Dubya Made Obama Possible

National Review: Bush Deserves The Credit For Making The Liberal Democrat's Candidacy Palatable

(National Review Online)  This column was written by Seth Swirsky.

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People in America feel safe, and President Bush - thanks to his advocacy of tough FISA laws, winning in Iraq, taking on the Taliban in Afghanistan, etc. - deserves the credit. Therefore, Bush also deserves the credit for making the Obama candidacy palatable.

Why? Because Americans simply will not elect a liberal when they feel fear. Without Bush’s success against terror, a leftist newcomer with little experience - like Barack Obama - would never be considered for the presidency.

Similarly, Americans could only elect Jimmy Carter because they felt safe. The chill between America and the former Soviet Union had thawed considerably by 1976. The countries collaborated on the immensely successful Apollo-Soyuz space missions, signed a nuclear agreement (the SALT Treaty), and entered a period of détente.

Yes, there were international incidents that threatened to derail this precarious understanding. The 1973 Arab-Israeli war, for one, certainly heightened tensions. But by and large the late ’60s through the early ’80s was a time of significantly less anxiety. The architects of Détente were Republican President Nixon and his Republican Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. They made Carter possible.

(Of course, a safe-feeling citizenry doesn’t guarantee a Democratic win, as Reagan took over in 1980.)

It’s the same story with another liberal, Bill Clinton. If the Soviet Union hadn’t come apart, no one would have considered the young, unknown governor of Arkansas for the top job in 1992. It’s only because Ronald Reagan brilliantly managed the end of the Cold War, and George H. W. Bush defanged (at the time) Saddam Hussein in Gulf War I, that our country would even contemplate such a thing.

Democratic presidents with neither foreign policy experience nor impressive legislative accomplishments - charismatic, good-looking, and well-spoken agents of “change” - seem to come along in 16 year intervals: JFK in 1960, Carter in 1976, and Clinton in 1992.

Now here we are, 16 years after Clinton, and Barack Obama is another young, unknown liberal. Does anyone really believe, if we had been attacked a number of times over these past seven years, the empty bromides of “Yes We Can” from a former “community organizer” would have registered in Iowa?

Of course, the Left insists that we’re no safer than we were before 9/11. But, until they come up with a number lower than zero, as in the number of attacks against us since then, that argument remains silly.

If the atmosphere remains as calm through November as it is today - and Senator Obama is elected - his first “thank you” note should be addressed to his predecessor. But if Russia continues to rear its head (by continuing provocations in the Ukraine, for instance), or if a confrontation with Iran unfolds, Americans are unlikely to elect a liberal.

[eggy1620]

America''s Premier Site for Conservative News, Analysis, and Opinion, and Circular Logic.

[eggy1620]

I seem to remember a campaign theme of change during this time 8 years ago. Specifically, %u201CI plan to restore honesty and integrity to the White House.%u201D How%u2019d that work out?

[ubrew12]

Article: "the Left insists that we%u2019re no safer than we were before 9/11. But, until they come up with a number lower than zero, as in the number of attacks against us since then, that argument remains silly."

Its amazing what caving to a terrorist will buy you. Bush closed the American military bases on Saudi soil after 9-11 because Al-Qaida wanted them closed, and had been attacking Americans ever since they were opened during the Gulf War ten years earlier. Before they were opened, Al-Qaida''s targets were inside the Middle East.

Religious fanatics: so very predictable.
NRO: guaranteed to spin history any way it can. Neocon trash that''s profoundly unAmerican.

[observantx]

Yes, Clueless Leader and Shotgun Cheney help make Obama possible, but not for the baseless hogwash in this article.

They made it possible through massive failure on a grand scale. They ignored the terror threat and then let let Bin Laden escape, started a war in the wrong place, deregulated banking and business to the point that all the good jobs are going overseas, foreclosures are endemic and we owe every other country in the world the shirt off our back.

Let''s add a few more items: illeal spying, torture, corruption of the Justice department, New Orleans and the Gulf coast still ruined, signing statements that short circuit the laws passed by Congress, outing a CIA agent for policical vengence, and cronyism on a massive scale.

So here we are, mired in a meatgrinder war that should not have been started, still facing Bin Laden''s terror threat, broke, scorned by the rest of the world, unable to do anything about Iran and watching helplessly as Russia begins to rebuild the old Soviet Union.

THAT''S what is propelling Obama, not any warm and fuzzy feeling of safety the past eight years of neglect and foolishness have given us.

[messiahx4eve]

Seth Swirsky, you need to quit massaging that left testicle of the chimp-in-charge & pull your tongue out of cheney''s ample rump and get down to the facts of life and REALITY. Although I am far from being a fan of EITHER candidate, I feel our choices have long since been removed and we have NO choices to speak of, but IF by some quirk of fate, Obama does get elected and succeeds as a president, it will be in fact, a true miracle of politics. Knowing and effecting the changes needed are two totally different ends of the scale. bush would not know what a clue was if it fell out of the sky, landed on his face and wiggled. mccain will simply be that.....the ever irrepressable political goofy Leprechaun. Time to get real dude....

[bombadil4]

Isn''t there anybody other than the clowns at the NRO that CBS might find to express conservative views. I''m not a conservative myself, but if I were, I''d be embarassed at the "quality" of thought in these idiotic articles.

[imnho]

The NRO''s otto is that the beating should contiue until morale improves. This has been eight years on countinious ad clueless policy making o behalf of GW.Mo amount oc clever retoric will chage that.

[ubrew12]

Article: "People in America feel safe, and President Bush deserves the credit."
Ya been watching Russia stomp all over U.S. ally Georgia lately? Her not-so-veiled threats against Poland, and other U.S. allies in the former Soviet Union?

Bush has spent several trillion dollars hounding an American enemy that, the last time they attacked us, did so armed with box cutters. That would be funny if it weren''t so tragic, since it leaves us with little left in the treasury for dealing with enemies with real teeth, like Russia (which Bush has now provoked).

No, I don''t feel safer. Thanks for asking.

[tbweb]

`Dubya Made Obama Possible`

Exactly! I said this as well from the very beginning and its 100% true!

[libsluv2spit]

soon enough...liberal democrats would realize that obama is no different..its easy to stir the liberal masses to the direction needed..micheal moore did it..every nickle and dime actor and singer made millions on ANY ANTI-BUSH rant..the best the more $$..

the most classic one is Nancy Pelosi..question is:

"where is pelosi on impeachment"..??????

nothing..she, herself, ended the investigation because it will expose the BIGGEST LIE AND BULLSH*T ever..

[noloyalisti]

The only problem with this article is the basic premise. Obama is no liberal, he just liberal compared to the right wing extremist war-mongering Republicans.

He is not for single payer universal health care and is quite hawkish on Palestine and the other US backed occupations in the Middle East. He is not standing up for forcefully reigning in the big corporations that are killing our soldiers for oil.

Of course, in order to get elected he has to be toward the right since the extremists in the White House have so scared the American Sheeple.

[noloyalisti]

Are they saying that Bushoccio actually did something rightI find that almost IMPOSSIBLE to believe.

[dashortround]

"Of course, the Left insists that we%u2019re no safer than we were before 9/11. But, until they come up with a number lower than zero, as in the number of attacks against us since then, that argument remains silly" ~NRO


We don''t need "a number lower than zero" -- I think that "zero" itself will do just fine! And that''s what we''ve had: zero attacks against us since then.

That''s good enough for me. Apparently the Left''s argument isn''t silly at all.

Scaring people into a mental state of excessive and unwarranted paranoia is, in fact, the ultimate goal of terrorism. As long as invoking terror still actually works, some people will surely keep using it as a tool. As long as they''ve obviously got you frightened and fretting excessively about it, the "terrorists" know that they''re succeeding.

At some point a sane person simply develops a more realistic and pragmatic perspective regarding these things and quits obsessing about them, and moves on with their life.

Normal prudence is more than sufficient; chronic paranoia, on the other hand, is neither necessary nor particularly healthy.

[dmgenet]

NRO makes huge jack ass_umptions again. Feel safe? No. How about pissed off as he!! that it took Bush 6 years to figure out how to clean up his mess in Iraq (after lying about it in the first place.) and still managed to put the country in gigantic debt.

Lets use another ''NRO assumption'' then. IF this is a war why is Bush the first President ever to CUT taxes during a war? Bush''s policies are constant contradictions and sometimes total dismal failures.

NRO is attempting to wax philosophical and instead come out looking like the village idiot.

[aakalan]

NRO does it again: publishes another article that defies both logic and credulity.

It''s true that Bush made Obama possible by being the most despised president in American history, by being a total failure for eight years, by providing an easy target for Democrats in an electorate that would vote for a talking toad over Republicans this year.

But the tortured explanations of NRO, lauding the idiot in the Oval Office? Insanity, pure and simple. I''m not sure there''s anyone with a brain left at NRO. In fact, I rather doubt it.

[cfin5]

The article forgot to mention one other fact. And that is the diminishing of our Constitutional rights has woke up regular Americans to the likes of RON PAUL. I don''t want to be a neocon or a neolib (end result the same),.....just a constitutionally governed and protected citizen. Don''t want to take away anybody''s rights, or them mine.

[eggy1620]

libsluv2spit said %u201Csoon enough...liberal democrats would realize that obama is no different%u201D

Is that supposed to be an insult or a complement towards Obama? If an insult, that speaks volumes about how you really feel about your personal savior W.

[platteman]

George W. Bush is the greatest President since Ronald Regan. He did what others were too afraid to do. He went after people who want to kill all of us and return all society to the dark ages. Those of you who love the liberal agenda so much, go live in Saudia Araba, the other muslism countries and see what rights you have. You tree hugging, bunny loving liberals will all be beheaded for your liberalism over there. When and if the islamic faciests do their number on America, you will find yourselves trying to talk your way out of excution.
No other place in the world allows illegal alians the right to protest for their "rights". Get off your hate America horses and get real.

[messiahx4eve]

Platteman, its postings like yours that are so gullible as to believe that "illegals" flock to specific locations in the US for employment; WRONG. It''s the businesses that SUPPORT george bush during his reign of terror these past 8 years that have been bringing illegals here to save a buck. Why pay an American $5.00 an hour when you can pay an illegal $5.00 a week? Our own corporations are doing this to us, not the illegal population. bush is a monester in the truest sense of the word. His regime is about as christian as satan is. I live in Pa. where INS was never sent before 2000, now we see them on a regular basis. Anyone ever meeting an illegal will know that these people are being USED. The TRUTH is just that simple, keep spinning it.

[a8151947]

George W. Bush and President Ronald Regan are the worst presidents in the history of the WORLD. If not for Regan, Bush would be the worst. If not for these two, Bush and Regan, we would not have this low life OBAMA running. 3 low lifes. All 3 would not make one president worth having.

[skeezix06]

Interesting spin by the author. Implication being that the only way anyone who is not rabidly conservative can get elected is through a mega failure of a republican president. Can you say propaganda?

[incog-nito]

Wrong. Dubya made Obama palatable by running the economy to the ground. Same with Bush I.

[superdem]

Right wing horse hockey !!! The late ''60''s thru the 80''s was a time of significantly less anxiety - on WHAT PLANET ? Not earth - we had something called the Viet Nam War here, we had a violently divided society, we political assassinations and race riots, we had a criminal President - a Republican - forced from office, and yes, he went to China - but only after Democrats had suggested it for years only to receive Republican accusations of treason. If zero terrorist attacks equal success, than every President EXCEPT Bush did a great job ! It''s easy to cook up a Right Wing fantasy if you leave out all the facts. But the truth is America is in terrible shape because of Republican, right wing policies, things are getting worse in the Middle East and now in the former Soviet republics, and we need to kick the Republicans out in November - so in that sense, Bush made Obama not only possible, but MANDATORY.

[jmurrieta1]

Bwahahaha!

Bush showed the total bankruptcy of both ideas and honor among Neocon Republicans.

After 8 years of the most corrupt, incompetent presidential regime in US history, Americans will throw the bums out of office and elect an intelligent, competent individual.

The Republicans don''t have any such in the race.

That''s why, NRO! And your precious Rick Lowry can stuff that where the sun don''t shine.

[stn_sage]

Seth Swirsky is obviously a partisan hack and dead wrong in his interpretation of the events during the Bush administration.

His basic theory that Bush may be responsible for Obama being a viable choice whereas normally he would not so be considered, is correct. But NOT for the reasons stated! Rather---

Bush''s constant irresponsible blundering has scared the ''bejesus'' out of people to the point where they are willing to consider Barack Obama even though he isn''t vastly politically experienced, is not White, and is labelled ultra-liberal by the controlling rightwing media!

It''s really quite ironic when you think about it, Bush and constant repugliCON failure has resulted in positioning the first Black man to be elected president of the USA! And watch him excel and make GOP blunders look even worse! How ironic!

[recowger]

I am anticipating the outcome of this election event.
First of all: thanks to our founding forefathers for this opportunity to vote.l
Secondly: I like GW Bush. He has proven himself to be a very efficient and good president. Better than many we have had in the past 200 years.
Third: If Obama looses this election, the democrats will be destroyed and whine and cry for four years.
If Obama is the "promised messiah and savior" and wins, then in four years another challenger will appear and do battle. I think Obama and the democrats will find the people tired of him and the democrats and the republicans will win for another 20 years.
I am patient.

[nycsense]

Seth Swirski, I don''t know what you''ve been smoking but you need to get your facts straight. If you expect us to bend down and kiss Bush''s hairy bean bag, like you do, after he ran this country into the ground. Yea buddy, we''re not smoking from that pipe.

[concorde5]

The country realizes that no one could do a worse job as president as bush so Obama is now electable. Bush is responsible for Obama''s success but only because Bush has been a total failure and the country is desperate for someone different.

Bush, Obama thanks you for being completely incompetent!

[nycsense]

recowger,

I''m curious. What is it about GWB that you like? I''m not trying to convince you of anything. I think GWB is the worst president in the history of this country. I would just like for you to explain to me what makes him "the best president in the past 200 years"?

[ubrew12]

Three-fourths of the economic growth made during the Bush years went to the richest 1% of Americans (according to the economist magazine). That may also be one way in which ''Bush made Obama possible''.

[concorde5]

Real wages have been Stagnant for 6 years.

That may be one way Bush made Obama possible.

[concorde5]

We went from record surplusses to record deficits.

That may be one way Bush made Obama possible.

[concorde5]

Bush started a war in Iraq with no justification that''s costing us 10 Billion a month.

That may be one way Bush made Obama possible.

[concorde5]

The rich have gotten richer and to h*ll with everyone else.

That may be one way Bush made Obama possible.

[dls3221]

Sleep tight tonight, we''re safe thanks to Homeland Security -- our boarders are watertight like a seive.

[jon2012-2009]

While it is true that Bush made Obama''s candidacy possible, it is absurd to say he deserves credit as if the wellbeing of the people was his central concern and that an Obama presidency would erase his legacy of disasters.

[downtowner97]

Don''t get me started on the borders. I crossed the US/Canada border 4 times in the last week on business. The Canadian guards are stormtroopers. Thorough, tough, stern, and very effective, you feel like you barely made it by them each and every time. You''d better have a passport. On the other hand, the US guards seem unsure of what they are there to do. They ask you where you''re from, because they heard someone else ask that. Then they wave you through.

[paris1969]

Good article ... it will be interesting to see if it is correct.

[bluestardad]

NRO
GREAT ARTICLE!
YOU ARE CORRECT BUSH AND THE REPUBLICANS HAVE MISSMANAGED THE OFFICE SO BAD THAT AMERICA WOULD VOTE FOR A PEZZ DESPENSER BEFORE THEY WOULD VOTE FOR A REPUBLICAN!

[terrapin78]

Yeah, right.

With arguments like the above article, it makes me believe Neo-Cons are really on drugs.

[mtracy9]

A compliant media that never called Bush out regarding the war on terror is why so many Americans are confused and gave Bush credit for protecting them. Only now are many Americans realizing that they were duped. 4 planes were in the air for 2 hours yet fighter jets were only scrambled after it was too late. Meanwhile Cheney sat in his Whitehouse bunker and refused to order a shoot down, while Bush continued to read a story with children after the attack began. Also note that no one was fired for the gross incompetancy that took place on 9/11. Bush should have been the first to go.

[whitemale08]

Bush''s success? ***????

The reason why Obama has a chance is because of Geoge Bush''s #1 failure and that was 9/11.

How dare this article credit George Bush with success?

Bush has so many lists of failures from the terrorism to the economy to Iraq and the ultimate failure of the "surge" that Americans are willing to put in Mickey Mouse or a "community organizer" in the White House.

Everybody can see that the so-called "Republican Security Specialists" is a hoax and failed Sept 11 2001 or 1 year of Bush''s term.

I''m warning CBS to stop printing articles like this, it makes us laugh and you look ridicolous.

[theoatwa]

****. this is laughable, i''m still rolling typing this.

i am constantly amazed at the stretched contortion of logic that right wingers have justifying outright failures. americans feel safer is such an empty assertion. where are the supporting facts or is that how the author and his extremist ilk feel thus must be true by their definition.

a number less than zero. what a one-lining joke. how about the 4,000 american soldiers we sent into harms way and the 1 trillion spent that with interest (to china) will be 10 trillion, and for what exactly? crappy return on investment considering al qaeda sacrificed a dozen martyrs and just spent a couple hundred thousand to pull off 9/11.

so much trite dogma. get a grip on facts and try to make an argument. enough already.

[labrat9999]

Carl is that you son? Are you using this name "Seth Swirsky" you sneeky devil you! I did''t think there were anymore nutbags like this left or should I say that the media would let have a column. Guess I was wrong. How stupid!

[kommoncents-2009]

Did you say Jimmy Carter was good looking?

On what planet???

[Razzl]

"People in America feel safe, and President Bush - thanks to his advocacy of tough FISA laws, winning in Iraq, taking on the Taliban in Afghanistan, etc. - deserves the credit."

Are all the intellectuals at NRO on vacation this week? Experienced propagandists don''t make the mistake of turning themselves into straight men for the fertile parody and hearty ridicule that preposterous statements like this invite...

[kazoodan]

''Now here we are, 16 years after Clinton, and Barack Obama is another young, unknown liberal. Does anyone really believe, if we had been attacked a number of times over these past seven years, the empty bromides of ''Yes We Can'' from a former ''community organizer'' would have registered in Iowa?''


I believe if that were the case, the Republicans couldn''t PAY a candidate to run.

[kazoodan]

''But if Russia continues to rear its head (by continuing provocations in the Ukraine, for instance), or if a confrontation with Iran unfolds, Americans are unlikely to elect a liberal.''

Of course, this is exactly the situation that the administration will try to foment. I mean, you don''t REALLY believe the admin. didn''t know what Georgia was going to do, do you? Just an October surprise that had to be started a little early.

[neoconslayer]

once again for the idiots like Swirsky:
We were attacked in 1993, and it took 8 years during which, according to lying scum like Swirsky, we just slept through Clinton''s incompetence.
IF it takes 8 years to pull off an attack when we aren''t paying attention, it MUST take at least that long when we are. THEREFORE, since 8 years have not passed since 9/11/01, BUSH HASN''T PROTECTED US FROM ANYTHING OTHER THAN OUR CIVIL RIGHTS!

However, Bush DID make Obama possible. Lying sack of PROVEN COWARDLY S*H*I*T will do that to a country...

[dmgenet]

Bush made a mess of this country in many ways, and as any kindergartner knows, you must clean up after your self. Simple parable for an oh so simple man and his cabal of bunker living closed minded neocons.

NRO loves to listen to themselves masturbate.