Bush, President? Don't think so.

[springhill]

Anyone who really believes that Bush is running this country has got to be sorely in denial or just not analyzing the situation.

Everyone wonders how he can take five week vactions, endless campaign stops, bike rides, jogs, etc. It's because he is not in charge. He just signs off on whatever he is given.

Do you really think he had anything whatsoever to do with the initiatives in the speech he just gave on the relief package for New Orleans? Then I have some beachfront property in Arizona to sell you. He is given the words to say, and he says them.

He doesn't even understand what he's saying, let alone the fact that he has nothing to do with it.

No, he can while away his time, because he can.

[KharmaTrain]

1. The Fix Was In From '98 On...

I watched the Repugnican scramble for the "Great White Hope"...the stealth candidate that could be the anti-Clinton...no one filled that bill more than George Bunnypants.

Not only was he "one of their own"...but he fooled folks into thinking he was a "good 'ole boy"...the antithesis of that evil, sex fiend Clinton. He was simple and easy to manipulate and never would question what he's told or why he does what he's told. Over time, it became him and he became them.

In the early days of the 2000 Repugnican primaries...months before Iowa and the first vote was cast, you could see the power-that-be had annointed this boy and felt they could make him into the next Raygun. In '99, even before he officially announced, the manchild had raised several hundred million dollars and assembled a "government in exile"...all that was needed was to take the election...and the rest is history.

A major part of this effort was to create this cartoon Dubya...the "leader", the man of power and authority...one who never makes mistakes and can change world history. People bought into this character cause it felt good...it was like rooting for the home team...especially when boogie men and all types of threats were created.

These people still feel they are invisible. They have lots of power and money and full control of all three branches of the government. While their puppet is faltering, this is just a momentary glitch.

While there's a lot of discontent in Repugnican circles about the competency of their puppet, I'm not seeing a mass exodus to a Democrat or any Democrat who is reaching out to those people.

The best hope is the manchild continues to implode and the combination of the Iraq debacle, the destroyed economy, high oil prices, Katrina and other issues get enough Democrats off their asses to work and vote next year...and depresses enough Repugnicans to stay home.

[cliss]

2. Very good post, and I agree.

While they were good at creating a "hologram" president, they have not been good at dealing with reality.

We've seen it many, many times. They get hit with a hard dose of reality kicking them in the head. They retreat, huddle, discuss what to do next. Keep their fingers crossed for good luck and kiss their lucky rabbit foot.

Regroup, trot their Hologram Leader out yet again. Sweat profusely as the shit is not turning out like they hoped.

Regroup, try a new approach. But never, ever call it a failure. Just a revision. Still, events are spiraling out of control. Desperation.

NATURE kicks them in the groin this time. They misjudge, are distracted by all the thousands of strings they're holding at the moment.

Fail to pay attention to this catastrophe. DISASTER, more than they ever could have imagined.

Leaders? They're idiots.

[KharmaTrain]

6. It's Dumbing Down The System

Nothing works on keeping people in line than ignorance. When you tell them what to think and they feel good when you tell them what to think, it's easy to make them jump off cliffs, kill brown-skinned people and eat babies. Granted it's not that extreme, yet, the right wing's echo chamber is very hollow and highly insulated. It really does operate in it's own parallel universe, that generally can operate with reality as long as it doesn't screw up too badly. Katrina is one of those rare exceptions.

Anyone who thinks or dares to question is branded as "UnAmerican" or a "librul"...as any attack on the status quo is to be dismissed or exagerated. Democrats either didn't do enough or are trying to obstruct too much. And, yes, they're right because the hate radio and Faux News tells them so. It's like a pair of comfortable shoes. You can appear to know so much and not have to really think.

[leeroysphitz]

3. These people still feel they are invisible.

It's sad and frightening but to most of the "mouth breathers" out there they ARE invisible. Ask most anyone who gets their news from mainstream sources (if they bother to get news at all) about dubya's administration and you'll see I'm right but I'm with you.

It was clear before the first vote was cast in Iowa that * had been CHOSEN and that was going to be that. I remember trying to tell people after the 2000 selection not to refer to Bush "doing this or initiating that" but to say the Bush ADMINISTRATION "doing this or that". Using his name gives undue credit to such an obvious stuffed shirt front man.

[Beam Me Up]

5. "stuffed shirt front man" Exaxtly so. WE HAVE NO PRESIDENT.

Our Republic is DEAD and soon we're all going to know it FIRST HAND. What we saw happen in New Orleans is going to spread. Be it through economic collapse, peak oil, environmental demise, earthquake, terrorist strike, or full-on strike against the us due to a global war or some combination of these, ALL OUR LIVES ARE IN DANGER. And that is neither an exaggeration or a joke.

[daninthemoon]

4. Correct in every detail. To the fundamentalist RW rethug base, he

is one of two things. If you are wealthy, he understood to be just as you've describe, their mouthpiece.To the boobs here in the Bible belt and dittoheads everywhere, he is the hope and the resurrection. Blind faith is the scariest thing about these people. They actually DO NOT SEE what he does, or hear even hear what he actually says. He is their president because he says he is Christian and never had a blow job, and that's all they need to know. Nothing else matters or is even real for them.