What Do You Think Was The Biggest Factor In Bush Getting The Job?

[DistressedAmerican]

Poll question: What Do You Think Was The Biggest Factor In Bush Getting The Job?

I have seen lots of posts from folks blaming the media, others blame Nader, the corporations, etc.

Where do you stand?

If forced to pick out the biggest reason that Bush got the job in the first place (there are clearly many) what would it be?

[ModerateLee]

1. Bush was able...

...to convince Americans that he could keep them safe from terrorism/terrorist attacks at home. (And he established this, for those that believe in him, because there have been no attacks here since 2001.) This is the biggest reason I continually hear from the rightwingnuts around me.

[MrModerate]

2. Admittedly, Gore should have wiped the floor with Schimpanski . . .

And did in the debates. Which the press pretended didn't happen.

Ultimately, Gore didn't run the campaign that he needed to trounce Bush, and that put the election close enough to steal.

Fraud put the final decision in the hands of the Supreme Court, who handed it to Bush in a decision that still makes my head spin. I have a grasp on everything else about the Great Theft of 2000, but I just don't get how the justices sleep at night following their treason.

There's plenty of blame to go around, but the winner by a nose is election fraud.

[Dhalgren]

3. I just figure he asked Condi real sweetly,

and said, "Come on, baby. I've done you three times, it my turn now." And I figure she just...did it, you know...

[Toots]

4. Supreme Court said Bush* suffered Irrepairable Harm and stopped the counti

The votes had not been counted or certified but yet they ruled Bush* was suffering Irrepairable Harm. How could he suffer more than Gore when the votes had not been counted or certified? If anyone was suffering harm it was the voters themselves. So they granted Bush* his stay and by doing so gave him "Standing". No lawyer I know or Legal expert I have heard of says Bush* had "Standing". The votes had not been counted for Christ's sake.

[The_Counsel]

5. I chose "Other"

A perfect storm between election fraud, a lame Gore campaign effort and good ol' fashioned American stupidity.

Kinda makes me think maybe this country really is snake bitten.

[mtnester]

6. Dishonesty and the deliberate prevention of minorities being able to vote

period.

From an on the ground warrior in Ohio.

[lpbk2713]

7. Two words ......

Katherine Harris.

[faithfulcitizen]

8. It was a religious backlash against immoral politicians- aka Clinton

oh, the cruel irony...:dilemma:

[Catherine Vincent]

9. The biggest factor was hate.

Hatred for Bill Clinton, which spilled onto Al Gore, which caused Florida being stolen, which caused the Supreme Court to get involved.

[DistressedAmerican]

10. My Poor Poll! Hey Freeps Stop Wasting Bandwidth So We Can Have Polls Back

Damn you trolls!

[Blue Belle]

11. Genetics. A recognizable name, good political connections...

and bottemless amounts of financial backing - plus there is also the promise of a great return on investment for heavy campaign contributors (i.e. Haliburton).

[mopaul]

12. somebody owed daddybush a BIG favor

for some horrible thing that daddybush did for the republicans

[Ready4Change]

13. Other: Cronyism

In my opinion Bush was recognized by the power brokers behind his fathers administration as someone just smart enough to train for running for the office of President, yet just stupid enough to not be able to control that power himself. He is a controllable, groomable tool, but one rough enough that, without their help, it would be powerless on its own.

[applegrove]

14. It was what the machine had been looking for. They found him - they

gave him a "history" in a baseball team. Then ran him. They own him.

[librechik]

15. "My dad was president, see?

"so I get to be too, and kick his ass. It's hard work. "

[welshTerrier2]

16. and the correct answer is:

a poorly informed electorate that takes its democracy for granted ...

[iconoclastNYC]

17. He could be controlled by the dark forces

The Republicans do not nominate men anymore, they only nominate figureheads.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. Weak Democratic candidates who pandered to the right.

They tried the Clintonesque, DLC, strategy of "I'm not a liberal but not as bad a conservative as Bush" and it failed for lack of offering anything different.

The same thing happened in 2002 and will likely happen again in '06.

Standing for something works.