"President Bush's declining image also is reflected in the single-word descriptions people use to describe their impression of the president. Three years ago, positive one-word descriptions of Bush far outnumbered negative ones. Over the past two years, the positive-negative balance has been roughly equal. But the one-word characterizations have turned decidedly negative since last July.

Currently, 48% use a negative word to describe Bush compared with just 28% who use a positive term, and 10% who use neutral language.

The changing impressions of the president can best be viewed by tracking over time how often words come up in these top-of-the-mind associations. Until now, the most frequently offered word to describe the president was "honest," but this comes up far less often today than in the past. Other positive traits such as "integrity" are also cited less, and virtually no respondent used superlatives such as "excellent" or "great" ­ terms that came up fairly often in previous surveys.

The single word most frequently associated with George W. Bush today is "incompetent,"and close behind are two other increasingly mentioned descriptors: "idiot" and "liar." All three are mentioned far more often today than a year ago.

http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=271

_{The Center is an independent opinion research group that studies attitudes toward the press, politics and public policy issues. We are best known for regular national surveys that measure public attentiveness to major news stories, and for our polling that charts trends in values and fundamental political and social attitudes. Formerly, the Times Mirror Center for the People & the Press (1990-1995), we are now sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts and are one of six projects that make up the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.}

That's our boy!

(hangs head sadly) Perhaps the public can do better with electing next time?

It's time to start electing smart people again.

LGM: that, I'm starting to doubt. No one wants to take any ownership of how they fell for this con. What's to prevent them from falling for a similar con in the future? Bush didn't just "implode." he was a train wreck waiting for a place to happen in '99.

These guys got where they are today by playing on people's basest instincts: by playing on their fear, their greed, and by validating their petty, intolerant, simple-minded, consumerist lives. People went with their "guts" instead of their brains.
Bush promoted "feelings" over reason, which made these mental idlers feel validated.

Now many of these mental idlers are distracting themselves from the inescapable conclusion that they helped perpetuate an anti-democratic fraud upon themselves and upon more reasonable fellow americans. They don't want to "talk politics" anymore. So they sublimate the whole thing, rather than reflect upon it. Two of our former loudest champions of Bush Co have gone into self-exile to preserve the remnants of their sacred ideology. The miner supporters have moved on to other subjects, or in preference of treading safer paths, have taken more oblique angles on similar themes. But no one has come out and taken responsibility. They feel its safer to blandly bitch about "politicians" rather than reflect upon why politicians do the things they do. They do what the do because it works...on unthinking people like you, dear reader. You are the problem.

I lay odds the next republican candidate for president has taken some notes. I also lay odds that the democratic candidate has as well. The next election will also go to the man who persuades the biggest of three herds, and by whatever means necessary to convince them. Terror, flattery, and greed....super-sized, with tax cuts and an SUV.

Last edited: Thursday, March 16, 2006 at 6:06:03 PM

Let's bring full sentences back into the White House in '08! XD

Speaking of complete sentences: "There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once, shame on -- shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again. You've got to understand...." Preznit G W Bush.

Some of you have been fooled twice. You are going for a third right now, when you rationalize or sublimate your complicity.

I was looking for a good overview of "the politics of division" and came across an interesting site...

This article is on divisive politics, but the title isn't very accurate.

I'm going to be scanning the site. They seem to be a source for good material.

I hope stink's wrong about the public, but I share the fear we're just going to get the same crap in a different box. Beware the pretty wrappers and big bows. The contents are likely fecal, folks.

Nationalistic drums have been beaten since the 19th century. Query bismarck.

The Bush quote reminded me of this song.

Frankly, I'm disappointed. Obviously I keep hoping for a vast, left-wing conspiracy in the media to be uncovered that was designed to discredit the president and his administration, but somehow I just don't think its going to come. Just the other day I was telling my wife I was considering voting against every incumbent in every office. What I didn't say I might even start voting Demo JUST to give them a chance and see if they can do any better. Honestly, I'm starting to wish there was a third party. Maybe the Whig or Democratic-Republican Party. ;)

How about the Weirdos Like Me party? XD

No.. We need smart people to run for prez first... :P

Appears there may be more to this whole presidency thing than not getting blown.

What are you poor bastages gonna bitch about in 2008? Makes me wonder.... XD

I think we'll bitch about how deep the hole is.

Stinks, can't you come up with an original topic? You sound like a damn parrot. :P

[EDIT] Whoever deleted this last time: tsk tsk. Stinks can say this to me but I can't to him? Relax a bit, huh?

I don't think president bush is the problem, he does what he is told to do, says what he is told to say and acts the way he is told to act.

The problem is the money interests which lie behind his policies, bush is just a puppet.

You get rid of bush, you've got to make sure you don't just elect another puppet. Because I fear that if another puppet is elected people will just blindly support this new president instead under the pretext that he's not as bad as 'Bush'.
What needs to be done instead of getting rid of the president is to get rid of the money-interests and for this their needs to be a huge radical change in neo-liberal U.S politics which I feel can only be brought about by mass dissent which at this present time is unlikely to happen.
if you want to change the structure of the U.S government you need to ACTIVELY seek out an understanding of politics, the main news stations are too intertwined in the power-structure to give you the information you need.

Why SHOULD politicians be more informed than the general public? Unfortunately its in their interests to be so

I would just like to add to what I wrote earlier.

I was explaining how I thought "needs to be a huge radical change in neo-liberal U.S politics which I feel can only be brought about by mass dissent which at this present time is unlikely to happen."

I feel it is "unlikely to happen" due to the 'uses and gratifications theory' which is concerned with the fact that people ONLY seek out information which agrees with their views to uphold and strengthen them. The standard of living in the U.S states IS the best in the world and is the best it has ever been. The vast majority of U.S citizens have never left their own states never mind their country. These are undisputable, highly reported facts. An american girl I was speaking to recently quoted

Unfortunately people are unlikely to want to damage and lower their OWN standard of living. I don't believe ANYONE (or very few) would like the rest of the world to live in enforced squalor but I think due to the fact that many have never experienced anywhere else they seem naive to the fact that it is in THEIR interests that these things happen. Therefore through the 'uses and gratifications theory' I believe that people only 'take to' the media which sheds them in a good light, which unfortunately at this present time is the propagandic U.S imperialist governments doctrine, enforced through the U.S media.

Footnote: The U.S government and the U.S media I believe is one and the same.

;) I have a sneaking suspicion I've been libelled up above, but that could just be Ego TMO speaking. 'Tis funny, but I keep trying to use the word 'slandered' instead, because these threads are more like verbal sparring. 'Libelled' is for books and magazine articles in my head, evidently.

If the 'self-exile' target above was me, then *shrug*. I've explained my position a dozen times or so, and if it's not understood by now, then it never will be.

At any rate, the main reason I'm posting is just a s(n)ide comment - getting elected has never been about honesty. Read some history about past elections, up to and including Jefferson vs Adams. Anybody who believes a single campaign promise gets what they deserve. I stop short of applying that axiom to ALL people seeking election, as I'm sure there are always some newcomers who are idealistic (*cough* naive), but I'm also pretty sure they either don't last long, or change their ways to what works. One of the reasons I almost always vote against the incumbent. Newcomer's are statistically more likely to be honest.

This message has been brought to you by the letter Æ.

! Not you TMO. Two fellers who shall remain nameless. No. Actually, I was referring to chief and JJ. You've explained your position, as you've said. Not that you owed me an explanation or anything, but I was glad you clarified it. In any case, I wasn't thinking of you at all.

Incidently, I did just read about the Jefferson Adams mess. Your point is taken.

BTW: someone deleted my reply to BC. BC, like I said, waltzing into a thread and taking a weak pot-shot at someone without adding any content is what I expect from the teenage crowd. As I said before, you might want to pick a softer target than me. I don't play nice with jackasses.

Last edited: Friday, March 17, 2006 at 11:01:43 PM

Did we win yet? :o

Liar ---> http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/03/17.html#a7557
On to Iran. Bush seems to be confusing his q's and his n's.

Stink - I appreciate the reply. I guess it was just Ego TMO, thinking everything was about him. XD