Non-Partisan Reasons to like Bush

[In My Memory]

I hate Mr. Bush just as much the other 57% of USians, but in his defense I dont find him that bad. There are a lot of things that Bush does (and doesnt do) that are very praiseworthy.

 

One good thing I've come up with is:

 

Bush's AIDS relief in Africa and developing nations:

The President believes the global community can-and must-do more to halt the advance of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and that the United States should lead the world by example. Thus, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief will provide $15 billion over five years to turn the tide in the war on HIV/AIDS in the hardest hit countries in Africa and the Caribbean: Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. These 14 countries, which are also the focus of the President's previously announced Mother-and-Child HIV Prevention Initiative, have among the highest prevalences of HIV infection and account for nearly 20 million HIV-infected men, women and children-almost 70 percent of the total in all of Africa and the Caribbean.

To put this in perspective, the US committment to fighting AIDS before Bush took office was about 1/3 as much. It shows a genuine interest in the welfare of others, and this concern is very commendable.

 

I find this to be a pretty good non-partisan reason to like Bush. Are there any more reasons?

[Pangloss]

Well that poll doesn't say that the majority of Americans hate Bush. But they certainly disapprove. I think it's fascinating that when the anti-Bush rhetoric cools down, you see Bush's approval ratings plummet, and when the rhetoric heats up, you see his approval rise (as we did in 2004). Cindy Sheehan and the loony left should be careful what they wishes for.

 

But getting to the point of the thread (which I think is interesting), I agree with your point about Africa. I agree with Bono that we can do better, perhaps even matching the growing European "standard" of 0.7% GDP. But one of the reasons for Bono's success is his desire to refrain from partisan rhetoric and focus on the positive, emphasizing the common goals. Americans are tired of being told how evil they are (however justified it may be), and Bono must have sensed that, focusing instead on the positive contributions of Americans around the world. It worked.

 

Other "good" things from Bush? Well let's see....

 

I should say before I list some things that my list of bad things from the administration is quite a bit longer than my list of good things. But I imagine I'll still take a lot of heat over these points. So be it. Anyway, in no particular order:

 

- Invasion of Afghanistan and removal of the Taliban

- Corporate corruption initiative (something like 600 corporate managers convicted, in spite of vast contributions to the Republican party, compared with virtually none by the Clinton-Reno Justice Department)

- Supporting/signing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, vastly increasing transparency and responsibility of financial reporting by large, publically-traded corporations

- Bankruptcy reform

- Expanding Clinton's faith-based initiatives program (but I often critize specific examples of these programs)

- Promoting further free trade initiatives and agreements in the face of domestic opposition

- Tax cuts -- everyone benefitted, and parents benefitted even more, and even Alan Greenspan believes they had a positive impact on the economy

- No Child Left Behind (whose chief sponsor was Ted Kennedy). This also deserves a lot of criticism, but it's important to recognize that it's a step in the right direction, giving Democrats exactly what they've always wanted -- a federal say in local education, amongst other things

- The new space initiative (but I think any president who happened to be in office at this time would have made exactly the same decision)

- Medicare prescription drug coverage (but this was a bipartisan no-brainer as well)

- The new environmental deal with Australia, with details still emerging, sounds promising

- Supporting/signing McCain-Feingold (campaign finance reform) (flawed, but also a step in the right direction)

- The national "Do Not Call" list (trivial, I know, but hey, it impacted me greatly)

- Aid to Tsunami victims, and sending Clinton and his father to the region (Clinton's op/ed piece in the New York Times was a classic that will be remembered for many years)

 

That second point above highlights one of the things that I think constitutes an hypocrisy amongst some administration critics, who claim that he's too stubborn and closed-minded. But I think the criticism is fair, so long as you realize that there is a positive side to that as well as a negative side. He's very much cut from the Teddy Roosevelt mould in that way, and it hurts him in much the same way.

 

Anyway, as I said above, I have an even longer list of complaints about the current administration. But I believe in fairness and credit where it's due.

[insane_alien]

i'm not going to even talk about this. i could wear out my keyboard just writing insults about bush... i'll shut up now.

[john5746]

I think Bush is a decent person, which we needed post Clinton (Gore is a decent person also). I trust that he means well and really wants to make the world a better place. Seems to be high energy and focused most of the time. He seems to perform better in crisis mode rather than planning/analytical.

[In My Memory]

Pangloss,

 

Corporate corruption initiative (something like 600 corporate managers convicted, in spite of vast contributions to the Republican party, compared with virtually none by the Clinton-Reno Justice Department)

Bush gets big points from me for that

 

Promoting further free trade initiatives and agreements in the face of domestic opposition

And big points for that as well. I remember one of the big worries I heard about Bush Jr was that he was going to be a lot like his tariff-happy father.

 

Tax cuts -- everyone benefitted, and parents benefitted even more, and even Alan Greenspan believes they had a positive impact on the economy

He kept his promises a lot better than Bush Sr, and I got a few hundred. I'll give him that much

 

A lot of people criticized Bush for untactful when he refused to rollback his taxcuts during wartime, running up some of the most outrageous deficit spending we've ever seen. But, I dont think there is any way Bush could have avoided the criticism - if he had rolled back the taxcuts, then people would be upset with him for paying so much for a war that they did not approve of (to translate that into proper anti-Bush rhetoric, people are happy that "Bush hasnt squandered American tax-dollars to finance his illegal war for oil" ).

 

 

I give Bush credit for at least trying not to offend social liberals and trying to keep a coherent fiscal policy, but if I he can do more positive things for the environment and natural resources then I'd be very happy with him.

[MetaFrizzics]

The real Nazis run the USA now (ODESSA).

The last real election you had in the US was probably Nixon's.

Democracy died from neglect.

Satan has taken over the reins of power, and only the return of Jesus can stop him now.

[Pangloss]

Yeah, we'll get right on that.

[5614]

I think Bush is a decent person, which we needed post Clinton (Gore is a decent person also). I trust that he means well and really wants to make the world a better place. Seems to be high energy and focused most of the time. He seems to perform better in crisis mode rather than planning/analytical.

I agree. He could be better, but no one is perfect, generally I like him.

[Thomas Kirby]

The question is, why do the reasons to like or dislike him or his policies have to be partisan?

[In My Memory]

Thomas Kirby,

 

The question is, why do the reasons to like or dislike him or his policies have to be partisan?

It just isnt productive to start a thread on partisan reasons to like Bush, it only reaffirms prejudices.

 

Its good to focus on non-partisan reasons, because it means Bush does things not because he is a mindless ideologue, but because they are the right things to do.

[Pangloss]

<hands IMM a glass of water to help swallow the incoming poison pill>

[john5746]

The question is, why do the reasons to like or dislike him or his policies have to be partisan?

 

Good question. Assuming that the news media leans to the left, conservative talking heads are firmly planted on the right. Now, there are shows with partisan bickering all over the place. So people defend and attack just to score points.

 

You could say that IMM's comment on Bush's African policy is partisan. Since she supports the left, she would defend leftist policy. Someone from the right could argue that flushing more money down the African toilet is idiotic.

 

Maybe it's in the eye of the observer.

[Douglas]

I find this to be a pretty good non-partisan reason to like Bush. Are there any more reasons?

Yes, I like his Social Security plan.

I like his plan to drill for oil in Anwar.

I like his tort reform plan.

 

I dislike his non-handling of the the illegal alien flood.....up 23% since Y2K