So... Bush Jr. = Carter?

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First off, I want to give you all one big warm bear hug for making this and
this pleasant threads.

Now, what I was hoping to induce from all of this, and it seems like I safely can... is that it seems Bush Jr. has a bit of a problem with public relations. That, and he's just not smooth at being a populist. "Just a good guy".

Carter, anyone?

Yes. I'm actually trying to juxtapose Dubya and Carter. Obviously, they are at opposite ends, politically. But how they are winning over the American public -- or more to the point, not winning over -- seems eerily familiar to me.

Even in spite of a horrible, horrible event like Sept. 11th, America has really remained in some sort of political malaise. The senate and house are nearly 50% Repub's, 50% Demo's (which may be all the same party, some will sneer). Even if the Republicans score a few winning seats in either to get more power to do their will, they will be doing it at an public approval rate that's not a majority -- which of course always comes swinging back come election time.

Now, remember what happened after the Carter malaise? Yes, a perfect set up for... Reagan, and with him, an unforgettable political era. (whether it was unforgettably good or bad is your opinion.)

Could Bush Jr. be a set up for some sort of rich quasi-Democratic era in the future? (Pssst..."THE HILLARY CLINTON ERA"?)

Obviously history doesn't always repeat itself. And many things have changed. But, hey, something to chew on. (That, and the stark silence I'm hearing from the Democratic and Green camps seems too unsettling for such a thing to be entirely plausable)

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 00:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Hillary is never going to be elected president. Nor is any other woman, sadly, at least for a very long time. American society still only pays lip service to equality in the workplace and in public life; and I can't see any woman, Republican or Democrat, managing to raise enough money to even make it through a primary.

Not to hijack the thread, though... I don't know about this Carter/Bush thing, but then I was pretty young through Carter's presidency.

― lyra (lyra), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 00:55 (twenty-three years ago)

bush jr = carter usm

― geeta (geeta), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 01:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, I was very young too... but I do remember hearing over and over again how while Carter was one of our smartest presidents, he wasn't exactly good at stroking the public in the right places...

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 01:34 (twenty-three years ago)

(Sorry geeta... I did want to say your comment MADE I LARF!)

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 01:35 (twenty-three years ago)

he wasn't exactly good at stroking the public in the right places...

Insert comment here.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 01:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Bush Jr. absolutely does not = Carter in a any way, shape or form. It is nice to see someone trying to make sense of things, though.

― Sean (Sean), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 01:49 (twenty-three years ago)

I heard once that Carter, in a speech, actually asked the American public to take more responsility for the world around them. This is like making an announcement that the dollar bill is a worthless piece of paper. We all know deep down it is true, but if we admit it in daily practice, oh how the sky will fall down around us!

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 02:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Perhaps, in that they're both grossly incompetent and both came in trying to change the 'tone' of Washington after eras of scandal. Carter's problem was weakness, Bush, for all his faults, doesn't come off as weak. Bush also knows how to handle Congress much better, although it helps that Dick Gephardt is no Tip O'Neill. And, so far, I still think Bush wins re-election (as long as Gore gets the nod again). Carter never had to worry about that. Also, the only thing history is going to note about either is their success of their policy's re: the Middle East.

― James Blount (James Blount), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 04:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Now, remember what happened after the Carter malaise? Yes, a perfect set up for... Reagan, and with him, an unforgettable political era.

How Bush handles whats happening now till election time is going to set the stage..Give the people what they want?? More like give the President and his allies what they want

― brg30 (brg30), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 20:01 (twenty-three years ago)

bush = sgt carter usmc

― lawrence kansas, Wednesday, 25 September 2002 20:12 (twenty-three years ago)

bush is fantastically popular, his approval ratings are near 70% again and this resembles carter how? no matter how bad the economy is now it is nowhere near the dark ages presided over by carter and volcker.

while carter was president people were embarrassed by america's weakness economically and militarily, now the only people embarrassed are those that agree with gore's laughable speech yesterday and those that take a UN that elects libya head of human rights commission seriously.

― keith (keithmcl), Thursday, 26 September 2002 03:23 (twenty-three years ago)

five years pass...

interesting thread.

― The Brainwasher, Saturday, 17 May 2008 05:03 (seventeen years ago)

lol @ "keith"

― gershy, Saturday, 17 May 2008 05:17 (seventeen years ago)

There are a dozen kinds of RONG in this thread. my fave: "I can't see any woman, Republican or Democrat, managing to raise enough money to even make it through a primary."

― Mordy, Saturday, 17 May 2008 08:25 (seventeen years ago)

2002 was such a long time ago.

― Ned Trifle II, Saturday, 17 May 2008 08:32 (seventeen years ago)

"Also, the only thing history is going to note about either is their success of their policy's re: the Middle East."

ROFL etc.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Saturday, 17 May 2008 11:03 (seventeen years ago)

i wish bush was only a "bad president" a la carter instead of a bad president a la the villain in a bad schwarzenegger flick

― J.D., Saturday, 17 May 2008 11:07 (seventeen years ago)

no matter how bad the economy is now it is nowhere near the dark ages presided over by carter and volcker
no matter how bad the economy is now it is nowhere near the dark ages presided over by carter and volcker
no matter how bad the economy is now it is nowhere near the dark ages presided over by carter and volcker
no matter how bad the economy is now it is nowhere near the dark ages presided over by carter and volcker
no matter how bad the economy is now it is nowhere near the dark ages presided over by carter and volcker
no matter how bad the economy is now it is nowhere near the dark ages presided over by carter and volcker
no matter how bad the economy is now it is nowhere near the dark ages presided over by carter and volcker
no matter how bad the economy is now it is nowhere near the dark ages presided over by carter and volcker

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 17 May 2008 11:10 (seventeen years ago)

bush is fantastically popular, his approval ratings are near 70% again and this resembles carter how?

carter was actually pretty popular -- and in fact sustained approval ratings of around 70% -- for the first year or so of his presidency. considering he was the first president elected after watergate, that's considerably more impressive than having a high approval rating in a year where pressure to rally 'round the flag was so universal i distinctly remember several unrelated people giving me weird looks for saying i didn't support the president.

― J.D., Saturday, 17 May 2008 11:24 (seventeen years ago)

-- keith (keithmcl), Thursday, 26 September 2002 03:23 (5 years ago) Link

― and what, Saturday, 17 May 2008 12:46 (seventeen years ago)

great post

― and what, Saturday, 17 May 2008 12:46 (seventeen years ago)

whatever happened to keith? he was like our only genuine conservative (r*ger ad*ltery was just another "oh i'm really more of a LIBERTARIAN...").

― J.D., Saturday, 17 May 2008 12:58 (seventeen years ago)

Carter wore nice cashmeres.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Saturday, 17 May 2008 13:04 (seventeen years ago)

Keyth's actually still around, posts on a variety of things on ILM at least. Maybe he'll see this, who knows.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 17 May 2008 14:39 (seventeen years ago)

Fuck. 2002 was like 47 years ago.

I'm not nearly as embarrassed by starting this as I thought, tho.

― Mackro Mackro, Saturday, 17 May 2008 18:23 (seventeen years ago)

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