TIME COVER: Bush as The Lone Ranger

[DeepModem Mom]

Bush's lonely election season
October 29, 2006

"Stay the course" is a time-honored rallying cry in politics. But it has always been more a slogan than a strategy, meant to show the steadfastness of the person who shouts it rather than convey any idea of what he actually intends to do. More telling is when staying the course turns into "constantly changing tactics to meet the situation on the ground."

That is how President Bush is now describing the battle plan in Iraq. It also pretty neatly sums up what his presidency has come to as he reaches the eve of a midterm congressional election that has turned into a referendum on Bush himself, and on a policy in Iraq that has left him more isolated than at any point in his presidency.

The last time control of Congress was up for grabs in a midterm election, it seemed Republican candidates across the country couldn't see enough of -- or be seen enough with -- George W. Bush. In the closing five days of 2002, Bush swooped through 17 cities, playing to tens of thousands of voters who packed tarmacs and arenas from Aberdeen, South Dakota, to Blountville, Tennessee.

This midterm election is also turning out to be all about Bush, but it's a much lonelier experience for him. He still fills smaller rooms, especially the kind where people are willing to write five-figure checks for the privilege of lunch with a Republican resident. And he's welcomed warmly in places where having local reporters point out Bush's difficulties provides a diversion from the candidate's own.

But when Air Force One touches down in tightly contested congressional districts these days, it often turns out that the GOP candidate there has discovered a previous commitment, the political version of an appointment to have your tires rotated. Yes, it's true that Florida Congressman Clay Shaw has been running radio ads to boast of his record working closely with a President, but the one he's talking about is Bill Clinton....

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/29/coverstory.tm/index.html

[Coexist]

1. exit -stage right.

:hi:

[saltpoint]

5. -- --

:thumbsup:
:hi:

[okasha]

6. . . . pursued by a bear.

N/t

[Shakespeare]

29. LOL---beat me to it

Best stage direction EVER, courtesy of Shakespeare.

[Aristus]

30. How many people remember that Antigonus was killed by the bear?

B-)

[Gabi Hayes]

32. bush and his elephant exeunt stage right.... pursued by a ........

donkey

[CatWoman]

24. oooo

that's a good one!!!

:rofl:

[opihimoimoi]

2. He still got Barney and I think .....Pickles

[babylonsister]

4. I dunno; I heard Barney bailed.

:P

[originalpckelly]

13. Yeah, here he is with a little sign around his neck: "Iraq Bites"

[opihimoimoi]

27. LOL.....Barney Bailed on the Dude....Love it.....all alone now...poor Bush

turning into a weed of the NOXIOUS KIND

[Solly Mack]

3. "...lunch with a Republican resident"

resident? snicker

[ima_sinnic]

9. hee hee, I noticed that "innocent" error!

[karlrschneider]

Cackle, saw that too!

:D

[MuseRider]

17. Certainly caught my eye!

I was coming in to post about that. Hmmmmm, gotta love it.

[Cha]

7. "the lone ranger" my

ass. bush still has lieberman kissing his cowardly cowboy fanny.

[chelsea0011]

14. Exactly! More like Nowhere Man.

[originalpckelly]

15. The lone ranger is fucking his lap dog...

Tony Blair is going to leave office because of Iraq.

[karlrschneider]

8. El Arbusto es muy tonto.

...

[Straight Shooter]

10. Reminds me of that Gahan Wilson toon. I'll paraphrase best I can:

The Lone Ranger is in his library, reading an Indian-to-English translation dictionary. He comes across the word "kimosabe." The translation is "dumbass."

[riderinthestorm]

11. Doesn't the "Long Ranger" meme have a positive connotation?

The Lone Ranger programs pre-date me but if I can recall the program's star was a "superhero" of sorts.

I know his sidekick Native American's portrayal has been PC dissected to bits but I thought the Lone Ranger was still a good guy.

Anyone else irritated by the MSM's constant contortions to prop up this Admin? They may say some negative shit but for the most part, the spin remains intact.

[leftyladyfrommo]

19. he Lone Ranger was a good guy - white hat and all.

He fought for justice and right. He stood up for the little guy and kicked the bad guys clear out of town. And he always rode off into the sunset before anyone could thank him. Hi Ho Silver, Away.

I think he was called the Lone Ranger because he was the sole survivor in some kind of attack - he was a Texas Ranger.

Bush is not like the Lone Ranger at all. Bush and his gang are the guys with the black hats.

Not a good analogy at all.

[Rob H.]

21. That's the thing that struck me, too

If anything, Bush is the kind of person the Lone Ranger (as I remember him from TV reruns when I was a kid) would've been fighting against.

[WinkyDink]

28. Yes, This cover is a major compliment to Bush.

[BlueStater]

12. I can't believe we actually have a doofus who makes...

...Ronald Reagan seem like an intelligent, reasonable guy by comparison.

[TheBaldyMan]

20. makes Dan Quayle look dignified and Nixon look honest

[demwing]

26. make George WH Bush seem in touch with America /nt

[populistdriven]

16. The only people that will see him are the ultra-rich who got millions from him

Bush is having an outstanding fall fundraising - he frequently attends dinners that are $25,000 per plate and attendance is always maxed out. The rich just can't seem to get enough of him!

[Stardust]

23. Actually, the rich just can't seem to get enough of his tax cuts.

[TheBaldyMan]

18. Bush: "My work here is done ..." staggers off stage right, fumbles with handle of locked door

he is such an embarrassment to the free world.

[Elwood P Dowd]

22. The Lone Ranger could ride a horse.

Bush can't even ride his bike without falling off.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

25. The Lone Deranger.

How I long for the day we can finally say 'Who WAS that masked man?'

[goforit]

31. "Deranger" is more like it. I don't even think he knows who he is.

[Generic Other]

33. "kimosabe mean stupid"

I forget the joke, but taht's the punch line...