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Why
I Still Don't Like Bush
January
5, 2002
by J. Carlos Jiacinto
This evening I spoke with a friend about the current political
situation. She stated to me that Bush truly cared about America.
She elaborated that he truly wanted to be "a patriot" for
America. Under the spell that Bush seems able to cast, especially
since the September 11 attacks, the president can do no wrong.
I wanted to throw up my dinner. Apparently, as the recent
poll numbers indicate, all across the country Americans worship
Bush as if he represented the second coming. On the other
hand I am not one of the overwhelming majority who supports
the president's policies or approves of his performance.
To this day I am shocked by President Bush's attitude. Since
he emerged on the national scene the one constant emotion
that seems to come from him and his adminstration is arrogance.
From his gestures and statement the fact remains obvious:
that Bush suffers from a feeling of "self-entitlement", that
he is "entitled" to be President, and that no one should question
him.
No matter how wrongheaded his policies may be, or how flawed
their intended results are, no one should question him because
we are in "wartime." To do so, according to their logic, makes
one "unpatriotic."
This arrogance disgusts me completely because it shows an
unwillingness to consider other viewpoints and admit modesty
in any way whatsoever.
2000's election mess in Florida revealed to me the attitude
to which Bush II subscribes. Although he lost the popular
vote and "won" Florida under questionable circumstance, since
being declared the winner by the Supreme Court, he never has
reached out to the majority of Americans who voted against
him. He never has said to these voters, "I understand that
you may think that I won under unfair circumstnaces. I know
how you feel and will govern with this realization in mind."
His attitude toward NORC remains one of extreme indifference.
Honestly I am convinced that he and his cronies lack any
respect for America's institutions as long as the ends justify
the means.
Instead of providing America with a truly reconciling tone,
actually being a "united, not a divider," he projects this
attitude of self-entitlement, thinking that, while born on
third base, he hit a grand slam when he reached the home plate.
Bush's self-serving attitude angers me as well. He claims
that he wishes to be "bipartisan." Unfortunately the real
truth is that he believes in achieving no such thing. He also
claims that he wants minorities, women, and gays to have a
stronger voice in the Republican Party. He lies to these groups
on a constant basis by pandering to them. Either he honestly
believes that just showing himself with these groups in photo
opportunities for the media means that he cares, or he is
just being clearly disengenous and self-serving.
Back in the early 1990's the first Bush commanded the same
approval ratings - and lost his effort for re-election a year
later. Bush II may be very popular right now and he may very
well win re-election. However, history will not forget his
attitude and how he entered the White House under questionable
circumstances.
Although the average American may have forgotten about Florida
I cannot do so becaues that event fundamentally undermined
our country's instituations. I will always remember Bush II's
indifference to the voters who suffered disenfranchisement.
I vow never to forget those events, even if I am the only
one out of the 275 million Americans living in this country
to do so.
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