A Fool and His Country Are Soon Parted

A New York Times/CBS News poll recently reported that 81% of Americans think the country has "pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track." This is the highest figure in the poll's history. Just last year, the number was a horrific 69%, which looks pretty good today. In 2002, it was a mere 35%.

81% is a shocking number. Not shocking that it's 81%. But that it's only 81%. The mind boggles at the 19% who think things are chugging-along just swell.

By the way, that 69% last year begs an important question. Only two years after George Bush had been re-elected president, 69% of the nation said the U.S. had "pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track." What I want to know is what in the world those 50.7% of Americans were thinking who voted for George Bush a mere two years earlier??? It's not like things had been going swimmingly and then...whammo!!!...we fell off the ledge. The country had been going in a downward plummet since George Bush took office in 2000. What possibly did people think they were getting when they voted to re-elect in George Bush in 2004?

Did they think that someone intractable, deeply in over his head, who'd likely gone AWOL in the National Guard would suddenly not only turn his life but the entire country around overnight? That he would truly become compassionate - and competent? Folks, you gets what you pays for. And you bought George Bush. Hook, line and sinker.

And now 81% of Americans say that America has "pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track."

Here's a hint how it got that way. And why, under the George Bush administration, the train isn't about to find the track.

MARTHA RADDATZ: Two-third of Americans say it's not worth fighting.
DICK CHENEY: So?
MARTHAT RADDATZ: So? You don't care what the American people think?
DICK CHENEY: No. I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls.

Two-thirds of Americans say the Iraq War is not worth fighting. 81% of Americans say that American has "pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track." That's not a fluctuation blowing you off course. That's Hurricane Katrina. That's a black hole sucking you into a vortex.

This isn't even a "fluctuation." The American public's antagonism against the war started with 68% support and is down to 36%. Calling that "fluctuation" is like someone fall off a skyscraper and saying he's fluctuating towards the pavement.

And the vice president of this administration said, "So?" and "No," he doesn't care what people think.

He doesn't care.

This administration is blind and deaf to the people it is elected to serve. Consider the phrase "you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations." Let me translate that for you: "Stay the course."

Dick Cheney, the architect of the worst foreign policy disaster in U.S. history, is solely concerned with the George Bush administration getting blown off course in Iraq. Who here doesn't understand that we have long-since been blown off course?

We went to Iraq to get rid of the weapons of mass destruction. Oops, no, it was to remove Saddam Hussein. Oh, sorry, we went to Iraq to bring freedom to the region. Or, rather the reason next was to fight terrorists there so that we wouldn't have to fight them here. And now we went to Iraq to stabilize the world economy.

The Bush administration wouldn't recognize a course if it had guide-ropes on either side and a yellow streak painted down the middle to the end line. Which is just as well, since there is no end line.

It's ghastly that 81% of Americans recognize that the United States has "pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track." But it's at least good that so many people can see clearly. Because the captain doesn't have a clue.

For seven years, the enabling Republican party has been the pusher, feeding blind "yeses" and close-minded support when they knew the addict needed an intervention. Never caring that they were dragging the entire country pretty seriously off on the wrong track. And now they will be asking for our support in November.

Not every Democrat has done a great job, but they've faced a populace that made that difficult. And many Democrats have done a great job. But if all Democrats in Congress haven't always had the courage of their convictions, at least they've had convictions.

Republicans have had convictions, too, but theirs put them in prison.

As 81% of Americans believe the country has "pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track.," the Bush Administration says, "So?" Not to worry, it's just a fluctuation.

It's worse. Remember: when this 81% says the country has "pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track"...the economic downturn hasn't even hit yet.

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time. But you can't fool 81% of the people this time.

Apparently, President George Bush is a uniter, after all.

Comments

[itmaybetoolate]

So? 81% think we are on the wrong track. What % are actually willing to DO something about it? 10%, maybe. Therein lies the problem. Imagine if those 81% marched peacefully on Washington and demanded the impeachment of bush, refusing to leave until impeachment was begun.

But no, we wring our hands - things are so bad for poor little me - then get in the SUV, drive to mickey d's that's a couple of blocks away, get some pseudo-food for .99, drive back home, settle in, and watch the boob tube, trying not to think about the pending foreclosure and never giving a thought to the latest young person injured or killed in Iraq.

[hopeless277]

And congress sits on it's hands. There is NOTHING people can do without their representatives in congress. And congress stopped representing the people a long time ago. Even DemocRATS in congress ignore their constituents. So we will be trampled under the jack boot of facism. That will become clear after Cheney bombs Iran, Bush declares martial law and nationalizes the National Guard, and then he 'postpones' the elections. Then again, the population of this country seems so damn stupid they may not even notice.

[itmaybetoolate]

Wrong - we can turn off our TV's and refuse to spend what little money we have on unnecessary items. We can march on Washington; we can reduce our driving to the absolute minimum; we can work TOGETHER to make them pay attention - once corporations begin losing money, they'll pay attention. We can call our rep every week to say "I'm watching you and I have a long memory." They want us to feel helpless and hopeless - it supports their aims.

[Spikethedog]

Elisberg says, "By the way, that 69% last year begs an important question...."

No, it POSES an important question.

"Begging the question" implies that the answer is implied in the premise. Nothing in his question implies the answer.

Which poses -- not begs -- another question: How can we trust someone who makes such a serious rhetorical error?

[RoloTomassi]

What "we" trust is of no concern to GOP Trolls....like YOU.

[ColoradoAngryRU]

That 19% you are inquiring about are just brain dead and never had a thought of their own. Whatever the boy king says is the gospel truth.

[missjabez]

"You get what you pay for". Truer words were never spoken. John Kerry was clearly the superior candidate in 2004, but Americans allowed themselves to be bamboozled by Swifboat stories and sniggering hints that Kerry wasn't one of us. Instead, we got more disastrous years of Bush and Company, because Bush was supposedly "one of us" and the good ole boy everybody wanted to get drunk with. it's very sad that many Americans seem unable to think for themselves.

[RabidRightRebel]

Even with a 81% wrong track opinion, McCain who wants to continue on this same track, is polling even with both Democrats.

The only explaination for this absurd view is that Republicans have become some indoctrinated that they are no longer capable of thinking for themselves. What we are facing is a rabid right mob that will do what ever its puppet masters ask it to. In this case ithey are being told to support a man that wants to continue down the wrong track until American is finally completely and totally destroyed.

[Spikethedog]

Why would be so narrow-mionded as to say there's only one explanation and be contemptuous of the public?

The other, more rational explanation is that a huge part of the public believes the Demorats have nothing to offer the country except vapid promises and higher taxes.

[RoloTomassi]

FLAGGED: GOP TROLL.

[BBackSoon]

So as long as your taxes don"t go up you are ok with borrowing Trillions of dollars to continue the war? Your ok with gas more than doubling in the past few years and the oil companies and their buddies in the White House all get richer as long as the Government does not take any more of your money? Your ok with good paying jobs leaving the country so fast that they make a sucking sound only to be replace by jobs that require a nametag, a smile and the ability to say "Would you like fries with that?" just as long as you are not asked to pay a higher percentage of your now lower paycheck?

Your fine with being spied on, having your elections rigged, being systematically lied to by the pentagon, the Justice Department and ever other governmental institution just as long as it doesn"t cost me any more money?

Well I for one believe that you have to pay for your mistakes, sooner or later. GWBush is our biggest mistake ever. And sooner or later we need to make amends to ourselves and the entire world for ever letting monkey boy escape the ranch and get onto the world stage, where he never misses a chance to show us what an arrogant, deceitful buffoon he truly is. Nope raise my taxes, but you better fix some of the shit this administration had fucked up!

[jfor]

Tax cuts always lead to higher taxes. Reaganomics failed, just ask Bushs father, the guy who had to raise taxes because of supply side crapola.


Ignorance is bliss. Once upon a time I was ignorant about knowing about George W Bush and that was blissful.

[fairwitness]

Again, look to Nancy Pelosi, who gave George Bush (and, by logical presumption) a free pass in taking impeachment off the table. The worst, most criminal enterprise EVER to exist in this country and the only remedy possible is taken off the table?????

Pelosi should be impeached.