Bush and Obama
by CBRADIONovember 28th, 2008 at 6:06 AM
Filed under: News Story Commentary, Politics
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When President George W. Bush and President-Elect Barack Obama met for lunch at the White House, on November 10, 2008, one chapter of American history was coming to an end and a new chapter was about to unfold. The transition between Presidents in the United States has always been something to behold. One cannot help but feel patriotic while witnessing the changing of the guard, no matter which political party you belong to, because this change has always and will always represents us; the constantly revolving door that is our democracy. Still, this transition has more historical meaning than most. On January 20, 2009, America will swear into office its first African-American President. George W. Bush, born in Connecticut, represented the toughness of Texas, where he was raised and eventually became Governor. Growing up in the midst of a political family, Bush stood out on the campaign trail in 2000 from Vice President Al Gore because of his perceived ruggedness, not to mention his familiar last name. The son of a previous President, George H.W. Bush, he had no trouble firing up his base while gaining instant name recognition from the rest of the country. Bush came into office with the goal of uniting the country. "I have no stake in the bitter arguments of the last few years. I want to change the tone of Washington to one of civility and respect." He embodied the ideas of social conservatism and was not only extremely popular within his own party but many in America wanted change from what had become a tarnished White House. The country had just witnessed the biggest presidential sex scandal in history between Bill Clinton and White House intern, Monica Lewinski. Bush, running on the theme of “restore honor and dignity” to the Oval Office, was a refreshing change from the moral lapse of President Clinton. Soon after Bush was elected, the horrible events of September 11, 2001, occurred and America would never be the same. Many who disagree with Bush today still remember the image of him at ground zero speaking through a megaphone, denouncing the acts of terror while rallying the spirit of all those Americans with defeated hearts. For most Americans, that was the man they elected in 2000, yet today that same man has the highest disapproval rating among Presidents since the measure has been tracked. The new resident of the Oval Office ran on the message of changing Washington and reversing the tide of the last eight years. You could argue that Obama’s election was not a defeat of John McCain as much as it was a referendum against the failed policies of George W. Bush. This young, inspiring, rookie Illinois Senator represented a stark difference from the swagger of “cowboy diplomacy” of which Americans had grown so weary. Obama was born in Hawaii and did not come from a political family like Bush. He had been raised by his mother, Ann Dunham, a single white woman from Wichita, Kansas and had only met his father once, a black man from Kenya. Barack had to work hard for everything he earned and once involved in politics he had to work twice as hard to overcome any race issue that may have been raised against him. In 2008 Obama represented the change that Americans were so desperate for and race, although an issue, was not the determining factor in his election. Obama steps into the highest office in the land, inheriting the mess that the Bush Administration created, with the wind at his back and the approval of most Americans. These two heavyweights are at the opposite ends of the political spectrum. Bush represents the far right and Obama represents the center left. Yet to say that one is a Conservative and the other is a Liberal does not give the full picture. Bush fought for the rights of the unborn and supported tax cuts for the top five percent of Americans, which was very popular amongst constituents in his own party. He became known as a leader that said what he felt and made it known that he didn’t like the way Washington worked. “A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it." This type of rhetoric was emphasized by Bush’s extremely poor speaking skills. Some regarded this as “folksy” but towards the end of his eight years most critics referred to it as unintelligent banter that was easily ignored. Barack Obama couldn’t be further from Bush when it comes to speaking skills. Obama’s oratory gift was what first brought him to the attention of most Americans as he delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic Convention. His critics tried to make the case that Obama was all glitz with no real substance, "I don't think Ohio is going to be taken in by the fluff," yet the voters responded to Obama’s message on Election Day. Even with the claims that Obama was all fluff and no substance it never slowed him down from inspiring millions, eventually propelling him into the White House. Obama is pro-choice on the issue of abortion. When asked if the two sides could ever find common ground Obama stated, “It requires us to acknowledge that there is a moral dimension to abortion, which I think that all too often those of us who are pro-choice have not talked about or tried to tamp down. I think that's a mistake because I think all of us understand that it is a wrenching choice for anybody to have to make. People of good will can exist on both sides.” This language is rarely heard from a Democrat and it appeals to independents as well as some on the right. When you step back and take a look, Bush and Obama are a complete contrast, representing two differing views of America. Yet for all of their differences there are some similarities. Both men have strong family values that can be seen in the way they have approached legislation. Both were amazing campaigners, rallying their base and gaining support all across America, using the message of change to strike a chord with the electorate and finally, both men will be remembered as American Presidents, something that will always link them together in the annals of history. |
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She is a brilliant business woman. She knows exactly what buttons to push for the niche group she is pandering too. The thing is, I think she really does believe what she talks about, same with Rush. Scary!
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Opps, wrong article.