Gephardt on O'Neill: Bush is "hard to help"

[cryofan]

Just watched Gep on Face the Nation. He commented on many things, including O'Neill's book and his description of Bush as disconnected to and unengaged with his advisors. He basically agreed and called Bush "hard to help." I think that this picture of Bush as being someone who is disconnected and unable to engage is going to ring true. It is really a new description of the peculiar nature of Bush. And one that seems to fit well with reality. And I think it is something that is going to hurt him.

Gep spoke on many subjects, and I call tell you that this man could be a good president. He is lucid and articulate and reasonable. I could vote for this guy. I cannot even IMAGINE Bush ever coming on TV and engaging in such an interview in the same manner as Gep. How on earth did Bush ever get elected!?

Although if I had to vote today, Kucinich would get my vote, when the texas primary rolls around, unless some weird happens (DK rises in the polls), I will probably be voting for someone with more chance to keep Dean out of office. And that someone will be either Gep or Clark or Kerry or Edwards. Gep looked pretty good today.....

[ShimokitaJer]

1. to keep Dean out of office?

Funny, I thought we were trying to get a Democrat into the office.

[cryofan]

5. simple logic

How about if we elect Hitler if we knew he could beat Bush? Would that be OK? Not saying that dean==hitler, but will nominate a cryptoRepublican when there are decent democrats around?

[ShimokitaJer]

9. Yes, quite simple

Most people on this board would rather we had a Democrat in the White House than Bush. You, on the other hand, are actively working to keep one Democratic candidate out of the office -- not out of the nomination, but out of the office. That sounds pretty darn simple to me.

Rather than making a list of reasons to dump Bush, you have chosen to devote your energies to building a website spreading any dirt you can find about the current Democratic frontrunner. Yes, it sounds pretty damn simple to me.

You're part of the fucking problem. That's how simple it is.

[mouse7]

10. "cryptoRepublican" Dean better record on choice than Kucinich

who is the real "crypto" candidate? Dean?

or "crypto-protest candidate" Kucinich? Kucinich had one of the most radically-conservative voting records on the issue of choice as any neo-con in Congress.

Oh yeah. Kucinich is telling the "truth" when Kucinich says he completely changed his views on choice the day Kucinich kicked off his campaign, huh?

[cryofan]

14. I think that is something the voter would have to consider

It may be that DK is lying about his change of mind. I could not rule it out. There is however a difference between evidence of a wide ranging and deeply felt political philosophy, such as Dean's obvious fiscal conservative, anti-social-safety-net bias, which affects every American and Kucinich's position on one issue which affects a fraction of Americans.

Also, I ask onlookers who have been witness to my interactions with DUers on this issue to take a look at how my opponents have approached the issue with respect to an open and honest look at the issues. Quite frankly, I feel that my opponents do not care for the issues and are only looking to spin spin spin and confuse the issues.

[ThomWV]

7. Dean ..

I have no desire to see Dean be President. I do have a desire to see a Democrat be President. So Dean will get no support from me until the day the Party nominates him. If that happens he is my man, but until that happens he is not.

Thom

[ShimokitaJer]

11. I think you give cryofan too much credit

He is not trying to keep Dean from merely gaining the nomination, but trying to keep him "out of office," by his own admission. Take a look at the little "information" site he's so proud of and tell me if that looks like the work of a Democrat.

[cryofan]

15. Ummm....

....I am a leftwinger. And obviously I really think that the issues of keeping Dean from getting the nomination, and keeping him out of office, are, umm...QUITE closely related!

[Eloriel]

19. I have a question for you

I'm fascinated by your sig line.

What, exactly, is your message when you say, "Fight for your welfare state"?

Could you explain what your point is with more detail?

Eloriel

[cryofan]

20. well...

....it is kind of complicated. Try going to my sig URL and clicking the link about social democracies and welfare states. Then click on the american-pictures link from there.

[Eloriel]

21. No, what I really want is

a paragraph or two -- or 10, if you wish -- from YOU. I want to know what your thinking is.

It's your sig line, can you defend / explain it, or not?

Eloriel

[cryofan]

23. OK

A strong welfare state is a Good Thing. It really works better than our system. Also, it is something that you have to work for and fight for.

[Eloriel]

25. Okay, a follow-up question

Since your response was a little on the light side (tho it was, technically, one paragraph ;-) )

What, in your mind, IS The Welfare State?

Eloriel

[BrewCrew]

2. yep

steady hands

[glarius]

3. The reason Bush is "disconnected and unable to engage" with his advisors

is because he is UNINFORMED...IGNORANT ABOUT THE WORLD...and his main talent is glad-handing and back-slapping!...He doesn't KNOW what to do or say, thus the disengagement!

[cryofan]

4. Gep called Bush "not curious"

One reason I prefer Gep to Edwards is that Edwards wants to keep the taxes for middle class. SO he is effectively a low tax candidate. So he is not a social safety net man. Gep wants to repeal all the tax cuts for the middle class so we can use it for health care.

[MoonRiver]

6. Bush* is very stupid, literally. He's got a lot of political street

smarts, cause he's been fed a steady diet of dirty trickery since birth. He's incapable of real imagination, vision, or creativity. The man is a dim bulb.

The reason he's in office is because there are enough other dim bulb energized right wing fanatics to allow * and Chaney to blatantly steal the election. But * is so dumb that he could have never clawed his way to the top without being handed every advantage under the sun.

[rock]

8. Hard to help?

Impossible would be more accurate.

[matcom]

12. Gep looked just GREAT standing next to Bush at that podium

remember? there was ole W in the middle with Gep on his left and Lieberman on his right.

you remember right? that little IWR thingy?

remember?

REMEMBER?

:eyes:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

13. Actually,

They were both to Chimp's left.

[Bob3]

16. A question

why should Gephart be worried about helping Bush? The only help a democrat should be giving * would be showing him where the door marked exit is located. Other than that - nothing.

This weird fearfilled forlock tugging coperative attitude - bordering on apeasement -from the mainstream Democrats in Washington is one of the reasons Dean has the lead he does.

[cryofan]

17. good question

Gep was asked whether he agreed with O'neill. In his typical diplomatic style, he basically demurred, saying he had not taken that good a look at the O'Neill story, but that he had talked to Bush on 9-12-01 about coming together about 9-11. He noted that Bush did not seem to want to discuss the problem and was uncommnicative in general even though Gep said he wanted to help Bush. But it was hard to help him because Bush either could not or would not engage in a discussion.

[SharonAnn]

24. Because on 9-12-01 he wanted to help the country, that's why

he wanted to help the country's president - to help the country.

I don't hold that against him, I think it's the right thing to do in that kind of situation. After all, remember where we all were (emotionally) on 9-12-01? We wanted all of our leaders, of all parties, to come together and do the right things to defend the United States of America.

[Cocoa]

18. that's actually an old line of his

it usually gets a big laugh. :-)

O'Neill's comments really play into what Gep has been saying about his impression of Bush compared to the other presidents he's worked with.

Another good line of his, "if you'd been meeting with Bush the last few years, you'd be running for president too."

[lovedems]

22. You can't be connected and have the most vacation days of any prez

in history. When my husband took vacations, it was to get away from work. He is not connected and all you have to do is "connect" the dots to realize that.