Bush-bashing and the election
By Larry Ribstein on Politics
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I have been writing on Bush-bashing throughout the election (e.g., here.) A lot of this comes from a liberal elite, suffused with anger that has colored its judgment.
It's obvious that the bashers seriously misunderestimated Bush's political appeal. Almost 59 million people voted for Bush, more than 3 1/2 million more than voted for Kerry, 7 million more than for Gore in 2000. This in an election in which the media, to say the least, fully aired Bush's flaws, and in which the country was paying close attention, registered to vote, and voted in droves, fair and square.
Now, can we PLEASE start getting a calmer, more reasoned, appraisal of Bush and of the issues?
Not that the criticism should stop -- Bush is far from perfect. But the view that Bush is the embodiment of evil, an idiot or both disparages tens of millions of his supporters and makes compromise with them impossible. Don't play Michael Moore's game. There is a better way.
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