It's official...the USA has a new president!

[Tondog]

I likewise don't understand the Bush scorn. He has done exactly what he said he would when he was elected; he managed 9/11 well, and was gracious in stepping down. Where's the damned problem? Don't say recession, it wasn't him.

Maybe people hate him because, oh I don't know, he took us into a pointless, never-ending war with Iraq, and giving us bogus justifications for it. All the while making America one of the most hated nations on the face of the Earth. I think that's probably why.

What else?

Wiretapping
Suppressing civil liberties
Gitmo
Increased the deficit way too much
Katrina

and much much more.

[Tan]

I likewise don't understand the Bush scorn. He has done exactly what he said he would when he was elected; he managed 9/11 well, and was gracious in stepping down. Where's the damned problem? Don't say recession, it wasn't him.

Maybe people hate him because, oh I don't know, he took us into a pointless, never-ending war with Iraq, and giving us bogus justifications for it. All the while making America one of the most hated nations on the face of the Earth. I think that's probably why.

What else?

Wiretapping
Suppressing civil liberties
Gitmo
Increased the deficit way too much
Katrina

and much much more.

Forgive my ignorance of your political system, but isn't the Senate and the House of Representatives as much to blame for all of this as Bush? And don't both of those have a Democratic party majority and have had them since 2006?

I'm not defending Bush by any means but he's only one of the larger gears in the machine. Every President has and will make unpopular decisions and Barack Obama will be no different. That same Senate and House of Reps you've had for the last 3 years will be there until elections in 2010. Obama has to work with that same group of people partially responsible for your list of woes. No doubt many or most of them will be re-elected as well.

I think Obama's charisma and media status has put him on a pedestal so high, expectations of him are nigh impossible to deliver. Maybe he'll do great things, maybe he won't. Let's be realistic here. He won't reverse the economy by Friday, he won't pull out of Iraq by Saturday morning and I guarantee wiretapping will continue. Don't forget as a cog in the machine, the people he surrounds himself with affect change and policy as much as he will. If they didn't you'd have an absolute monarchy not a republic with a bicameral legislature.

You can't blame Bush for the decisions made by Wallstreet, the tactics and strategies of his Generals or the advice given by his staff. By the same token you can't give Obama credit for single handedly fixing the economy or winning the war on terror that the people of the US voted for. These things are done as a team, these two men are only the public faces of it.

Compare the two after Obama's time in office, not a day after his inauguration. Bush may deserve a lot of flak, but then again who's to say Obama, Kerry or Gore could've handled 9/11 as well or the War? Or been as generous with the stimulus package? Who's to say Obama won't flare up the Jihad to a new level or piss someone else off?

Keep your optimism and have hope he'll make good on his promises, but keep the rose coloured glasses locked away for at least 4 years.

[logical123]

The Dem majority was just reached recently in the House of Reps, ie last November. Other than that, I agree with you mostly. What I feel Bush did that was wrong was the stimulus package in the first place. That pushed us down even further.

[Tan]

The Dem majority was just reached recently in the House of Reps, ie last November. Other than that, I agree with you mostly. What I feel Bush did that was wrong was the stimulus package in the first place. That pushed us down even further.

Hmm, I thought I read somewhere that last November further increased the majority they already had.

[hXd]

Thank god we have a real president now.

[blcklblskt]

Forgive my ignorance of your political system, but isn't the Senate and the House of Representatives as much to blame for all of this as Bush? And don't both of those have a Democratic party majority and have had them since 2006?

I'm not defending Bush by any means but he's only one of the larger gears in the machine. Every President has and will make unpopular decisions and Barack Obama will be no different. That same Senate and House of Reps you've had for the last 3 years will be there until elections in 2010. Obama has to work with that same group of people partially responsible for your list of woes. No doubt many or most of them will be re-elected as well.

I think Obama's charisma and media status has put him on a pedestal so high, expectations of him are nigh impossible to deliver. Maybe he'll do great things, maybe he won't. Let's be realistic here. He won't reverse the economy by Friday, he won't pull out of Iraq by Saturday morning and I guarantee wiretapping will continue. Don't forget as a cog in the machine, the people he surrounds himself with affect change and policy as much as he will. If they didn't you'd have an absolute monarchy not a republic with a bicameral legislature.

You can't blame Bush for the decisions made by Wallstreet, the tactics and strategies of his Generals or the advice given by his staff. By the same token you can't give Obama credit for single handedly fixing the economy or winning the war on terror that the people of the US voted for. These things are done as a team, these two men are only the public faces of it.

Compare the two after Obama's time in office, not a day after his inauguration. Bush may deserve a lot of flak, but then again who's to say Obama, Kerry or Gore could've handled 9/11 as well or the War? Or been as generous with the stimulus package? Who's to say Obama won't flare up the Jihad to a new level or piss someone else off?

Keep your optimism and have hope he'll make good on his promises, but keep the rose coloured glasses locked away for at least 4 years.

I agree totally with Tan on this.  As my mom always says:

A president is only as good as his advisors

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

I likewise don't understand the Bush scorn. He has done exactly what he said he would when he was elected; he managed 9/11 well, and was gracious in stepping down. Where's the damned problem? Don't say recession, it wasn't him.

Maybe people hate him because, oh I don't know, he took us into a pointless, never-ending war with Iraq, and giving us bogus justifications for it. All the while making America one of the most hated nations on the face of the Earth. I think that's probably why.

What else?

Wiretapping
Suppressing civil liberties
Gitmo
Increased the deficit way too much
Katrina

and much much more.

This is simply evidence of the inane bullshit that Americans are being inundated with. Look at your post Tony, what there makes a lick of sense if you really look at it? I mean, you can say you believe it, and you might, but convince us PLEASE!

The war in Iraq is on most Generals accounts nigh on over, won. The wiretapping and civil liberty nonsense doesn't affect anyone who doesn't deserve it, I haven't looked for any, but I don't know anyone who has been affected by anything.

Guantanamo Bay arguably maltreats barbarians with 12th century mindsets, who would butcher your entire family in the name of GOD if given the slightest chance.

The deficit and economy cannot be placed solely on Bush's shoulders. And Katrina? Seriously? Does he control the weather? Is he president of New Orleans? Does he personally build and inspect the dikes? No, there is a local government for those things, and they had warning, but they just flat out failed. Yet even then, who could have guessed that the dike would break?

Whatever, I'm probably not convincing anyone either. Too many brews.

[Izret101]

Hooray black president makes the world like us again!

I'm not getting into the whole argument.
Bush fucked some stuff up. He did some stuff really well.
I think that the last couple months he has been handling the press very well, unfortunately this is killing the news companies who really want some completely misconstrued sound bite.

Also i am not going to say i am fully behind Obama and think he is going to solve the deficit, end wars, stop world hunger and bring us into a new golden age of enlightenment.
Give the guy a shot see what he fucks up see what he does well. At least the world loves the US again, Skinheads don't but they really aren't that important on a daily basis.

Keep in mind for both Obama and Bush's sake, every president has to deal with the shit their predecessors left behind. Their term in office isn't just effected by their own actions. Unfortunately much of the general public doesn't realize that.

[ItellYaHuat]

Whatever, I'm probably not convincing anyone either. Too many brews.

Wait, wha? You were trying to convince us? I thought you were just expressing your opinion. Well, would you rather have McCain or Obama run this country? I would do the best to help President Obama instead of  having doubts. That would only pull us down under anyways. Fear is what re-elected Bush and look what it's done to us. The first was an unknown mistake, the second was out of fear, and the third time (Obama) is a charm. And your right about Bush not being able to control the weather but he was too busy eating cake that day for a (i think it was his or McCain's, I forgot which) birthday celebration rather than responding immediately. Right after the inaugural ball Obama started working rapidly. Now that is what I call responsibility.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

Whatever, I'm probably not convincing anyone either. Too many brews.

Wait, wha? You were trying to convince us? I thought you were just expressing your opinion. Well, would you rather have McCain or Obama run this country? I would do the best to help President Obama instead of  having doubts. That would only pull us down under anyways. Fear is what re-elected Bush and look what it's done to us. The first was an unknown mistake, the second was out of fear, and the third time (Obama) is a charm. And your right about Bush not being able to control the weather but he was too busy eating cake that day for a (i think it was his or McCain's, I forgot which) birthday celebration rather than responding immediately. Right after the inaugural ball Obama started working rapidly. Now that is what I call responsibility.

I still fail to see how it is Bush's responsibility to babysit New Orleans. That is the local government's job, and if they need help then the executive branch should get involved. Granted they did need help, but no one could have guessed that soon. No one knew the dike would break, and no one knew that Louisiana's governor and New Orleans mayor would have fucked up as royally as they did.

As far as McCain vs. Obama, I don't like either one; but McCain claimed to have conservative views on the government, which is ballooning out of size, and I think he would have been a right scary face to have against the enemies of this country. Obama remains as one of the most socialist, leftist voices in Washington, and no one that voted for him really cares or knows what that means.

They always show the old militaristic white guys turning this country into a police state, but the formula for such a turn has always been a new face evoking "change," and who is acting for "the greater good" of the people. The people who more often than not are applauding as their liberties are taken away.

[Sirgin]

Bush fucked some stuff up. He did some stuff really well.

As all presidents did, really. Even those that are considered great presidents will have made some less perfect decisions; it's only natural.

The media plays an important role (if not the most important role) regarding how a president is perceived. Clinton did some stupid things as well but because he's beign portrayed as somewhat of a "cool guy" we think of him that way too.

[Izret101]

(They use to say Clinton was the first black president.
That was only because he got hoes in the oval office though.)

Anyways... yes no president has had a flawless run everyone has messed something up. Sometimes everyone knew right away sometimes it wasn't found out or didn't really start being a problem till years or decades later(Soc. Sec. for example). I can't think of any president that history looks back on and people say "Wow that guy totally screwed up everything he did!" sure we have had lackluster performances but everyone doesn't need to be or can be excellent.

[logical123]

Well, just so you all know, I am a communist, so the farther left, the better. Communism's only flaw is the people it is enacted by.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

Well, just so you all know, I am a communist, so the farther left, the better. Communism's only flaw is the people it is enacted by.

Hence the fact that it will never, ever work.

[tholly]

I'm so happy that Bush is gone.  He has to be the most useless American ever born.