Thread: MSNBC Is Bush Relevant Can He Recover

Political die cast for Bush, recovery unlikely
Is Bush relevant? Of course, but credibility is the issue that counts
MSNBC Political Calendar


President Bush has lost the greatest commodity a president can possess: The public’s trust.

Scattered with Katrina’s winds and buried in the bloody battlefields of Iraq, his credibility is likely gone forever, which means there will be no political comeback for Bush. His die is cast.

As he stood before the nation and Congress on Tuesday, pleading for the benefit of the doubt in Iraq, polls showed that less than a third of Americans approved of his job performance. Two-thirds said his political problems are long-term. Solid majorities called their president untrustworthy, stubborn and out of touch with their problems.

The State of the Union address, a ritual tailor-made for presidential recoveries, was nearly eclipsed by events outside Bush’s control:

Three days before the address, Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton jumped into a fast-budding 2008 presidential race that threatens to overshadow Bush’s agenda and whet the public’s appetite for change at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Also on Saturday, a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter crashed in northeast of Baghdad, killing all 12 service members on board.
Hours before the address, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff went on trial for perjury. The case is a public reminder of a White House deception: Bush’s press secretary insisted in 2003 that no senior White House officials were involved in the leak of a CIA officer’s name. In fact, at least two were involved.
Hours after the address, the Democratic-led Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued a no-confidence vote on his troop escalation strategy. Some fellow Republicans abandoned him.
“What do you believe? What are you willing to support? Why were you elected?” asked Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., as he implored colleagues to stand up to the White House after four years of acquiescence. “If you wanted a safe job, go sell shoes. This is a tough business.”

Indeed, it is. Just two years ago, Bush was awash in inaugural glow after a triumphant re-election. In two national campaigns, Bush had forged a bond with Americans, many of whom disagreed with him on policy grounds but felt that he would always do what he thought was right – and shoot straight about it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16823579/

President Bush has lost the greatest commodity a president can possess: The public’s trust.

How profoundly true!!!!!

Oh he sure has. But what scares me most is that "they" (the media) is acting as though it is all because of the war. Is it??

For me, the loss of trust has mostly come from finding out about the NAU,
not securing our borders and sitting back the whole time as our country continues to be invaded and for trying to sneak amnesty behind our backs.

The war disturbs me.....but I would not have jumped ship with President Bush so fast had it not been for the illegal immigration problem.

I am wondering if anyone else believes the same as I do?

My other question is this: IF President Bush did EVERYTHING RIGHT now on the borders, meaning every effort put forth, an announcement where he told people in our country illegally that they should return to their of origin, and if you saw SERIOUS attempts to find and prosecute employers of illegals, AND this continued stepping up of arrests and deportations, no amnesty of any sort as well as no guest worker program of any sort.....................would you be able to

In other words, if you were 100% sure that he was willing to do what needs to be done regarding illegal immigration........would you support him again?

I am curious, because even though he keeps me worried to death about our country.....having a president with zero credibility for two years worries me.....and ending up with GOD KNOWS WHO in the White House worries me too.

I have a feeling that we are at a terrible point. I heard tonight that some people think that McCain is going end up being like a Bob Dole and that Guiliani has the better chance.

Guiliani!! He's never going to listen to us anymore than Bush!! Things could even be worse?? He's for all out amnesty
What are we going to do?

With all due respect, if anyone tries to tell me that we can count on any possibility of the Democrats solving our problems.....I am unable to believe this. I will still take President Bush over what I have seen and know about the Democrats.

They might as well not even speak the same language as I do. They might as well be from China, that's how disconnected I feel from them.

I once saw a wicca book from earlier years, in which the author gives a spell to put a whammy on someone (involves sticking toothpicks in zuccinis and charring them, then stomping on them) and says, in a roundabout manner, that this was used against a certain arrogant NYC politician and put a stop to his national ambitions at the time. Well, it must have worn off.

I wonder what is going to happen to us, Betsy?

Originally Posted by LegalUSCitizen

Oh he sure has. But what scares me most is that "they" (the media) is acting as though it is all because of the war. Is it??

For me, the loss of trust has mostly come from finding out about the NAU,
not securing our borders and sitting back the whole time as our country continues to be invaded and for trying to sneak amnesty behind our backs.

The war disturbs me.....but I would not have jumped ship with President Bush so fast had it not been for the illegal immigration problem.

I am wondering if anyone else believes the same as I do?

My other question is this: IF President Bush did EVERYTHING RIGHT now on the borders, meaning every effort put forth, an announcement where he told people in our country illegally that they should return to their of origin, and if you saw SERIOUS attempts to find and prosecute employers of illegals, AND this continued stepping up of arrests and deportations, no amnesty of any sort as well as no guest worker program of any sort.....................would you be able to

In other words, if you were 100% sure that he was willing to do what needs to be done regarding illegal immigration........would you support him again?

I am curious, because even though he keeps me worried to death about our country.....having a president with zero credibility for two years worries me.....and ending up with GOD KNOWS WHO in the White House worries me too.

I have a feeling that we are at a terrible point. I heard tonight that some people think that McCain is going end up being like a Bob Dole and that Guiliani has the better chance.

Guiliani!! He's never going to listen to us anymore than Bush!! Things could even be worse?? He's for all out amnesty
What are we going to do?

In answer to your question regarding whether my trust in Bush would be restored by his taking positive action on illegal immigration, that's a tough call. Before the dire situation with illegal immigration became obvious, the problem that I had with Bush was his absolute abandonment of anything resembling Conservative fiscal responsibility. I think in order for the President to get back into my good graces he would have to do more than shore up the borders. That said, accomplishing anything meaningful in the fight against illegal immigration and the Mexican invasion would dramatically elevate my current opinion of him.

As for the war, I do not share the views of many here that the invasion of Iraq was about oil. Just because we have poor leadership that does not preclude the possiblity, indeed the likelihood, that we have foreign enemies bent on our destruction, not because of anything that we have or have not done relative to them, but because their own poisonous ideologies require them to hate us. I am fundamentally an isolationist, and so the idea of intervention anywhere naturally rubs me the wrong way. But there are times that we must act to protect our nation and our interests abroad. Let us not forget that even our isolationist Founding Fathers saw fit to prosecute a war against the Barbary Corsairs, who posed no direct threat to the territorial United States, but who threatened our interests on the high seas. It is not a coincidence that those pirates who employed guerrilla tactics on the high seas were Muslims and that they were attacking us because they believed that the Koran required it due to our nation's Christian heritage. Some things never change.

For the NAU only if he turned against it,,,In got us out of it. I might forgive because he is fighting islam; which is very important and holds a lot of water in importance. The illigal thing if he where to deport them all in fine the businesses maybe yeah again. Meaning not amnesty or anything.

There is two things which are important to me, one is keeping this country from becoming the NAU and illigals turning this country into a c#ap hole. And two islam which is taking over Europe. We must not allow these people to take over. It is of up most importance,,,I rather live with a million Mexicans then a room full of islamics.

I say this because I don't went to die or my country to do the same.

From watching MSNBC tonight, they indicated that President Bush is sending a message to them that he is still the decider. I wonder if they are going to send the same general message back to him or what?
Of course, as we all know they disagree at least on the war.

Also, I wonder who is really responsible for the pretty noticeable crack down on illegal immigration basically since the November elections. Is it because George Bush has ordered it, and if so why ?

Or did the Democrats bring it about and if so why?

I have a few questions tonight guys!!

Thank you for helping me to sort out my thoughts.

Originally Posted by LegalUSCitizen

From watching MSNBC tonight, they indicated that President Bush is sending a message to them that he is still the decider. I wonder if they are going to send the same general message back to him or what?
Of course, as we all know they disagree on the war.

Also, I wonder who is really responsible for the pretty noticeable crack down on illegal immigration basically since the November elections. Is it because George Bush has ordered it, and if so why ?

Or did the Democrats bring it about and if so why?

I have a few questions tonight guys!!

You can be damned sure that the Democrats didn't order it. Besides, they don't have the means to order it. The administrative agencies that deal with immigration are answerable to the Executive. So the question is whether the administration is trying to make a minor show for some reason or whether there has been a legitimate sea change. I'm not holding my breath.