t feed me? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/96 "2005-01-18T17:58:14Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Nah, won’t happen. And that makes the Baby James Madison weep. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/97 "2005-01-18T18:07:33Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > And that makes the Baby James Madison weep. Weep or move to Canada. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/98 "2005-01-18T19:05:36Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Don’t feed me? We really didn’t want to say anything, but you _are_ starting to put on a little weight… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/99 "2005-01-18T19:24:21Z")
Freedom handles. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042/100 "2005-01-18T19:50:52Z")
So I guess we’re done here, long story short. If you voted for him, you’re accountable for his shenanigans. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-says-nobody-needs-to-be-accountable/285042.md?page=6)