Opinion by George McClellan:
A book was just released, a biography in fact about the presidency of George H.W. Bush. In it however, are passages decrying the sinister and wicked efforts of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, during George W. Bush’s presidency, suggesting they gave bad advice to George that ultimately undermined his legacy of “Compassionate Conservatism.” But, why now?
The revelation is how those two scoundrels, through connivence and clever manipulation, imposed their wicked will on a confused president pushing America into an unwanted war, no matter that the Twin Towers still lay in piles of smoldering debris clogging the streets of New York’s lower East Side. The VP and SecDef, the senior Bush now claims, didn’t work in the best interest of the Bush White House. I do not see this as necessarily personal attacks on Cheney and Rumsfeld, but rather a clumsy attempt to arrest the collapsing poll numbers of brother Jeb.
Basically, I liked President George W. Bush and I believed he moved decisively, after the 9/11 Islamic jihadist attack against America, with appropriate shock and awe. His responsive US attack on Saddam Hussain’s Iraq, I believe, while it removed a despot, stabilized that country enough so that politically they could reorganized themselves as a democratically governed nation. I remember the smiles of Iraqi voters displaying their purple finger, proof they had voted in Iraq’s first election. As much as I approved of that, I still recognize that the 9/11 attackers were Jihadi Wahabist’s from Saudi Arabia and not Baathists thugs from Saddam’s Iraq.
But, all that’s over and done with; stability was returned to the area and Jihadism was, for awhile, in disorganized confusion. Then came Obama, a twice elected sybarite, a confirmed believer in solipsism, whose inept and amateurish skills learned as a community organizer, based upon a deep seated belief that it was America that was the worlds greatest villain, proceeded apace to reverse our country’s effective foreign policy and make America and the world a far more dangerous place.
New elections are now upon us. After eight years of confusion by a sexually driven but still dangerous Bill Clinton, followed by eight years of a querulous Obama, blaming all of his failures on his predecessor, George W. Bush, voters are still confronted with a political party (GOP) insisting upon a return of yet a third compassionate conservative Bush, seeking to lead our America out of the Obama morass. For the GOP career elites, it appeared to be a done deal. As usual, they didn’t ask the voters, now long weary, if not actually outraged over the Federal Governments inability or refusal to enforce the laws and the constitution. Voters are no longer looking at past generations of politicians but looking forward to new, young bloods who can get the job done, candidates neither tainted by or affiliated with the old time political machine that got us into this mess. And that’s Jeb’s problem. He is too little and too late; a Bush too far.
The establishment GOP’s attempts to maintain their political sinecures by supporting yet another Bush, is a bit more than the conservative voter base can abide. Jeb was a great two term conservative governor for Florida but, that was then, this is now. They reached a Bush too far and can’t protect him. In the next two election cycles, all incumbents will be gone.
Finally, Hillary shouldn’t be elected president simply because she’s a woman no more than Jeb should be our candidate simply because he’s a Bush. The polls show it. If the Bush family intends to continue its pursuit of a lasting political legacy, they had better turn their attention to the next generation(s) of its youngsters and prepare them.
Remember, freedom is the goal, the Constitution is the way. Now, go get ‘em! (05 Nov 2015)