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Liberals hated Bush for good reasons but respected the man on a personal level. Even his biggest detractors would be saddened if he were assassinated.
Conservatives truly hate Obama for no real reasons and have not an iota of respect for him on any level ("You lie!!!!"). If he were to be assassinated, there would be some crocodile tears here and there, but by and large the Teabaggers and their ilk would celebrate. Perhaps even openly.
Mobile internet's proliferation has also changed the nature of discourse. The housing and financial crisis has also made us much more jaded.
Add those up and you have a very divided message forum.
I'm sorry but this thread has brought forward some of the most delusional people and ideas I've ever seen in this forum.
Liberals respected George W. Bush on a personal level? Are you smoking crack?
The FACT is that George W. Bush was publicly attacked and bashed harder than any President in US history mostly because of modern technology and people's ability to speak their mind anonymously via social media. President Obama has seen the exact same types of attacks and bashing from people who truly hate him on many levels, just like people hated Bush on many levels and openly spoke their mind about it.
To honestly claim that Bush had it easy compared to Obama is simply a lie and anyone making that claim is either an ignorant liar or just wasn't old enough during the Bush presidency to remember what took place.
I'm sorry but this thread has brought forward some of the most delusional people and ideas I've ever seen in this forum.
Liberals respected George W. Bush on a personal level? Are you smoking crack?
The FACT is that George W. Bush was publicly attacked and bashed harder than any President in US history mostly because of modern technology and people's ability to speak their mind anonymously via social media. President Obama has seen the exact same types of attacks and bashing from people who truly hate him on many levels, just like people hated Bush on many levels and openly spoke their mind about it.
To honestly claim that Bush had it easy compared to Obama is simply a lie and anyone making that claim is either an ignorant liar or just wasn't old enough during the Bush presidency to remember what took place.
I call a tie. Bush and Obama were both hated. The anti war left were particular big haters of Bush....and should be more haters of Obama than they actually are. Its a different kind of "Hate" though. The hate is rooted in a different areas. Bush it was simply policy and party.....Obama its policy PLUS something else.
I call a tie. Bush and Obama were both hated. The anti war left were particular big haters of Bush....and should be more haters of Obama than they actually are.
So do I and anyone else who is honest and has common sense.
The FACT is that George W. Bush was publicly attacked and bashed harder than any President in US history mostly because of modern technology and people's ability to speak their mind anonymously via social media. President Obama has seen the exact same types of attacks and bashing from people who truly hate him on many levels, just like people hated Bush on many levels and openly spoke their mind about it.
Bush was attacked, for what probably seemed to most people ... for good reasons. Bill Clinton was attacked visciously, before he lost control of his zipper. More so than any attacks on George Bush. Obama has been attacked from day 1. Being a white man with dark skin is probably the principal reason. Then the bogus issues of birthplace was probably secondary. Bush didn't face the American Taliban. That's been the game-changer.
Bush was attacked, for what probably seemed to most people ... for good reasons. Bill Clinton was attacked visciously, before he lost control of his zipper. More so than any attacks on George Bush. Obama has been attacked from day 1. Being a white man with dark skin is probably the principal reason. Then the bogus issues of birthplace was probably secondary. Bush didn't face the American Taliban. That's been the game-changer.
Ah ok, is that the thought process the delusional liars are going to run with now? Bush was attacked for good reasons but Obama hasn't been? Is that how you're going to play this one?
Come on, don't be stupid because it's not flattering.
While drinking coffee and trying to wake up this morning, and out of curiosity, I randomly went back through some of the old threads in this section of the forum - like waaaay back. Years back. Just to see what people were talking about and just to see HOW people conversed back in the day. My take on what I found:
1. People were as disenchanted and distrustful of government in 2006 as they are now.
2. Wal-mart was still evil
3. The breakdown of the family, gansta rap, bad schools, gangs, and a culture of violence and underachievement were still the culprits for inner city violence
4. People conversed more politely, articulated their POV more precisely, were less partisan, were less spiteful and hateful with their comments
5. There wasn't a mass demand for universal health care
6. The terms War on Women, War on the Poor, War on Gays hadn't been invented yet
7. The terms 1%, Tea Party, Occupy hadn't been invented yet
8. There weren't endless threads against legal gun ownership
My point? I dunno - glean what you want from it. But it was interesting looking back and then looking to the present.
As a newbie, this was cool to read. Thanks for posting it.
I find myself pulled into the fray sometimes, but I do wish #4 hadn't changed so much. This place is such a great opportunity for those "national conversations" we really should be having. Conversations, not snarkfests. Sounds like we don't appreciate it quite as much as we once did. Bummer.
This puts into perspective the claim that anti-Bush rhetoric was just as bad as the current anti-Obama vitriol that is spewed in every corner of the Internet 24/7/365.
The politics of today is a reason why people are mean & nasty on CityData and the liberal media fans the flames. I remember in 1973 with incense burning candles lit and your best girlfriend ever Led Zeppelin playing loud with the windows reverberating yes times were indeed better for there was no internet.People spoke nicely a smile on every face and politely debated regardless of world views.Didn't even lock the doors or shut the windows at night so you could breathe in the fresh southern Ohio air with the moonlight shining in.
The good old days....to today's mean city streets.
I think it is due to all the people being forced to do mental gymnastics to justify their continued support of "their" party.
Let's look at what happened when Bush was president:
Democrats were very anti-war, they wanted us out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and they certainly didn't want any more wars.
Democrats were very much against torture and war crimes, Guantanamo Bay needed to be shut down immediately.
Democrats were opposed to Bush helping private corporations
Fast forward: Obama is elected and... keeps doing the SAME STUFF Bush was doing. And now...
Democrats no longer speak out against the wars which keep piling up (Libya, Syria, etc.)
Democrats no longer speak out against torture and war crimes
Democrats no longer speak out against corporate bailouts (AIG, GM, etc.)
Doing the kind of mental gymnastics needed to convince yourself that all this stuff you were so opposed to for the past 8 years is suddenly now "okay" is not easy. In fact, I would imagine that it would make you pretty unstable and therefore hostile when someone calls you out on your change. "You wanted Bush to shut down Gitmo, why don't you push Obama to do the same?" The person has no logical answer for this, so all they can reply is "SHUT UP! I HATE YOU (for making me think about it)"
This is what is boiling over into political discussions.
Republicans are also experiencing the same kind of things, as they now find themselves supporting/opposing things that they had previously held an opposite view on while Bush was in office. This kind of internal conflict creates hostility that boils over into everything they say and do.
The best remedy for this is to be consistent in your views. If you are opposed to war - then oppose wars from both parties. If you are opposed to torture then oppose torture no matter who does it. If you are opposed to invasion of privacy, then oppose it no matter who does it. Etc.
Pro-tip: This is called a "libertarian" position, and those who fail to adhere to it are the ones who are becoming increasingly hostile as they continually fail to defend their constantly changing positions based on party affiliation, and get angrier every time they cannot use logic to explain themselves.
I think it is due to all the people being forced to do mental gymnastics to justify their continued support of "their" party.
Let's look at what happened when Bush was president:
Democrats were very anti-war, they wanted us out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and they certainly didn't want any more wars.
Democrats were very much against torture and war crimes, Guantanamo Bay needed to be shut down immediately.
Democrats were opposed to Bush helping private corporations
Fast forward: Obama is elected and... keeps doing the SAME STUFF Bush was doing. And now...
Democrats no longer speak out against the wars which keep piling up (Libya, Syria, etc.)
Democrats no longer speak out against torture and war crimes
Democrats no longer speak out against corporate bailouts (AIG, GM, etc.)
Doing the kind of mental gymnastics needed to convince yourself that all this stuff you were so opposed to for the past 8 years is suddenly now "okay" is not easy. In fact, I would imagine that it would make you pretty unstable and therefore hostile when someone calls you out on your change. "You wanted Bush to shut down Gitmo, why don't you push Obama to do the same?" The person has no logical answer for this, so all they can reply is "SHUT UP! I HATE YOU (for making me think about it)"
This is what is boiling over into political discussions.
Republicans are also experiencing the same kind of things, as they now find themselves supporting/opposing things that they had previously held an opposite view on while Bush was in office. This kind of internal conflict creates hostility that boils over into everything they say and do.
The best remedy for this is to be consistent in your views. If you are opposed to war - then oppose wars from both parties. If you are opposed to torture then oppose torture no matter who does it. If you are opposed to invasion of privacy, then oppose it no matter who does it. Etc.
Pro-tip: This is called a "libertarian" position, and those who fail to adhere to it are the ones who are becoming increasingly hostile as they continually fail to defend their constantly changing positions based on party affiliation, and get angrier every time they cannot use logic to explain themselves.
Well said! To add to your last point, unfortunately being libertarian is discouraged, because the 2 parties of BIG GUBBERMINT can't have the sheep actually using their GOD given free will and thinking for themselves for once!
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To add to your last point, unfortunately being libertarian is discouraged, because the 2 parties of BIG GUBBERMINT can't have the sheep actually using their GOD given free will and thinking for themselves for once!