What you are witnessing here on this board, ladies and gentlemen of the US, is the first stumbling, infant-like attempts at political discourse. This is a new concept in an America where your patriotic duty has always been to eat, watch TV, salute the flag, fear the world, worship Hollywood. I take great heart in the fact that some semblance of outrage is finally, gradually emerging from the dimmest TV drenched recesses of the collective mind.
It will be a huge mental leap for most to realise that there is a chasm between what you have been spoonfed to believe about the US, and what in the last 5 decades it has been doing around the world in your name. For approximately 30 per cent of the population this is too big a challenge and they will retreat to comforting myths and isolation. The rest of you, however, have a very good chance of understanding the mess you're in (just keep reading non-US news outlets) and you will rise to the challenge of meaningful change and moral realignment. This is the unique American capacity for re-invention and i have every faith it will rise again and right the terrible wrongs of Bush.

Geez, it sure would be nice to go back and think of myself as an American first and a voter second. Sadly, Bush and his supporters tell me I'm either with him or against America. That kind of tactic might win elections, but it does not inspire me to give him even a bit of support.

Those on this board remind of the long lost political party of......MODERATES...yes some of you are extremist to the left or the right...but many are just hashing out the physcological effects of hatred in politics.....good for you all.

Only in an age where corporatized media has broken down all basic standards of journalistic integrity could such drivel be published in a major outlet. Look --polls repeatedly show that over half adult population strongly disapproves of the policies that have been enacted, and feel that the country is on the "wrong track". Can you really believe such simplistic stereotypes apply to that many people?

Why does reality look like Hate to the GOP?

The field of Republican candidates have offered nothing but more tax cuts for the ultra rich, more wars, more torture, less civil rights, that and rekindling irrational Clinton Hatred from the 90's.

Clinton, who gave us surpluses and wars won without a single casualty. Yes that was rational hatred.

Bush has, tripled aid to Africa. Great, Clinton would have done that but the GOP congress would have blocked it, like they tried to block us in Kosovo.

To hell with you and your false equivalency, if you don't hate Bush you hate sanity and the constitution.

You can fool some of the people some of the time, but eventually 70% of the populace will see through you. The other 30% have no rational position other than "Clinton did it too".

I don't like Bush's policies much. Outside of the job he does, he seems affable enough.

But mostly I loath what he has done. I am unhappy with his party overall, and I really am unhappy with most of Bush's actions.

There have been some good things, like the preserve he created in northern Hawaii, but there aren't enough of them.

Cheney on the other hand I just dislike all around. That's been true for a long time too. However, he has been a devoted public servant when he didn't have to be one, which is more than most people would be willing to do.

The entire premise of this discussion is bogus. The policies of the Bush administration have been so dangerous to the country that any talk of "Bush hatred" seems to be deliberate obfuscation. Thanks, corporate media hacks, for keeping our eyes off the real stakes....

Despite the depreciable Gore/Bush debacle, I will fight against any change in the current Electoral College system until it is absolutely clear that California will not be the only state to make a such a change ... and that specifically Texas changes.

Mike, you're projecting. There's no accounting for others' tastes in lovers, books, and presidents, but neither is there any mistaking the reliable indicators marking true differences in people's choices.

Don't be sorry for hating a tyrant who is destroying America and the world be proud that you Love this country enough to want these criminals out of office.I despise him too

In Mr. Martinez' defense, his column being new, he may have fabricated examples for us while he awaits real ones. Alternatively, he did say that no question is too stupid, and he might have published these out of a desire to prove it. Then again, in the spirit of both of the above, could it be he made up stupid examples, modestly unaware his smart style would arouse skepticism? The important thing is he didn't lie us into war, much less give us stupid answers.

Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about it. If the ragtag mob of man hating feminists, and the lazy soap opera addicted security moms, Wall Street investors, corporate crooks, and the Indian and Chinese governments, succeed in foisting Hillary Clinton off on us as our next President, I assure you, you will look back upon the Bush Presidency as a golden time and will think very kindly of George W. Bush in comparison.

Hey; where did you learn to hate, did your mother teach you? Why not simply grow up, become a whole person, wear shoes, you know.

Hey; just where did you learn to hate? did your mother teach you. The answer is just grow up, become a big boy, wear shoes for a change.

I thought the election of bush would end all the hate radio right wing nuts complaining about clinton in 90. but alas. I have to listen to them still. Clinton haters will ALWAS hate clinton. The machine that created that hate is still up and running. What's worse, I have to listen to hate radio and internet from Democrats too now--about bush.

I would really like to go back to lovoing my neeighbor and hating ALL politicians.

A lot of the posters need mental help. Seriously.

BDS should be treated as a disease. All these apologists for the haters could easily use the same logic to justify religious persecution of minorities, discrimination based on religion, and 'reeducation' of those who don't believe as they do.

The real fascists are the ones who say 'hate as we do or we'll hate you too'.

Mike wrote:
Keep on believing that.
==

bank on it, Mike

Chris Fox -

"I didn't say that anyone who disagrees with me is a kook"

Hmm, in your mind anyone who doesn't share your views on foreign policy, economic policy, or science and religion is a kook. My mistake. You are not a partisan at all!

Keep on believing that. LOL.

Mike, you remind me of what it was about vinyl LPs that led to their being replaced by CDs overnight.

I didn't say that anyone who disagrees with me is a kook; you said that. What I said, and twice, was that Bush supporters are kooks, and I stand by it.

People who believe that citizens of an occupied country will love the invaders are kooks.

People who believe that invading a country because its leader is defiant are kooks.

People who believe that unregulated capitalism will lead to anything but a two-tier economy, extremely rich and extremely poor, are kooks.

People who deny science in favor of a book of religious fables are kooks.

And people who accept that any amount of threat justified tying poeple down and inflicting pain on them are worse than kooks, they are sick in the head.

Chris Fox -

LOL. You miss the whole point. My point is that hardcore partisans (like you) think that any tactic is OK as long as the person in question shares your narrow views.

The whole point of the article is how low-minded and venal name calling is. Your answer? Calling anyone who disagrees with you a "kook".

I am pleased for you that you are so proud of your intellectual dishonesty and name calling. Kudos to you for being superior to any who think differently than you! You are a true intellectual!

Mike, you can steeple your fingers all you like, and you'll have to get up a lot earlier in the morning if you want to bait us with mere condescension.

I repeat: Bush supporters are kooks. You have to be. Nothing Bush is doing can withstand the most cursory examination for effectiveness, morality, competence ... anyone who believes in "they'll follow us home" is so illogical as to fail basic rationality.

As for your suspicion about "ex Republicans," welcome to the club. I've read a lot from "Democrat yusta bees" that sounded pretty lame too.

Chris Fox -

I never said that I din't believe that a lot of Republicans were outraged. Instead, I was pointing out to Chaotician that his strident liberal rhetoric belied his claim to be an outraged ex-Republican.

I'm sorry that your Bush hatred has rendered you incapable of reading and responding to my post. Instead, like most Bush haters you trasnmuted what I said into what you wanted to hear to enable you to bore us with your keen insights on why Bush is bad. You then cap it off with a little name calling, therby completing your wonderful demonstration of the debating methods of the type of deluded Bush hater that the article addresses.

Hey Mike a lot of former Republicans are extremely outraged, sorry you have trouble believing it but that just speaks about you.

Like my next-door neighbor .. Bush signs in '88, Bush signs in '92, Dole signs in '96, Bush signs in '00, no signs in '04, and Democratic signs in '06.

I don't see a lot of cars with "W" stickers anymore, and the few I do see tend to have nutty-defiant stickers next to them. Beating heart, cold dead fingers, liberal this or that.

Bush supporters are kooks.

I don't know a lot of "ex-Republican" who pepper their posts with terms like "facist" or "neocon". Your rant is kind of textbook liberal partisan. It's hard to imagine that you were ever a Republican. Methinks you just thought it would give more wieght to your pathetic braying at the moon.

To catapult Bush into people's consciousness, Rove intentionally went out of his way to divide the people so he definitely was obnoxious, and so was Bush. Everyone in the Bush regime cultivated this culture of thuggery to present an aura of "toughness" when in fact they were just way over their heads. 911 happened because Bush was asleep literally; rummy and Cheney were focused on the missile shield in Europe & wham! America got hit. The criminal minds worked into overdrive and conceived of the war on terror which is actually a distraction from our questioning why Bush was not paying attention. Bush lied, Cheney lied, Rummy and his unknown unknowns lied - Who woudn't despise these war criminals?

To be a good hater, you need to be an ex-Republican that has been betrayed! As a matter of record, I am appalled that a creature such as George Bush exists and he is a clear refutation of the idea that there is a God; nobody this evil could exist if there was a "Just" God! The Christian Right and their mindless fleeced flocks, George and his moneyed pals, Dick and his Fascist pals, Karl and his political sales force, Condi and her "loss in space" pals, Karen and her PR and lobbyist pals, Gonzo and his legal wiennies, Rheumy and Neo-Con apoligists, Brownie and the rest of the incompetents, the Corporate Elite and their purchased Congressman, AIPAC and Liebermann...do I need to go on?

George has dismantled our Constitution, our governmenty, our country; a Flag in the lapel should become a Badge of Shame!

Actually I don't hate Bush. I don't hate Clinton (either one of them), and I only despise Karl Rove. What I hate however is the LACK of BACKBONE that this country has shown as we have allowed our rights to be exchanged for some false sense of security and because we have CHOSEN to believe that "if we don't fight them over there, we'll have to fight them over here". . . and cower whenever anyone says, "Has anyone dared to attack us since we invaded Iraq?" oh please - how do you know if they would have attacked us again if we hadn't invaded Iraq? And what about Pakistan freeing Taliban leaders during this recent "emergency"? We have squandered the lives of our troops for what? So the iraqi parliment can play at being a democracy long enough to solidify tribal alliances and militias? We've squandered our resources for what? So the Saudi princes can buy yet another jet? We've squandered our Constitution for what? So our government can circumvent the Geneva Convention and doublespeak a new definition of not-torture? Oh yeah - we're a bunch of freedom loving folks all right - and scared to death of the world around us. That's what I hate.

Take a look at how lame the the posts on this board are. With all of the ignorance and name calling, I can only assume that the Bush haters on this board average an age of 17. Most of us grow out of the silly name calling phase shortly after that age. Apparently the average Bush hater on this board is a very young person who can't control their emotions.

If I were Bush, I would take comfort in the fact that so many small minded and shallow people do not approve of me. I would be deeply concerned if the folks on this board actually agreed with my policies, as their hatred is based on childish emotion and ignorance of facts.

I just turn the sound off whenever King George comes on. He's just going to lie anyway, and this keeps me from throwing things at the TV.

This is a sound strategy when Royalists like the Red Bushies try to hijack a democracy like ours.

"a partisanship consciously exacerbated by Karl Rove's governing formula"

This is silly. I guess folks like Bill Maher, Bub Shrum, Rosie O'Donell, Keith Olbermann and Harry Reid have nothing to do with it?

Give me a break. Only a true partisan thinks that partisanship is the fault of one side or the other.

My hatred for bush keeps me warm on a cold night, since I can't afford to heat my home.

Bush's aid to Africa comes as the U.S. is starting to build military bases there and to exploit Africa's oil. It has nothing to do with compassion and everything to do with lining his and his cronies' pockets. Pretty soon the U.S. will start propping up another group of dictators on the take for letting america plunder their countries' resources.

Way to go, Alex. It's been a long time since I've read so many words that said so little.

Mike wrote
"Since so-called "Progressivism" is founded completely on emotion vice anything resembling common sense, what would anyone expect? What's common sensical about turning most of your money and personal freedoms over to a bunch of bureaucrats to run your life as they see fit vice taking personal responsibility? That's not progressive, that's insane."
==

Here in America we have a different problem, here we have a pack of paranoid psychotics who are afraid of hair gel and toothpaste, and want us to surrender our freedoms to protect our freedoms.

What country do you live in, Mike?

And props to Mr. Martinez for mentioning the underhanded and slimy attempt by the GOP to swing what is basically a blue state their way with this bogus California initiative.
To one of the worthless scumbags proposing this, Rep. Darrell Issa, I'd say this: Instead of this sneaky move, why don't you put forth a more moderate presidental candidate if you are so interested in winning California?

Any time I hear someone grousing about anything--Bush 43, the war in Iraq, bad beer, a sports team's managerial incompetence, lousy weather--the easiest way to nip the complaining in the bud is to simply ask: "Propose a viable alternative." The word "viable" is crucial. If someone is complaining about the cold and wind, relocating to the Caribbean may be an option, but not a viable one. I can always order a different beer.

In spite of the alleged incompetence, corruption, illegalities, etc of the Bush 43 administration, the Democrats were unable to field a candidate in 2004 that a majority of the voters found to be an acceptable or more viable alternative. It seemed to me that, as with the election that put Ehrlich in office in Maryland, the Democrats were so cock-sure of themselves that they though they could win even if they ran the equivalent of a dead and rotting horseshoe crab against the Republicans--and thus they did exactly that.

History will show that the United States has generally been at its most successful, economically, when one party controls the Presidency and an opposing party controls the legislative branch. The resulting balance keeps the government from excessively interfering with the economy. It will be most interesting to see what happens after the upcoming election. Regrettably, serious political competition has largely been legislated out of existence in American politics, and folks still rail against the Congress in general while still praising and routinely re-electing their own pork-returning legislators. In spite of America's political polarization, we've become stuck with two wings of an Incumbent Party, and only serious reform at the grass-roots and personal level will remedy that.

[[[[Here's a couple words of advice from Livia Soprano: Poor you! Seriously, liberals are always swimming in malaise because they carry so much emotional baggage with their political views--they can personalize politics to such a degree that they exist as nothing more than fun vacuums. Sorry, but they just are Eeoryes sometimes.]]]]

"Emotional baggage? lol. I've been listening to idiots screech about Clinton for years. Funny how Republicans can be outraged over a blow job but you hear nothing but crickets chirping over heinous war crimes commited by memebrs of their party. I'm ashamed I ever voted for a Republican. I never thought they'd institute a mix of George Orwell and Goebbels as a political platform."
****
Good response, anonymous poster. The conservative shills' whining about "Bush hatred" is hypocrisy at its worst. They, more than any other group, help create the poisonous political environment in which we now live.

To paraphrase a bumpersticker: If you don't hate Bush, you aren't paying attention.

Great. Making up a fake "question" and answering it. Boy, that makes for an easy paycheck!

As for "getting over" Bush hating--if you do _not_ hate Bush for what he's done to our country--there is something wrong with you.

As for the Bushies on this board--lay off the Kool-Aid and read/recall some history (circa 1992-2000). Remember how Republicans were so full of love toward Clinton which those danged libruls and DemocRATS are not reciprocating...wait,didn't happen.

What, it's not enough that the Great Leader will be leaving to his Democratic successor an economy in recession (or maybe even stagflation), 2 quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan respectively, health care system in crisis, al-Qaeda still up and running, our international reputation in the sh!thole, and yeah, attacks on our constitutional rights--and no money in the bank to pay for anything? And yet the Kool-Aid drinkers think Clinton is bad for getting a BJ?

Note to Bush hater: Get over yourself! I had to hold my nose through 8 years of Clinton!

I think people confuse anger, outrage, resentment, and despair with hate. Some people hate George Bush, but I posit that most of the so-called Bush-haters do not actually *hate* Bush, but are furious at him and appalled by his decisions.

Why is Bush hatred so mysterious?
Since so-called "Progressivism" is founded completely on emotion vice anything resembling common sense, what would anyone expect? What's common sensical about turning most of your money and personal freedoms over to a bunch of bureaucrats to run your life as they see fit vice taking personal responsibility? That's not progressive, that's insane.

Give me a break, guys. Bush haters are just as irrational and wacko as the Clinton haters were before them. Get out of the echo chamber.

You know what I missed when I saw Peter Berkowitz' hilarious rebuke of Bush-haters on the Opinions page of the Wall Street Journal? Those solicitations for the WSJ's 10,000 page book of accusations against Clinton they used to sell off the Oped page in the 90's. Oh those were the days.

I NEVER liked bush, but I didn't become a real 'hater' until it became clear that he was more of an idiot dictator, than just an idiot president.

Electoral vote: You failed to point out that the latest Republican dictatorial move in Calif. is an initiative to split the Electoral College numbers NOW! Not like other states where electoral laws were to kick in when the preponderance of other states kick in.

If this passes in Calif. we might as well just appoint the next republican candidate dictator and save the expense of a primary as it will be nearly impossible for any other candidate to win a presidential election.
If you have to cheat to win, you must be republican :(

The comments here accurately show who the readership of the Washington Post is. Go back to your government jobs, you're posting on government time.

At my age time flies, but not nearly fast enough when it comes to ridding this country of George W. Bush. January 2009 can't come fast enough!!

Nothing the GOP advocates is worth compromising towards. They have reached beyond the point of reason or logic and compromising with the stupids only makes Progressives look stupid also. Those who don't believe in government tend not to do it very well, and we have serious issue to resolve. We cannot afford conservatives to be part of the discussion until they return to their collective senses. Fight a War that nobody pays for; end retirement programs and increase pollution amounts; deny healthcare to children and grant tax breaks for the rich; ignore the infrastructure and bankrupt us with 'no bid' contracts and imcompetent cronies. Enough already, the Democrats ain't perfect, but at this juncture in Time, the Republicans are wrong on every single issue - and their philosophy is actively harming our Country, they must be stopped (and laughed at).

I wasted a lot of energy resisting the hatred of Bush and of the far right in general, but if not for the utterly contemptible, what is hate for?

Bush took the greatest responsibilities in the country and has spent four years projecting the deep insecurity of a small man born with a chip on his shoulder. Where the nation needed leadership we got a nasty little runt who sends soldiers to die and denies medicine to children just so everyone knows he's a tough little monkey.

Hatred for someone like this is perfectly sensible reaction.

[[[[Here's a couple words of advice from Livia Soprano: Poor you! Seriously, liberals are always swimming in malaise because they carry so much emotional baggage with their political views--they can personalize politics to such a degree that they exist as nothing more than fun vacuums. Sorry, but they just are Eeoryes sometimes.]]]]

Emotional baggage? lol. I've been listening to idiots screech about Clinton for years. Funny how Republicans can be outraged over a blow job but you hear nothing but crickets chirping over heinous war crimes commited by memebrs of their party. I'm ashamed I ever voted for a Republican. I never thought they'd institute a mix of George Orwell and Goebbels as a political platform.

The unlimited capacity of Reublicans to accuse others of the sins that they carry like Jacob Marley' chains is truly stunning. If Clinton had done half of what Bush has I firmly believe that GOP death squads would have gone over the White House walls months ago.

Great post Heineken. You have expressed my sentiments 100%. I wish more of our fellow Americans would wake up to this very plain and simple fact.

Oh, I almost forgot. I prayed to God and the message He gave me was to love myself for hating Bush. I sought forgiveness, and got it from HIM, the big guy. LOL-you right wingers can't be too happy about that. Apparently, you don't have the lock on GOD you think you do.

CPS seems to like to use big words like "liberal" and "malaise", but in the end, just some more streaming hot air from a Bushie who could give a rat's ass about the actual effects of policies. Remember when intelligence did matter everyone? When did the Republicans start hating it so passionately--things like "science" and "debate" and "discourse".....????
Put your political kool-aid down and think. Its not about being a Democrat or a Republican; its about being American, which most of us have figured out throughout George's great big Adventure these last few hellish years.
Even if I were an admirer of Bush (LMAO--can't say that I am), I would still look at what he's mucked up, which is really, just about everything he's touched. The only thing I think he makes any sense on at all is immigration and his own PARTY has deserted him there.

Help! I accidentally clicked on a link which took me to a Washington Post column where some guy asks himself questions from the point-of-view of a straw-man liberal! Why should I read this column ever again? Help me out here, Mr. Martinez!

Here's a couple words of advice from Livia Soprano: Poor you! Seriously, liberals are always swimming in malaise because they carry so much emotional baggage with their political views--they can personalize politics to such a degree that they exist as nothing more than fun vacuums. Sorry, but they just are Eeoryes sometimes.

[[[A clear example is the frankly bizarre ideological alliance between American liberals and incredibly conservative Islamic fundamentalists who are in all respects vastly worse than American republicans.]]]

Wow. Idelogical alliance? You mean like trying to institutionalize a religion in government above all others? Using torture as official policy? Using religion to whip followers into a bloodthirsty rage and aim it like a gun?

Bandar Bush and his party are more like the Islamists than any other group in the US.

Rory, that comment about liberals and the "islamofascists" is beyond stupid.

Bush has way more in common with those fundamentalists than anyone else, what with his cult of personality, his refusal to respect separation of powers, oversight, congressional authority, heck, even the Constitution.

I hate Bush because he's been such a harmful president of the country. We had years of peace and prosperity under Clinton, and somehow this criminal becomes president.

The republican party has so much to be ashamed of these days. They hounded Clinton over lies, distortions and double-standards, and defend Bush despite his incompetent law-breaking. They stand for nothing except smear and fear-mongering.

The easiest way to get over Bush-hatred is to recognize that he's just a mask for the entrenched system. Hate the system, not Bush. When Bush is gone, another mask will take his place, and there will be little real change.

Only two candidates currently running for the presidency represent actual possible change: Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich. Both are guaranteed to lose, for precisely that reason.

I, almost all of my family, and numerous life-time Republicans all hate Bush. My father thought Bush Senior was the best thing since sliced bread and he voted for Kerry in 2004. Doesn't that tell you something?

Blind Bush-hate is leading liberals down a very dark path. Unable to differentiate between what they claim to personally believe, and a knee-jerk opposition to anything they know or THINK Bush might want to do, they not only define themselves purely in opposition, but fall into constant "enemy of my enemy" traps. A clear example is the frankly bizarre ideological alliance between American liberals and incredibly conservative Islamic fundamentalists who are in all respects vastly worse than American republicans. Yet because Bush is against them, liberals find themselves engaging in bizarre activity like rationalizing Palestinian civilian bombers or twisting themselves up into ideological pretzels about how gay and women-executing troglodytes in Iran should have nuclear weapons. No matter what does or DOESN'T happen in the next 500 years, there will be people who blame Bush for it - and that is practically a form of mental illness. I hope liberals find it in themselves to stand up for the things they believe in without letting Bush or others define them instead.

the really disgusting part of all of this is NOT Mr. Bush...

He is simply the ignorant figurehead of a dangerously destructive Republican Party.

The Party (the Corrupt Ba$tard's Club) is responsible for what's gone on.
The Dishonorable Mrs. Craig is still voting; as is Mr. Horing Vitter (apparently his wife did NOT hold up her end of the bargain.) Mr. Foley is out partying in California; Mr. Cheney is out back building Lego Nukes and drooling; Mr. McCain is lost in the forest; Mr. DeLay belongs in jail; Mr. Romney needs to wash his magic underwear; Mr. Giuliani has Bernard Kerik and Omerta.

These are the Republican leaders...
Shameful men

America, don't F this up.

Hate Bush? Why is that response so surprising? Look at it this way:

George W. Bush is the antithesis of American values. In a country that revolted against the tyranny of aristocracy and inherited wealth, he is the personification of unearned, inherited power and wealth. He never accomplished a thing worthwhile in his life, but was handed the presidency of the United States by a handful of political hacks in robes who were all pals of his daddy.

And, let's not forget the hash he has made of his presidency! The United States today is poorer, weaker, and less secure today than it was when he took office in 2001. Our armies are overstretched, our national debt has been doubled, and our health care system is a shambles.

Hate Bush? In any other country, he'd have been toppled by a revolution and his head used as a soccer ball!

Some times hate is well deserved. Bush deserves to be hated. He has wounded our country and returned us to the dark ages by using torture. I will NEVER forgive him or his party for approving that.

Then you have the culture war Bush and Rove used to tear our country to pieces. Bush's father fired Rove for good reason but W embraced him and his vicious political techniques.

George W. Bush has set civil rights back 60 years and has shredded the Constitution. He has done more damage to our country than any president we've ever had.

And that doesn't even cover how they used the blood of 3000 people who died on 9/11 as a political tool to destroy their domestic opposition and seize control of as much of the government as possible.

If that isn't enough reason for you to hate Bush then you have no conscience or honor. Anyone still loyal to him and his totalitarian administration is an idiot.

Forget national politics. work at your local level. That is where your vote truly counts and is heard. As you initiate change locally, if it is worthwhile, it will move forward and upward and you will facilitate change on a national level. The christian right followed that advice 30 years ago and is now a national player. They were thought of as a joke and after thought and have now insinuated themselves everywhere. An unfortunate lesson for all of us to learn. The antiwar movement did so 40 years ago but as the war faded so did their cause, until Bush's disaster of today.

You are all a bunch fo freaking loosers.

When thinking how much you hate Bush policies, remember Republicans controlled all 3 branches of our government for 6 years and they enabled Bush policies by backing him EVERY step of the way. Which of course, they have continued to do even after the spanking they were given in 2006. Republicans refuse to face the facts that the "surge" is not working (it has not produced any political solutions by the Iraqi government) and their refusal to stand with Democrats to start ending the war is proof that Bush policies must either be THEIR policies or they are afraid to go against him. Either way this tells me that Republican policies are Bush policies or Republican politicians are cowards. Stand up Republicans and stop beating a dead horse, honestly support our troops and help Democrats force Bush to get us out of Iraq. Without Republican support in the Senate Democrats hands are tied.

I say take your disgust with Bush out on his enablers, the Republican party, every chance you get until they have apologized and this nightmare is behind us.

Sorry, I accidentally clicked this without knowing who it was. Based on how horrible this was last week, hopefully I won't make this mistake again.

You are an idiot Andres.

Help! I find myself feeling nothing but contempt for a pedestrian "blogger" for a corporate media power who asks and answers questions supporting the GOP status quo and who openly expresses his love of the Pittsburgh Steelers in his bio.

What am I to do to get over my contempt for this lightweight?

I'm no big fan of hate, I think hate is a lot of what's wrong with America right now, but the Bush administration are hastening the end of America, and taking the world with them. This, obviously, is worth being frightened about, and fear causes feelings of hate. You're in good, and intelligent, company here. Settle down, and "keep left."

Let's get this straight because I am sick of this so called bipartisanship which, in fact, masks the real truth. Yes, Republicans hated Bush and, yes, there are alot of Democrats and independents who hate Bush. There is a difference. The hatred of Clinton was NOT. Sure Bush has come late to the table in making some compassionate noises like aid to Africa but does that justify destroying Iraq, with thoussands of lives lost and over 3 trillion spent. How about how virtually every government agency has been politicized so we have poisoned toys and censored science reports. How about the reputatin of this country, brought to the lowest in a century. How about torture, the negation of treaties, and on and on. So, yes, I hate Bush, because of what he has done to my country. AND THAT HATRED IS JUSTIFIED. Actually, to still support Bush after all this, well, that is purely irrational.

Good Republican talking points answered with mealy-mouthed even-handedness about both sides being polarized.

Truths within the answer but an even handedness that belies the issues and stretches credulity.

The Republicans do not operate as individuals very often.

No Republican Presidential candidate gets on the ballot unless they are ready to take the script handed to them by the Party Organization.

The right wing of the Republicans control the party's decisions on who exits the primaries and this means about 5-9% of the population at most decides who the Republicans run for office.

Republicans allow no other voices.

Point to Giuliani, but no votes have happened and either way as I see it, if he is the nominee this time it goes to show the internal control of the party is strong.

If he isn't the nominee, then the right wing base has put the brakes on the NEOCON wing who Rudy has allied himself with.

Questions about how this nation is constituted today can be answered simply without nuance if pollsters want to hear it.

If they fashion the questions properly people can be in favor or against anything the poll creator chooses. Ask Frank Luntz.

We don't hate Bush, he is a very likable con-man. We just don't like all the illegal, unconstitutional, criminal actions his administration has taken. The way to get over it? Put the SOB and his enablers in JAIL where they below. End of story!
tantalus | November 16, 2007 05:09 AM says it all about this column that only a Communist could love.

I need advice. I find my political vision being colored by hatred of falsity, dissembling, and plagiarism. How can I overcome my scruples?

Case in point: this column. The questions seem to be not only made up by the author, but to consist of fatuous repetitions of political memes from the right side of the aisle (think recent WSJ editorial). In my never-ending search for the holy grail of bipartisanship, must I continue reading it?

If the republicans weren't so afraid that Gore had actually won Florida, they wouldn't have fought the recount. Bushg wasn't elected; he was annointed by the Supreme Court.
As to the question as to how to overcome hatred for Bush, the question should have been, do I want to?

uh, Gore won the electoral college AND the popular vote in 2000. The Supreme Court appointed Bush president.

Pointing that out isn't hateful, but does remind me how much I hate the inabaility of the Washington Post to report facts. I would think that a town like DC, which last I checked was still mostly black, has a hometown paper that glosses over the illegal suppression and erasure of votes in minority districts (which twice handed Bush the Presidency).

Just goes to show how accepting of authoritarianism the city has grown since the Gipper brought his brand of Orwellian governance to town.

Posted by: mateo | November 16, 2007 03:25 AM

====================

What a bunch of liars. I was sure that Bush won the electoral college, Gore conceded and that Bush was duly sworn in as president in 2001. All the supreme court did was nullify a selective recount in Florida. Now I find out that Gore won the electoral college, but for some reason conceded! Either that or you are full of sh!t.

When someone that you don't have paranoid fantasies about wins the presidency how will you explain the sudden ineffectiveness of the all-powerful Bush / Rove / Reagan machine? Or is such a thing impossible now that we are under a military dictatorship? Why haven't they dragged you to Gitmo yet for "speaking truth to power"?

What is the point of this blog? Is it supposed to be funny? If so, it isn't. The first question is obviously made up, either by the author, or some prankster. Is this just another daily example of journalism slipping to ever new lows at the Washington Post?

uh, Gore won the electoral college AND the popular vote in 2000. The Supreme Court appointed Bush president.

Pointing that out isn't hateful, but does remind me how much I hate the inabaility of the Washington Post to report facts. I would think that a town like DC, which last I checked was still mostly black, has a hometown paper that glosses over the illegal suppression and erasure of votes in minority districts (which twice handed Bush the Presidency).

Just goes to show how accepting of authoritarianism the city has grown since the Gipper brought his brand of Orwellian governance to town.

Yes Steve, hate is an inappropriate word to use against the president.

The correct words to use are criminal, thug, liar, traitor, war monger, war profiteer, and mass murderer.

What's with Andres Martinez's uncivil, gratuitous attack on Al Gore and Liberals?

Why is WaPoo such a stenographing lapdog for the worst administration in history?

There's nothing wrong with hating any of that!

Hate is an inappropriate word to use against the President of your country. How can I reconcile myself with the policies of this administration and especially the President, when I see my country being hated by the whole world? I am sure that my sentence is expressing my disapproval of the current occupant of the highest office in the land, than using personal attacks on the man that happens to occupy the position. Hate is a word that has no room in the vocabulary of a civilized nation.

it looks like you just made up questions to answer yourself.

time for a blogger ethics convention!

Outrage and contempt for Bush 43 are two extremely healthy feelings and they only demonstrate that you are a sentient and, above all, entirely normal person.

Don't hate yourself. That is the natural response to this Administration's policies which have cost tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children their lives. How could you not despise someone who has continually mislead the nation, ignored laws and the Constitution, and ruined this nations standing in the world community? So, give yourself a break, and as you go to the polls don't forget how much damage a poor choice can do.