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[BlastProcessing]

Remember that time Bush spread a false rumor that Ann Richards was gay in order to win the governor's race?

Trump's tactics are just the things that Karl Rove pioneered writ large.

 

[googleplex]

Decent human being? He is an evil, bloodthirsty piece of shit.

By most accounts, even from his critics. This isn't true.

Bush Jr was A Shit president. A man that was totally unprepared for the job and surrounded himself with diabolical sociopaths that ended up causing great harm. But calling him bloodthirsty and evil would be stretching it

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Remember that time Bush spread a false rumor that Ann Richard's was gay in order to win the governor's race?

Trump's tactics are just the things that Karl Rove pioneered writ large.

Don't forget the whole "John McCain has a black love child" thing. Oh that lovable W. he was so wacky!

 

[RinsFury]

By most accounts, even from his critics. This isn't true.

Bush Jr was A Shit president. A man that was totally unprepared for the job and surrounded himself with diabolical sociopaths that ended up causing great harm. But calling him bloodthirsty and evil would be stretching it

The man started an illegal war that was based on a lie, which resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands. I see people in this thread sloughing off some of the blame on his advisors or bad intel, but are you telling me that the President of the United States didn't have access to all of the information? The lie was to sell the war to congress and the american people, he wanted that war and all of the blood that is still being spilled to this day is on his hands. I will never consider him anything other than a monster.

 

[Stead Fast]

Going off purely what Bush and Obama spoke about here (there is several years worth of discussion and dissection of both men's terms in office, it doesn't need to be compounded here), I agree. Wholeheartedly. Nothing neither of them said is wrong. They're both scathing, in their own mannerisms, and seek to compound a multi-faceted attack on Trump and his brand of politics. It's nothing short of a miracle that, assuming there wasn't correspondence between the two, that they'd stay so in sync with branding Trump 'cruel'.

Do I think this will make any real difference? Not sure, and I'll lean on being pessimistic since this is notedly a rare occurrence for Bush, and somewhat of one for Obama. If they, and several previous leaders (because let's be honest, do we know any who actively like Trump?) were to keep this up over the next year, maybe it'll be an abscess in the stomach of Trump's next election campaign, along with every other self-inflicted cultural and political ailment he's picked up over this past year.

Obama keyed in the most important part, the Virginia election will be telling if any and all public and political outcry has done anything to rattle the echo-chamber that is Trump's voter base.

 

[creatchee]

Now people are applying that limpdick "purity test" deflection to people who rightly recognize Bush for the piece of shit he is/was/always will be? Fucking pathetic. Liberals carry that Overton window to the right on their own.

"Bush wasn't awful, he was just a well-intentioned dummy taken advantage of by a bunch of conniving meanies!"

It's like the liberal equivalent of that "WTF I hate the NFL now" meme directed towards Trump supporters.

Sometimes you have to team up with a bad guy to take down a greater evil. It doesn't excuse what they've done. It doesn't make them a good person. You don't have to have some laughs with them over beers. But the fact is, we need all the help we can get because "the pure" aren't legion enough. As much as the middle gets lambasted and ridiculed and everything else on this site, they are still NEEDED to get a majority and to enact change. They're more likely to get on board when they see those with opposing views come together and fight as one than if it's the same folks who yell at everything even remotely similar to what's currently going on.

You don't have to like your teammates to benefit from what they bring to the table.

 

[Vestal]

The man started an illegal war that was based on a lie, which resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands. I see people in this thread sloughing off some of the blame on his advisors or bad intel, but are you telling me that the President of the United States didn't have access to all of the information? The lie was to sell the war to congress and the american people, he wanted that war and all of the blood that is still being spilled to this day is on his hands. I will never consider him anything other than a monster.

90% of the war aspect of his presidency came directly from Darth Cheney make no mistake about it. W believed everything that Cheney fed him and Cheney spearheaded the effort to engineer the picture that Iraq had wmds.. Doesn't excuse Bush, he was POTUS but his issue was more incompetence than being evil as fuck.

 

[fabricated backlash]

I'm sorry, but both of these windbags are painting a US that never existed outside of wildly idealistic sermons. Their glorification of US values ring hollow when confronted with the reality of the country they pretend to describe.
It does little to cover up the foul stench of racism that permeates the US.

 

[ReAxion]

Neither did Obama and the article already acknowledges this but it's not too hard to tell what and who they're speaking in reference to.

naturally they don't care whatever comes out of Obama's mouth because he is Obama. the willfully ignorant will stay right where they are.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

What's the reasoning for not mentioning Trump by name? IMO they should go all out. Trump is the problem. Name him.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

This is nice and all, but they should have both named Trump.

 

[googleplex]

Now people are applying that limpdick "purity test" deflection to people who rightly recognize Bush for the piece of shit he is/was/always will be? Fucking pathetic. Liberals carry that Overton window to the right on their own.

"Bush wasn't awful, he was just a well-intentioned dummy taken advantage of by a bunch of conniving meanies!"

It's like the liberal equivalent of that "WTF I hate the NFL now" meme directed towards Trump supporters.

No its the political equivalent of using Hannibal Lecter to take down Buffalo Bill. No one is excusing Bush from shit.

But if a man, we all agree was a disastrous president, but still holds influence on the right. Wants to dog pile on Thump? That can do nothing but help us in the long run. We are just saying that progressives should just shut the fuck up for once and accept the aide!

 

[Game-Biz]

No its the political equivalent of using Hannibal Lecter to take down Buffalo Bill. No one is excusing Bush from shit.

But if a man, we all agree was a disastrous president, but still holds influence on the right. Wants to dog pile on Thump? That can do nothing but help us in the long run. We are just saying that progressives should just shut the fuck up for once and accept the aide!

This.

 

[kirblar]

Reminder that 8/10 americans supported going into Afghanistan after 9/11.

It wasn't Bush's war. It was America's war. Jingoistic, based on bad intel, whatever you want - but america wanted the war harder than it has wanted anything else in the last half century.
Bush certainly has a large share of the blame, but so does the electorate. Bush won in 2004.

Afghanistan was a direct and warranted response to 9/11. We're still there today because there aren't any simple answers to the issues there and because resources were diverted to Iraq.

Iraq was the problematic one w/ trumped-up fabrications created by NeoCon ex-Bush I officials who wanted to "finish the job."

 

[KernelPanic]

It seems Republicans only so/day the right things when they are out of office and there’s no consequences for them speaking their mind.

Otherwise it’s like they have a gun to their head to tow the party line.

Unless Dubya is trying to look like he was on the right side of history in regards to Trumpism taking over the US.

 

[timetokill]

A lot of you do realize that like Iraq, under Obama the very same thing happened with Libya but rather than stay, it is now just a lawless region full of tribal warlords and terrorist training grounds. People in Pakistan and other areas started to call President Obama the drone strike president. He was also very close to overthrowing Assad completely and invading with that red line talk. A lot of you cannot see the forest for the trees. You cannot see how extraordinary it is to have two former Presidents harshly rebuke the sitting one and it becomes about something else. This is in almost every thread. A does/talks about B but then you have to talk about C.

There is a world of difference between George W. Bush and Donald J. Trump as people. At a time when Trump won't even give Puerto Rico aid, Bush had done more other continents like Africa than any others,fighting AIDs, Malaria etc. He was just a bad President unfit to lead who was surrounded by peoole smarter and more evil than him who pulled the strings aka Rumsfeld, Rove. Thw Iraq war will also go down in history as perhaps the greatest military and strategic blunder in US history. We all know that. Now imagine Bill Clinton and Bush Sr. chime in against Trump. How insane that would be that they are all calling Trump a threat to America and American ideals.

Nice post.

 

[Elginer]

Bush made plenty of shitty moves but as a person, I've always thought he's a good man with a heart. An idiot as times but he's not a damn monster.

 

[wesleyshark]

Two excellent speeches, from far better leaders.

 

[Aureon]

Iraq

Still. (And that's in 03, the gearing up started much closer to 9/11 - when the support was much higher)

 

[Tovarisc]

What's the reasoning for not mentioning Trump by name? IMO they should go all out. Trump is the problem. Name him.

This is nice and all, but they should have both named Trump.

Isn't there long history of previous President's not publicly criticizing etc. current sitting President? As far as they went on Trump (by not naming him) is astonishing on its own.

----------------

Is there anyone on this planet who is good and pure enough to be critical about e.g. Trump by GAF standards? Everyone, even ones we don't know about, has dark shit in their pasts. Seems like all threads like this where A is critical of B devolve into picking apart past of A, and coming up reasons why A can't be critical of B or does no good.

 

[Pyroclastic]

What's the reasoning for not mentioning Trump by name? IMO they should go all out. Trump is the problem. Name him.

I think if they call him out directly him and his cronies will just use this as an example of 'the establishment' conspiring against trump and go further down that rabbit hole, plus people who aren't full on trump supporters but nevertheless are conservative might see it as break the rules of former presidents not criticizing the current one. I think it's far better they just keep with the shade so if trump then snaps and insults them directly it'll make him look more demented.

 

[DrROBschiz]

Obama's speech was very moving

He's still got it

Damn shame that his opposition gives in to conspiracy theories instead of listening to him

Fuck man

 

[RinsFury]

Still. (And that's in 03, the gearing up started much closer to 9/11 - when the support was much higher)

That's because the Bush regime sold a population still reeling from 9/11 a war that was based on fabricated WMD's. They should have been put on trial at the Hague, it is a sickening injustice that they all walked free.

 

[megalowho]

No matter the history of both men and their administrations, it's good optics to have the last two Presidents from both parties issue concise statements on the current political climate, on the same day. It doesn't happen often and it's a potent rebuke to Trump whether he's named or not. That's what's most important in the current fight.

 

[Madness]

That's because the Bush regime sold a population still reeling from 9/11 a war that was based on fabricated WMD's. They should have been put on trial at the Hague, it is a sickening injustice that they all walked free.

Can you stop derailing the thread and keep it what it is, two former Presidents speaking out on Trump. We get it,you hate Bush just as much.

 

[Kyne]

Still. (And that's in 03, the gearing up started much closer to 9/11 - when the support was much higher)

thatsapenis.gif

 

[RinsFury]

Can you stop derailing the thread and keep it what it is, two former Presidents speaking out on Trump. We get it,you hate Bush just as much.

How dare I besmirch the Bush name. Carry on lauding the brave remarks of a murderer, I won't interfere any further.

 

[wesleyshark]

thatsapenis.gif

Thought the same thing lol

 

[ThLunarian]

This looks like a coordinated effort. If it was, then that's encouraging. Maybe this is the start of a bipartisan anti-Trump campaign.

 

[Serpico99]

Still laugh at people who think Bush was in control. Tricky Dick Cheney...

 

[TaterTots]

A lot of you do realize that like Iraq, under Obama the very same thing happened with Libya but rather than stay, it is now just a lawless region full of tribal warlords and terrorist training grounds. People in Pakistan and other areas started to call President Obama the drone strike president. He was also very close to overthrowing Assad completely and invading with that red line talk. A lot of you cannot see the forest for the trees. You cannot see how extraordinary it is to have two former Presidents harshly rebuke the sitting one and it becomes about something else. This is in almost every thread. A does/talks about B but then you have to talk about C.

There is a world of difference between George W. Bush and Donald J. Trump as people. At a time when Trump won't even give Puerto Rico aid, Bush had done more other continents like Africa than any others,fighting AIDs, Malaria etc. He was just a bad President unfit to lead who was surrounded by peoole smarter and more evil than him who pulled the strings aka Rumsfeld, Rove. Thw Iraq war will also go down in history as perhaps the greatest military and strategic blunder in US history. We all know that. Now imagine Bill Clinton and Bush Sr. chime in against Trump. How insane that would be that they are all calling Trump a threat to America and American ideals.

Nicely said.

 

[daxy]

. . .

 

[OG Shaka Zulu]

The fact that ex presidents are so chummy and endearing towards each other is further proof the interests of the average American was never their priority. Obama's not dumb and knows who Bush really is yet it's all handwaved.

don'tshootmarksifaworkmarksshootshootjabroni.jpg

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

Bush revisionism is dismaying. Villainy is ok, actually, as long as it’s accompanied by propriety!

Can't wait for all the people saying "Trump wasn't so bad" when he writes a letter from his jail cell condemning President Pence's policy of submitting all LGBT people to electroshock therapy.

 

[Coriolanus]

Iraq remains as much (if not more) the fault of the UK government than it does the US government. Not washing Blair or Bush's hands of guilt to say that, but the UK supplied the awful intel because they wanted to justify the war too.

You can't simply say 'Bush lied!' when it comes to Iraq. Bush was too eager to believe bad intel because he wanted to win where his father lost, isn't as sexy a slogan though, I admit.

If Bush is a comic book villain he's one you can empathize with, who has *understandable* motives. Trump is the Joker.

No. You can't. Because the Blix report exists. And also because the US response to his report was to try to dox him to discredit his UN work.

So yes, you can simply say that Bush lied. Very goddamn easily. He wasn't just eager to believe bad intel, he was also eager to discredit good intel.

 

[Parch]

I think Obama is legitimately disgusted to the point of laughing how ridiculous it's become.

I think Bush is just happy there's a President worse than himself.

 

[pixelation]

As if Trump actually cares.

You can bet your honey buns that he does, they have just been better at controlling his itchy fingers lately.

 

[Madness]

How dare I besmirch the Bush name. Carry on lauding the brave remarks of a murderer, I won't interfere any further.

No it's that you are taking away from what the threas actually is. Stop with that holier than thou 'how dare I besmirch the Bush name' shit as well. People are lauding the fact the current President is so shit two former Presidents are speaking out against him and you are essentially ignoring it by Whataboutism ie. Who cares what Bush said,he is a killer too rabble rabble.

 

[mordecaii83]

If anything this thread has shown me that too many people will always focus on the negative rather than the positive. And the positive in this case is the two most recent presidents both speaking out against a Nazi sympathizer at best, full-blown Nazi at worst. And instead of being thrilled that it's a bipartisan effort to discredit him and try to wake the American population up, we're arguing about how those presidents aren't perfect.

I say good on Obama and Bush for doing this. I don't think Bush is very popular among conservatives anymore so I'm not sure how much this will do to sway people, but the more people that speak out against hate the better.

 

[JustenP88]

No its the political equivalent of using Hannibal Lecter to take down Buffalo Bill. No one is excusing Bush from shit.

But if a man, we all agree was a disastrous president, but still holds influence on the right. Wants to dog pile on Thump? That can do nothing but help us in the long run. We are just saying that progressives should just shut the fuck up for once and accept the aide!

You're right, I'd really hate to throw away all the positive political capital George W Bush brings to the #NeverTrump movement. I'm sure there are literally dozens of people out there who simultaneously respect Bush and whose positive opinion of Donald Trump could be swayed by Bush saying that Trump sucks.

Also, a lot of people are "excusing Bush of shit." It's all over the place. Good for you if you're not, but I've seen far too many #resistance dipshits posting that "Miss me yet?" meme unironically to delude myself away from the realization that Americans are more concerned with how uncouth Donald Trump is than actual Republican policy.

 

[rudger]

The fact that ex presidents are so chummy and endearing towards each other is further proof the interests of the average American was never their priority. Obama's not dumb and knows who Bush really is yet it's all handwaved.

don'tshootmarksifaworkmarksshootshootjabroni.jpg

Obama has gone on the record since day one in office on how well he gets along with Bush. Clinton was supposedly a huge dick to Bush during the transition and Bush remembered that and didn’t want to repeat it. It’s also why Obama was so nice to Trump after he won and actively seemed to be trying to help him get started....obviously that didn’t matter, but I do believe Bush was passing on the right kind of tradition.

It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Bush and Obama actually did coordinate this. They get along well.

 

[jroc74]

A lot of you do realize that like Iraq, under Obama the very same thing happened with Libya but rather than stay, it is now just a lawless region full of tribal warlords and terrorist training grounds. People in Pakistan and other areas started to call President Obama the drone strike president. He was also very close to overthrowing Assad completely and invading with that red line talk. A lot of you cannot see the forest for the trees. You cannot see how extraordinary it is to have two former Presidents harshly rebuke the sitting one and it becomes about something else. This is in almost every thread. A does/talks about B but then you have to talk about C.

There is a world of difference between George W. Bush and Donald J. Trump as people. At a time when Trump won't even give Puerto Rico aid, Bush had done more other continents like Africa than any others,fighting AIDs, Malaria etc. He was just a bad President unfit to lead who was surrounded by peoole smarter and more evil than him who pulled the strings aka Rumsfeld, Rove. Thw Iraq war will also go down in history as perhaps the greatest military and strategic blunder in US history. We all know that. Now imagine Bill Clinton and Bush Sr. chime in against Trump. How insane that would be that they are all calling Trump a threat to America and American ideals.

If anything this thread has shown me that too many people will always focus on the negative rather than the positive. And the positive in this case is the two most recent presidents both speaking out against a Nazi sympathizer at best, full-blown Nazi at worst. And instead of being thrilled that it's a bipartisan effort to discredit him and try to wake the American population up, we're arguing about how those presidents aren't perfect.

I say good on Obama and Bush for doing this. I don't think Bush is very popular among conservatives anymore so I'm not sure how much this will do to sway people, but the more people that speak out against hate the better.

Well said.

I pray that voters out there don't think that way. If so we are so fucked.

What the fuck happened to the enemy of my enemy is my friend