My fear? Bush could really screw us if he went moderate.

[Hamlette]

It won't happen right away. But watch during the last two years of his term. He's do a "only Nixon could go to China" thing to try and redeam himself. Two term presidents start thinking of their place in history. If this war goes as badly as it has thus far, Bush will need something bold so the history books don't say "started the second Vietnam and bankrupted the country."

We have work to do.

[TroglodyteScholar]

1. Bush has no concept of history....

but we do have work to do.

[AlCzervik]

2. Bush going moderate will not happen

look at the make-up of the senate, handpicked by rove and *.

[demgrrrll]

10. You are right but what is going on right now in the media is the

attempt to give the impression that he is governing from the center.
They will use every opportunity possible to parrot the he a uniter, he's a centrist now etc ad nauseum. All the while he will be doing something entirely different. Look over here, don't look over there.

[AlCzervik]

16. yeah, i'm sure they'll try to spin it for him

but you know as well as i do the media beleived him about as much as we do.

[Eric J in MN]

3. That would be bad, how? (nt)

nt

[Nay]

4. No chance of this happening. These fundies are wacko.

[one_true_leroy]

5. i don't think he cares how history will judge him...

he doesn't read anyways, so why would he care what's written. with No Child Left Behind, future voters won't be able to read, either.

[fearnobush]

6. If he goes Mod, then we must pin the Fundies against him.

However, He will not go Mod, He never did that before 911.

[NewHampshireDem]

7. * doesn't care how history will judge him

Remember, when Bob Woodward asked him "How is history likely to judge your Iraq war?" * replied, "History, we don't know. We'll all be dead."

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Cheney's ticker is counting.

tick-tock, tick-tock. The Libertarian in him won't allow Bush to move slowly. Watch very carefully who Bush & Cheney meets with in these coming months.

[Tempest]

9. Bush is not in charge

Cheney and the neocons are.

If anything, they will take an even harder right turn since they don't have to worry about re-election.

[GRLMGC]

11. Naaahhh

he doesn't have to. He got elected by being as right wing as he could. Now he doesn't have to worry about reelection in 2004. And since he has a "mandate" and all :eyes:

[Hamlette]

15. he has to. If not for history, to keep his party in power.

He'll raise the minimum wage or something that doesn't piss of the fundies.

And I fear it because it will be 8 years, not 4.

How he starts out is not the measure. They will want to get all the unpopular controversial measures off the table in the first year or two. Then he'll work on being popular.

gag

[Jade Fox]

12. I've had similar thoughts...

but you articulated it well. He could, in affect, use all our criticisms of him
as an indication of how to change. He was already doing that in the
campaign--imitating things Kerry said, flip-floping on gay marriage, etc.

[Ernesto]

13. Very astute Hamiette

What you suggest was St ronnie's MO also. chimp no longer needs the suckers that voted for him. Like a reptile, he will eagerly toss them under the buss if it suits his fancy. Remember, this asshole took us to a totally un-necessary war for his vanity.

[BeyondGeography]

14. And what exactly is the "moderate Republican program"

apart from torturing Lincoln Chafee?