TO HELL AND A HANDBASKET

Matthew Yglesias thinks President Bush is ruining America–but so slowly that we won’t notice until years after he’s out of office. I have no way to refute this, given the paucity of data from the future, but must admit that it would be rather ironic given that his dad did a pretty decent job, the benefits of which arrived too late to give him a second term.

FILED UNDER: US Politics,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Steven says:

    You know, you’d think people would learn–America is no doubt bigger than a given President (unless he takes us to full nuclear war or something). But each side does this every go ’round: claiming that the current administration is “destroying” the country. Cons did it in re: Clinton, now Libs are trying the line in re: Bush.

    The last time it was probably a semi-valid line was Carter, and even there, you can’t honest blame everything on him.

    And in re: Iraq. At this stage there is just as good a chance that over the long-haul this will be a success as it will be a failure. My word, we have only been there in the reconstruction phase for several months.

    And while the economy has hardly been stellar, it is hard to say that, hisotrically, it is really all that bad. 6.1% unemployeement during the aforementioned Carter admin would have been considered a miracle.

  2. JohnC says:

    So the billboards are going to read:

    Bush/Cheney
    Because Carter would have considered this economy a miracle

    Or maybe

    Bush/Cheney
    After all, it’s only been a year.

    Or perhaps

    Bush/Cheney
    We lied in pursuit of national security, not sex

    You guys are going to have a great campaign season. It’ll be like surviving daily carpet bombings.

  3. Romulus says:

    There are much better slogans than the lamers you chose. How about:
    Fighting Terrorism is the Best Course

    Taking the War to Terrorists

    Winning the War one Terrorist at a Time

    Whining Don’t Win Wars

    Talking the Talk without Walking the Walk is What Lead to 9/11

    Action Speaks Louder Than Words

    Better to Die Fighting than Die a Coward

    Let’s Roll

  4. JohnC says:

    ROFL! You just crack me up! It’s going to be like shooting fish in a barrel.

    You need to get a little bit beyond the frat house, dude.

  5. Romulus says:

    I’m glad you found that amusing. Keep laughing until the election. It will help you deal with the disappointment.

  6. JohnC says:

    That’s a good one. I’ll have to remember it.