For me, one quote that hasn’t been widely reported on is really the key to George Bush’s speech last night:
Anyone who wants more details on my agenda can find them online. The web address is not very imaginative, but it’s easy to remember: GeorgeWBush.com.
And that’s when it clicked for me: George Bush’s plan is to bring back the bubble. What bubble? Why, the .com bubble of course. It seemed to work for Clinton — you know, job growth, stock market growth, the works. So Bush is doing what any fiscally conservative politician would do in this situation: spend money he doesn’t have, create a ton of noise, and hope that by the time the bills come due he leaves someone else holding the bag.
Profits? Losses? That doesn’t matter. He’s compassionate. That’s what matters.
Here’s conservative (former conservative? The mind boggles.) Andrew Sullivan on last night’s speech:
THE END OF CONSERVATISM: But conservatism as we have known it is now over. People like me who became conservatives because of the appeal of smaller government and more domestic freedom are now marginalized in a big-government party, bent on using the power of the state to direct people’s lives, give them meaning and protect them from all dangers. Just remember all that Bush promised last night: an astonishingly expensive bid to spend much more money to help people in ways that conservatives once abjured. He pledged to provide record levels of education funding, colleges and healthcare centers in poor towns, more Pell grants, seven million more affordable homes, expensive new HSAs, and a phenomenally expensive bid to reform the social security system. I look forward to someone adding it all up, but it’s easily in the trillions. And Bush’s astonishing achievement is to make the case for all this new spending, at a time of chronic debt (created in large part by his profligate party), while pegging his opponent as the “tax-and-spend” candidate. The chutzpah is amazing.
Where can I read the prospectus on what is sure to be a blockbuster IPO?
(And for the record, like Sullivan, I agree that Bush gave a fantastic speech. I just think this “plan” demonstrates how fiscally irresponsible Bush is.)
I made it through roughly 2 minutes of the speech and then could take no more. I give you a lot of credit for hanging in there. My TV would have had to be replaced today if I'd kept it on.
ReplyDeleteThe mind boggles.
ReplyDeleteWe're back to the point where both parties are tax-and-spend big government parties which only differ on which things they want to buy. Goldwater must be spinning in his grave.
I'm no republican, but I'm going to vote for national sovereignty: I'm voting Bush.
ReplyDeleteConstitutionalists for Bush.
What boggles me is comments like the first one. I'm a big Bush supporter, yet I watched every minute of the DNC. If you don't care what the other side is up to, how on earth do you ever have any credibility trying to debate issues? Sure, much of the DNC made me laugh, and some made my stomach twist in knots, but the only thing that comes from not watching both sides is ignorance. It's people who only want to hear one side that get suckered into spin and intellectually dishonest half-truths politicians are so adept at spewing.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit my biggest problem with Bush is his spending habits. But since we recognize both sides will spend irresponsibly, then it really comes down to ideals. We'll never solve this problem of our national government until a third party arrives to reign in some fiscal responsibility and gubmint programs can stop being used as political vote-buying tools.