Bush responsible for getting elected twice or is to the credit of his handlers & the pol. machine behind him?
365568
It's not an either/or.  First, Bush chose his own advisors --some were friends long ago.   Then, he LISTENED to them.  He stayed "on message" during both campaigns, even when that was very difficult to do; others who should know better have failed to do that.\n\nIt's funny that you speak of "the political machine" -- sure, political organization is important.  But it isn't necessarily a "political machine" that does it.  Critical to Bush's victories, esp. the one in 2004, was the GRASS ROOTS support devoted to turning out the Bush voters.  The Democratic party put a lot of effort into getting a lot of workers, but many more of theirs were PAID, and did not/could not match the dogged efforts of tens of thousands of unpaid volunteers working for the Bush campaign.\n\nBut, just as 'handlers' alone could hardly do it, the volunteers alone could not pull it off.  Bush's OWN dogged campaigning was critical.  It may not be the smooth style some like, but it struck a lot of people as "real", down-to-earth straightalk (think of his grabbing the bullhorn at ground-zero and talking extemporaneously -- people resopnding very well to that). He connected with audiences, enjoyed himself... and people simply found it easier to TRUST him,esp. with key security issues (and esp. after his response to 9/11).  \n\n(In fact, one of the main criticisms conservatives have had for Bush SINCE his re-election is that he doesn't go out and campaign for his initiatives ENOUGH --vs. President Clinton who adopted the "constant campaign" strategy.  Even if you disagree with what Bush is trying to do, when he goes out and defends it in public, he does very well.)
280909
I don't think Bush has ever taken full responsibility for anything. Like you said it was a "photo-op" speech. The problem with Katrina goes far deeper than a few bad appointments. Since Bush has been president, his administration has systematically decimated federal agencies. They have put 1000s of dedicated professional public servants out of work and replaced them with for profit contractors. Now the Federal government does not work just like the big corporations like Enron, the Airlines, and GM. Problem is more than stockholders,  employees, and consumers lose when the Federal government doesn't work. In times of crisis, it's the American people who lose from mismanagement of the Federal government. Unfortunately it is the poor and lower income people who lose the most. Bush really doesn't care about these people, he has stated that his base is the rich, who profit off of the suffering of the poor.\nWhen Clinton admitted that he was wrong and apologized in a private matter that really had no effect on anyone other than his own family, people still held his mistakes against him.
457740
Candidate B. For him to be kicked out of office twice means that he must have been voted in twice, so for him to be voted in twice he must be doing something right. Though he doesnt make the best personal decisions I'd go with him.\n :)
366325
they rigged the vote. And then, we almost caught them, and he almost still lost, but then they rigged the process by having the supreme court decide instead of the people.\nActually Bush Lost to Al Gore by a wide margin.\n# http://www.votescam.com/\n# http://www.carpenoctem.tv/cons/voting.html\n# http://www.jfkmontreal.com/bush_votescam.htm\n# http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=1060\n# http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=182&row=2\n# http://www.votefraud.org/\n# http://www.garlicandgrass.org/issue8/Diane_Perlman.cfm\n# http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/KEE412A.html\n# http://revspork.blogs.com/revspork/2004/10/more_fun_with_e.html\n# http://www.oilempire.us/stolenelection2004.html\n# http://www.blackboxvoting.org/\n# http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/04votefraud.html\n# http://voteraction.org/
645097
It was Bill Clinton, of course. Some people may not want to admit this, but the only reason why Bush became president in 2000 is because his dad's friends on the Supreme Court bench handed him the Oval Office.  Some may argue that Bush won fair and square in 2004, but there is evidence that election fraud may have taken place then, as well. However, since Kerry didn't contest the results, no one talked much about it. Thank you, Diebold!
816051
The voting machine will help Bush ... like the last presidential election.  As you know Bush gained more than 100 % in some area last time ... why not this time too.
304537
I THOUGHT WE HAD A DECENT PRESIDENT ALREADY. \nIF NOT WHY DID THE PEOPLE VOTE HIM IN TWICE.
806621
Agreed. To elect him once was foolhardy - to elect him twice defies logic. The world and thousands of innocents are reaping the fruits of the American publics stupidity.
779921
Yes, absolutely. I saw one report that the world didn't blame the Americans for anything done by Bush in his first term because they dildn't know what he was about. But when they reelected him, knowing what he was about, they became complicit in his policies. So yes by the majority voting for Bush in 2004, you could say the American people are partly to blame for the debacle in Iraq.
634810
thats a tough one. i still dont see how he was re-elected. maybe they are both equally stupid. bush is a dumbass and his followers just dont ever learn, so they are at least as stupid.
357613
my friends and i tried to work this out once. 1. thats the thing, no one does. they dont have to so they dont. nobody bothers coz they think someone else will do it.\n2. George bush has already been in charge so people vote for him again coz they kno he ain't gonna try to blow up the world or take it ova. i mean yea he sucks but the next person they vtoe in could be a total freak who wants to take over a country and give it some crazy name. or they could actually destroy iraq or something. basically people reckon we are better off with what we have. why fix it if it's not completely screwed up?
925808
no, last time I voted I voted for the guy who won the election but george bush is president instead.
144143
I believe that the gubment monitors every aspect of telecommunications. Bush is the crookedest mofo to have squatted in the whitehouse in years. He has allowed spying in the USA under the guise that he is trying to foil terrorism. His dad used to be the deputy director of the CIA. So he has and will to continue to do whatever he and his vp deputy dog want to do.
29934
I think that people need someone to blame and he is the leader of this country so people can very easily point fingers at him for all this country's problems.  The truth is, this is not a dictatorship, there are many people that are in charge of this country and Bush is just doing his job.
768261
i think youre talking about the checks and balances idea we have in the us. and its so one branch can't run away with power the problem is that right now with bush there is no one checking him. i heard a stat that clinton administration got 'checked' over a 1000 times by congress and the bush administration just once. some thing is wrong with that. but benefits is to keep a dictatorship from happening.
383928
Some say the elections were rigged.
484422
He became president only because he is a master of elections he knows how to win elections, may be by hook or crook. just like his father. But truly speaking why would somebody deliberatly not do any work for the country, all presidents are same and bush is no exception.