@JPB,
JPB wrote:
Oh, come on, fox. GWB was a puppet President much in the way Reagan was a puppet during his second term. In George's case he was a puppet to his faith and his elders, in Ron's case he was a puppet to his handlers as the signs of dementia had already become obvious (and were notably present towards the end of his career).
I'm probably the most anti-Clinton person here, but at least he wasn't a puppet. Neither was George Ist and I admired him for it. I didn't agree with everything he stood for but at least he was standing on his own two feet. You said that George 2 surprised you -- that's because he was a phantom from the beginning.
Again I accept that as your opinion, JPB but I respectfully disagree. (The peanut gallery of numbnuts and others should be ready to vote up your post and snarky responses per usual. You guys are so reinforcing my previous opinion as to how most leftwingers debate as well as the pack mentality.
Please observe how JPB, no less hostile toward me than anybody else, at least can articulate an argument. Take notes. You might learn something.)
George W. Bush made it quite clear in the campaign his views on morality and right and wrong. Those who voted for him, if they were paying attention, knew his views on government funded embrionic stemcell research, his views on right to life, etc. We got exactly what he promised in the campaign on those issues. He was not a puppet to his faith any more than I am. He was guided by it though as I am. The non-religious and/or anti- Christian types probably can't understand or appreciate that.
His father by contrast, had to switch from a pro choice position to a prolife one in order to run with Reagan. His father caved in to pressure from Congress and violated his own stated pledge to not allow any new taxes in order to get promises from Congress (which they of course did not keep.) He was competent and accomplished in many ways and was also a good man, but possessed of feet of clay like all mortals are.
George W. Bush never made that kind of compromise, nor was he ever swayed or adopted a position based on the polls as Bill Clinton (and now Barack Obama) did and do. A 'puppet' president George W. Bush was not, and I think my opinion has already been validated by Bill Sammons and others who have written about him and will be further validated by future histories. The motivation that drove him was a real desire to make a positive difference, however incompetent he turned out to be to accomplish that.
As for Reagan, his contribution was vision and ability to inspire, encourage, and convince. He truly was the great communicator. I agree that he was becoming ill toward the last of his presidency and, because of the slowly advancing dementia was almost certainly protected by his staff. But a puppet? No, I don't think history has or will come to that conclusion at all. The motivation that drove him was a belief in the greatness and virtue of this country and the principles that made it that way, and it came across as genuine. (And no, I didn't and don't agree on everything Reagan did or tried to do.)
You say Bill Clinton was not a puppet, but he was driven by the polls. Bill Clinton governed according to the polls or what he feared the polls might reveal related to his personal life. I don't think the man holds a single conviction that he would defend against the popular point of view. The motivation that drove him was a desire to be loved, appreciated, and admired.
I haven't zeroed in on what drives Obama yet, but I have an extremely uneasy impression that it is not a motivation that intends the best for America or the American people. I hope I am proved very wrong about that.
