Do we trivialize Bush too much?

[NYC Liberal]

When we make fun of how he talks and acts, are we just making light of what is really happening -- the 100,000 dead in Iraq, the stolen elections, curtailing of civil rights? Do we maybe need to stop making fun and really make it dead serious?

IMHO, we need to stop, and instead of calling him an idiot, call him dangerous, call him a madman, call him a LIAR!

[Kierkegaard]

1. I think all of the above have been in play since I've been here.

[cubsfan forever]

2. Call him Hitler n/t

Professor 2

[Hog lover]

3. Yes, maybe his goofy demeanor is intentional

to throw everyone off the notion that he is a mass murderer and a dangerous ideologue.

[ClassWarrior]

4. You're onto something NYC...

He's a criminal. Same with calling the American people stupid. It doesn't allow us to understand them and defeat the Radical RW.

NGU.

[JAbuchan08]

5. People argue that Bush isn't as dumb as he looks

I disagree. You're assuming that he has to be smart to do that much damage. I disagree, I think he was capable of that sort of damage without even a tiny bit of intelligence.

On edit: that's not to say I trivialize him. All his danger, madness and even his cunning flows from his ignorance and stupidity.

[NYC Liberal]

7. Oh, I realize that.

What I'm saying is that instead of poking fun at it, we should make it very serious. He's even more dangerous because he's dumb.

[zmdem]

6. Yep, but not for your reasons

He needs to be taken seriously. Going from calling him stupid to calling him a madman ain't gonna get you anywhere. He needs to be engaged just as any other successful political figure would be - on his policies and on his results.

Name calling only resonates with those who are already committed. You need more than that group.

"Misunderestimating" Bush has been an occupational hazard for his opponents - it doesn't work, try a different approach. One definition is of insanity is keep doing over again what has failed in the past.

ON EDIT: fixed a couple of misspelllings, ;)

[PretzelWarrior]

10. I disagree with you. Kerry called him on his policies and results

ad infinitum. HE continued to pound on the very bad results. He continued to pound on the lies and the potential for horribly destructive policy.

We have to figure out a new way. But we all agree that laughing off his idiotic statements and clumsiness is over.

[zmdem]

12. Kerry did, but an election is a two way street

Kerry also had weaknesses as a candidate and of course Bush pointed them out. Forget about Bush's poor abilty to speak extemporaneously, that's trivial. The Democrats need to be clear about their policies, not try to be Republican lite, and go out and convince people that they have a better alternative. IMHO, Kerry's unclear position on the Iraq war was a killer.

[PretzelWarrior]

8. yes. I think lips pursed disdain is best now. not a light JOKE

you know that's not a way to go when even his supporters tout all of his fucking stupid language massacres.

No, we really need to lose our sense of humor on this because he has destroyed so much very good progress this country had made.

All of the deaths...who knows HOW MANY he will kill by sending others into poverty with no social safety net. How many will be killed by mentally unstable people who will lose their SSI and become desperate? How many older ones will die because of no social security or affordable medicine?

I think we need to realize the gravity of this situation.

[Cats Against Frist]

9. You call him and the rest of them "right-wing authoritarians"

which is what they are -- and they're well on their way to becoming "right-wing totalitarians." Especially when people here think that we're going to get Evan Bayh or Hillary Clinton to "talk them out of it."

[SmokingJacket]

11. I quit laughing long ago.

That kind of man holding that much power -- however you slice it, just ain't funny.