# Year Ago Today Bush Re-Elected: Happy Now Assholes? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 2, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134 "2005-11-02T19:09:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/281 "2005-11-04T00:58:28Z")
I guess the other problem is that Clinton kept sending in Peacekeeping forces. Big mistake. What’s called for is and ass-kicking force. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/282 "2005-11-04T01:03:09Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Totally in earnest. His admiration for me, his lodestone. It’s true. I love you, man. ---
**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:** [November 4, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/283 "2005-11-04T01:04:51Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > Iran’s kinda pissing me off lately, and I figure while we’re in Iraq and we have all that stuff sitting there… we might as well. If you think we could possibly even _scare_ Iran in our current state, you are smoking crack. The War Nerd sums it up quite nicely. “Super war preview” [http://www.exile.ru/2005-January-27/war\_nerd.html](http://www.exile.ru/2005-January-27/war_nerd.html) > [@](#): > > Iran is scarier than Iraq in every way you can name. First of all, it’s physically way bigger, three times the size of Iraq. The population is 65 million, nearly three times as many as Iraq. The Iranians are young, too. Their birthrate is way down now, around 2 kids per woman, but back in the Khomeini years it was one of the highest in the world. So right now, the Iranian population has a demographic profile that’s a military planner’s dream: not too many little kids to take care of, but a huge pool of fighting-age men – about 18 million. \ > [@](#): > > Of course all the NeoCon crazies are peddling the old story that “once we invade, the people will rally to the cause of freedom.” > > Yeah. Just like they did in Iraq. If we couldn’t get people on our side after deposing a monster like Saddam, what chance do you think we have of winning hearts and minds in Iran? The kids in Iran are pissed off at the way the old Mullahs won’t let 'em rock and roll, but the idea that they’ll support an American invasion because they’re bored is totally insane. **It’s like imagining that the kids in Footloose would’ve backed a Soviet invasion of Nebraska because John Lithgow wouldn’t let them hold school dances.** Everyone should read this article. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/284 "2005-11-04T01:14:22Z")
**Worldeater,** you are such a pussy. Of course we can conquer Iran. I’ll bet you are one of those guys going on about how scary Afghanistan and Iraq were gonna be. Turns out they were cake. Whether or not Iraq or Iran has WMDs, you forget, we do. We got great big tanks, and soldiers willing to commit all kinds of atrocities. We have secret CIA prisons and mercenary torturers. Aircraft carriers. All kinds of good stuff going to waste The French are too busy rioting with their own problems to care. It’s not like anybody’s going to think the worse of us if we invade somebody else. The opportunity is prime. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/285 "2005-11-04T01:19:29Z")
I have to admit that the google ads are a little disconcerting at the moment. **Three** ads for Edgar Rice Burroughs’s martian chronicles? I’m scared. Somebody hold me. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/286 "2005-11-04T01:33:47Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > (The contrast to a certain drunken frat-rat/failed businessman and gleeful executioner is rather _stark_, don’t you think?) > > Secondly, he explicitly stated: this is what they told me, and I believe them. Since when is that treason? > > Don’t start nothing, won’t be nothing. But pull this shit again, and I will bust yer chops the moment I know about it. Guaranteed. I want to add another point. For a traitor and America hater, he did a lot of work to get more/better medical care for vets too. He worked with Senator John McCain (R-AZ) to investigate the fate of American POW/MIAs and help soldiers suffering from exposure to Agent Orange. He was at the forefront in recognizing that Agent Orange was the source of so many medical problems for returning soldiers and tried to get something done about it. He introduced legislation to assist veterans in receiving medical compensation after being exposed to the toxic chemical Agent Orange. Kerry even testified before Congress to force the government to care for Vietnam veterans. Kerry’s bill, the Comprehensive Agent Orange Scientific Evidence Review Act, sought to require that the Veterans Administration(VA) look into the “health effects of exposure” to Agent Orange. John Kerry also voted to pass the Agent Orange Act of 1991 and the Veterans’ Agent Orange Exposure and Vietnam Service Benefits Act of 1989. He fought for full funding of VA health care and opposed the Bush administration’s exclusion of Priority 8 veterans and its elimination of VA outreach efforts. He sought improved prescription drug benefits and authored legislation in 2003 to let veterans fill prescriptions written by non-VA doctors through the VA pharmacy. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/287 "2005-11-04T01:37:58Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > Personally, I think we oughtta attack another country. That always helps the approval numbers, and I attribute the recent drop in Bush’s popularity to the fact that we really haven’t invaded anybody new recently. > > Iran’s kinda pissing me off lately, and I figure while we’re in Iraq and we have all that stuff sitting there… we might as well. Nah, I say we hit Syria instead (after all, those WMDs had to go somewhere). They’ve been acting up lately and, unlike Iran, they haven’t been trying to develop nuclear weapons. In fact, I say we go for a surprise two-fer; let’s also take out that loudmouthed leftist Chavez in Venezuela and replace him with some military dictator like Pinochet who’ll gladly kiss the our ass. Then, on the way home, we can take care of Castro (unfinished business). I also think Bush should attack France before his term’s up. That oughta learn them snotty, smelly, snail-eatin’ frogs for dissin’ us! ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/288 "2005-11-04T01:41:24Z")
Referring to Shiites: > [@Scylla](#): > > First off, I don’t appreciate your referring to our Iraqi friends as fecal matter, but if you’re going to display your bigotry in such fashion why compound it with poor spelling? 😃 ROFLMAO 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/289 "2005-11-04T01:44:11Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Nah, I say we hit Syria instead (after all, those WMDs had to go somewhere). They’ve been acting up lately and, unlike Iran, they haven’t been trying to develop nuclear weapons. In fact, I say we go for a surprise two-fer; let’s also take out that loudmouthed leftist Chavez in Venezuela and replace him with some military dictator like Pinochet who’ll gladly kiss the our ass. Then, on the way home, we can take care of Castro (unfinished business). > > I also think Bush should attack France before his term’s up. That oughta learn them snotty, smelly, snail-eatin’ frogs for dissin’ us! Yeah. Nobody likes them French anyway, with their wine and berets. But you forgot one other target! Now everybody sing along with me… Blame Canada Blame Canada ROFL ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/290 "2005-11-04T01:44:55Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > But you never say **where** we are supposed to withdraw them to. > > Well, Iran is just right around the corner… When you put it _that_ way, sure! We could start a rolling pullout from Anbar on a sunday eve, have the troops rolling through Baghdad by high noon, others joining the stream as it goes, and hit the Iranian border, guns blazing, by monday evening. No men left behind, opposition unprepared, it’d be like a rerun of D-Day, but with Iraq filling in for the English channel, and Iran the new France. **Bold** , you guys are so frigging **Bold**! It’s no wonder republicans **rule**! ---
**Author:** ![lonesome\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lonesome\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonesome_loser)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/291 "2005-11-04T01:46:34Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > By which, I assume, you mean his involvement with the Viet Nam Veterans Against the War? I had a very close association with the men of that group, though was not qualified to be a member. I am honored to have several of them as friends to this day. If you wish to call them “traitors” call me one too, and I will stand as tall as I may and tell you to go fuck yourself. I was a member. A proud member. I am no traitor. I volunteered for Viet Nam. It was my duty. That doesn’t mean I had to support the war. ---
**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:** [November 4, 2005, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/292 "2005-11-04T01:50:35Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > **Worldeater,** you are such a pussy. Of course we can conquer Iran. I’ll bet you are one of those guys going on about how scary Afghanistan and Iraq were gonna be. Turns out they were cake. > > Whether or not Iraq or Iran has WMDs, you forget, we do. We got great big tanks, and soldiers willing to commit all kinds of atrocities. We have secret CIA prisons and mercenary torturers. Aircraft carriers. All kinds of good stuff going to waste > > The French are too busy rioting with their own problems to care. > > It’s not like anybody’s going to think the worse of us if we invade somebody else. The opportunity is prime. Excuse me if my sarcasm detector is on the blink, but either you’re wooshing me, had some acid in your corn flakes, or a cat is walking on your keyboard. You have some big change of heart I missed? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/293 "2005-11-04T01:53:11Z")
> [@lonesome loser](#): > > I was a member. A proud member. I am no traitor. I volunteered for Viet Nam. It was my duty. > > That doesn’t mean I had to support the war. Glad you got home. To the extent that a lifelong civilian is entitled to salute, I do so. When you’re marching with a guy with his sleeve pinned up, the assholes who liked to yell “Coward!” shut the fuck up toot damn sweet! The VVAW changed us all, and, by extension, changed the world. I thank you. Tell your children, I’ll tell mine, and lets hope maybe we’ve learned something. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/294 "2005-11-04T01:58:02Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Excuse me if my sarcasm detector is on the blink, but either you’re wooshing me, had some acid in your corn flakes, or a cat is walking on your keyboard… Cat would be nonsensical. He takes acid, he’s sees old John Wayne movies. My bet is a Category 4 whooshicane. Though I suspect the presence of his favored _amanuensis_, Mr. Johnny Walker… ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/295 "2005-11-04T02:01:20Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > You have some big change of heart I missed? Just going for some levity. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/296 "2005-11-04T02:08:20Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > I say we go for the hatrick. Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran. It will help the approval numbers and plus I bet it will be a record. I’m sure that no other President has conquered three countries in a row. Clinton couldn’t even get one. Somalia! He couldn’t even conquer Somalia! Yugoslavia. Fucked that up too. He missed twice in a row. Its bold…its daring. I like it. But… Ok, work with me on this for a moment. I want you to look at [this](http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/middleeast.html) map of the Middle East. There we are, smack dab in Iraq. There are interesting and profitable targets all about. Iran certainly. Syria, Jordan within arms reach. Saudi Arabia…now THERE is a target. Turkey? Certainly, there for the taking. Kuait? A push over. All thats well and good. But I just want to say one word and have you think about it. How about…Belgium? -XT ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/297 "2005-11-04T02:10:08Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > He (Kerry) could have coasted. He could have exploited his service and his medals, made quiet politician noises about his “doubts”, and simply waited. But he didn’t, he went all out, balls to the wall, for _what was right_! Huh? Oh, I thought for a minute there you were describing Kerry’s brave, I-Don’t-Care-About-My-Political-Future fight in the Senate to forestall an undeclared Iraq war. Never mind. and yes, I voted for him. ---
**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:** [November 4, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/298 "2005-11-04T02:17:29Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > Just going for some levity. You know, after having the same argument for years with all you guys, I think you made the right decision. Next time let’s switch parts, I bet we could do a pretty jobs. 😛 ---
**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:** [November 4, 2005, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/299 "2005-11-04T02:19:25Z")
\*pretty good job. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134/300 "2005-11-04T02:30:23Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Oh, I thought for a minute there you were describing Kerry’s brave, I-Don’t-Care-About-My-Political-Future fight in the Senate to forestall an undeclared Iraq war. I’ve seen 'luci trot that arguement out several times. I remain unconvinced myself. Kerry’s ‘brave stand’ against the Vietnam war came during the height of the war protest. He would have had ever expectation that his position on that would be a political benifit to him down the road…unless he had some kind of future gazing machine to tell him that in the 80’s public sentiment about anti-Vietnam protesting would shift. It didn’t even shift all that much and in fact I don’t think even during the election his anti-war stance about Vietnam was a serious liability. But if 'luci wants to cling to Kerry as the lone voice of protest against the Vietnam war, bravely sacrificing his political future for what he felt was right…well, carry on 'luci. I will note that I really do think Kerry was sincere in his stance and protested for what he thought were right and just reasons (I don’t agree with him, but I respect that he was sincere in his beliefs). I just don’t buy the rest of the schtick…not since I lived through those times the same as he (Kerry…and for that matter probably 'luci as well) did and I could read public sentiment as well as Kerry could when he did what he did. Now…had he made his brave stand in '65…THAT would have been a different ballgame. -XT [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-ago-today-bush-re-elected-happy-now-assholes/329134.md?page=16)