Bush Attempts to Hike Poll Numbers By Blowing Stuff Up, Promising to Blow More Stuff Up
Bush’s numbers are in the tank. Even Fox has him under 40, along with NBC, CNN, CBS, Pew and the AP. In the past few weeks, only Rasmussen has him over 40, but the Rasmussen typically has Bush rated 5-10 points higher than the median. Pew has him at 33%, CBS at 34%. Even Republicans are starting to dump on him, and he’s getting hit from all sides.
Time for a new war!
I wish that were a joke. Bush responded quickly to the new Nixon-during-Watergate poll numbers by bombing the crap out of Iraq, proclaiming that pre-emptive strikes will continue, and hey, Iran is really mean. Think I’m kidding? Think again. It would be a massive blunder to invade Iran, a debacle that would make Iraq look like jaywalking. But Bush needs Poll Juice, and short of a war or a terror attack within the U.S., it looks like he’s not going to get what he wants. So this is the preliminary–bombing raids in Iraq and making noises like he’s a macho war president. And if that doesn’t work, get ready for bloodshed.
Remember those endlessly repeated videos of Saddam Hussein firing a gun in the air? Bush is trying to create that same kind of image, the tough guy, tough on Iraq, therefore tough on terrorism, remember that whole war thing, I’m the only one who can save you from terrorists, Saddam is evil, 9/11! 9/11! Heh heh heh.
One can only hope that this is simply posturing. Because it really would be a damn shame if tens of thousands more people had to die horrible deaths just because George can’t get his polls up. Happened before. Gonna happen again, apparently.
I suggest a new term to refer to the President.
Since he and his Adminstration apparently believe that his power during wartime is completely unrestrained (ie, he can torture people, he can arrest and hold people without any judicial review, he can wiretap people without a warrant, etc etc etc), the only realistic title to describe his job is King.
The King held this type of power in the old days (ie, prior to 1776). There were effectively no checks and balances by the judicial or legislative branches of government.
Therefore, from now on, it’s King George.
And I’m betting his ratings will bottom out right about where they are now, maybe a tad lower. No matter how badly he screws up, there’s always going to be some 100% irrational nitwits who are going to believe in him no matter WHAT. Unfortunately, I think they make up roughly 30% of the population.
Paul
Seattle, WA