Dec 07 2004
Paging Sky Marshal Bush!
Can anyone tell me why the President of the United States feels compelled to play military dress up all the time? I mean the flight suit was bad enough, but now they’re just making costumes up for the guy!
The least they can do is stick with ‘real’ uniforms, although the president having to parade around on the catwalk in military garb isn’t exactly professional or presidential in my opinion.
This Starship Trooper President outfit is only slightly less ridiculous than the movie itself.
Oh but it brings out his eyes so much better.
“I hope people can agree to respect the Presidency and the person who holds it, no matter what their party affiliation might be. Hopefully over the next four years, we can become closer with fellow citizens, instead of increasingly divided.”
Remember that quote? How does a post like this move your toward your goal of becoming closer or respecting the Presidency?
To your point, though, Starship Troopers was a horrible movie. ;)
I still respect the presidency.. Just because I may be pointing out mistakes, bad policy, or ridiculous fabricated outfits doesn’t mean I don’t respect the office.
I’m not positive about this, but I could almost swear that it is indeed possible to respect the office of the PRESIDENCY while simultaneously despising the very ground the incumbent PRESIDENT walks on. Oh, wait..that would require the ability to maintain two different thoughts at the same time. My bad.
Not that I don’t respect Bush… ;)
Had to jump in with one more point here…
Are we to assume that a genuine war hero like Republican Senator John McCain does not respect the office of the Secretary of Defense when he flatly states that he has “No confidence” in Donald Rumsfeld?
He looks like an old Hitler in that picture all he’ll need is the little mustache.
Les,
I’m not saying you can’t have two different thoughts at once … even if they are completely opposite (most “liberals” are this way). Yes, that’s a dig against “liberals”.
Back to the point I was trying to make: Dan said that no matter who gets elected, let’s try to come together and not divide. How is this post trying to help the country come together?
Fair enough, Yeah Boy. However, I think your link is a sign that you’re still missing my point that people can respect a title without respecting the person who holds that title. As a conservative, you still respected the presidency while your side’s favorite whipping boy, Slick Willy, was in office, didn’t you?
I disagree with Dan somewhat that we should just somehow come together and unite as a country behind Bush. Yes, we’re all Americans, we all love our country, and we all want to move forward. But to simply lay down our differences would be a concession of our most fundamental belief systems, and I know for a fact that people such as myself will NEVER do that! To do so would undermine a characteristic that’s vital to a free society–DISSENT.
Dan, I realize that’s not what you’re suggesting we should do. But to expect that 49% of Americans can magically forget the last four years and unite under Bush is, while optimistic, hardly realistic. Yeah Boy, do you really think that your team would have put their convictions on the back shelf and united with a bunch of bed-wetting liberals under a John Kerry presidency? I highly doubt it.
That being said, of course we’re all rooting for what’s best for our great country. I think you can all agree with me that it’s our disagreements that keep the debate alive on the issues that affect our our lives on a day to day basis. Such discussions, like Dan’s posts, are what pave the way for real progress, which should be EVERY American’s ultimate goal.
As a conservative, you still respected the presidency while your side’s favorite whipping boy, Slick Willy, was in office, didn’t you?
Truth is, I voted for Dole, but after Clinton won I supported him 100% and didn’t make fun of his garb, accent, the “idiots” that voted for him, or anything like the left of today does to Bush.
Yeah Boy, do you really think that your team would have put their convictions on the back shelf and united with a bunch of bed-wetting liberals under a John Kerry presidency?
That’s the difference between conservatives and liberals, because the answer is yes. We (conservatives) would have united behind him and tried to help him get the F*** out of Iraq. Not sure that liberals are bed-wetting, though - Yikes!
Here is the difference in your and my opinions. I feel like making fun of the president’s accent or dress is NOT dissent, it’s making fun of the guy - which is disrespectful. If you disagree with his policies, that’s dissent, which I completely agree is needed in a free society.
Such discussions, like Dan’s posts, are what pave the way for real progress, which should be EVERY American’s ultimate goal.
Give me a break. How does making fun of a jacket pave the way for real progress? That’s the crux of my issue. This is disrespectful in ill-willed.
It’s disrespectful for the president to parade around in front of thousands of uniformed military men and women in a fake military outfit. That’s what I’m saying.
Me pointing out that I think his costume is disprespectful, silly, un-presidential, ridiculous, and just embaressing isn’t itself disrespectful.
And before all this talk of what I said in early Nov. gets ahead of itself, I’d like to share what I actually did say, and still believe:
I don’t think that in any way translates into me saying, “I’ll never criticize GWB again”. I think this guy needs to be criticized, and harshly when you look at where we are as a country today, and I will undoubtedly continue to do that over the next four years as long as he continues to make policy decisions that I think are bad ideas…
Or as long as he keeps wearing fake uniforms.
. I think this guy needs to be criticized, and harshly
Sounds like a good first step in leading this country to become closer with fellow citizens, instead of increasingly divided!
I think what you were thinking in your post was that if John Kerry won, you want the country to come together, but if Bush won, keep the flames burning! Please don’t say that you didn’t because your actions are proving that’s exactly what you were thinking.
BTW - where did you get this picture?
Yeah Boy, what’s the point of having convictions if you’re just going to put them on the back burner for four years when your side loses? It’s impossible to ask people to get behind someone who turns a cold shoulder to everything they believe in! Hell, what would be the point of having elections? An election is the one time when people can come out in droves and actually make a tangible difference in the direction their country is headed by making crystal clear what exactly their convictions are! If they’re simply going to discard those beliefs when they lose and support someone whose agenda they completely disagree with, were their convictions really valid in the first place? The last thing I want to see in America, even when my side wins, is a bunch of mindless robots who blindly support any policy, however foolish it may be, that’s put into play by the incumbent leadership.
I hate the fact that we have to keep saying this, but I don’t think the message is getting through. IT IS POSSIBLE TO LOVE YOUR COUNTRY AND HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE MAN RUNNING THE SHOW AT THE SAME TIME! Liberals and conservatives alike have ALWAYS taken shots at the guy in the White House when he’s not the guy they voted for.
As for your statement that conservatives differ from liberals in that they get behind whoever wins, all I can say is this: What freakin’ planet are you from? Did you miss the entire Clinton presidency? Are you old enough to remember the shit Carter had to put up with? Have you ever looked at how deeply the conservatives despised JFK before his assassination made him one of our most beloved presidents?
Your right, Yeah Boy, not all of Dan’s posts are supposed to be taken as legitimate dissent. But this isn’t exactly an official town hall meeting on how to better our nation, either! Last time I checked, it was a place on the internet(s) where people who disagree with each other can shoot the shit. Geez, dude, lighten up!
what’s the point of having convictions if you’re just going to put them on the back burner for four years when your side loses?
I’m not saying to put your convictions aside. I’m saying, disagree with the man all you want, but try to make fun of him isn’t cool and doesn’t help Dan’s wish of fellow citizens coming together.
It’s impossible to ask people to get behind someone who turns a cold shoulder to everything they believe in!
Here is a good example … my governer is not the gov. I would choose to elect, but I respect him. When he speaks, I listen. When he wears a goofy UW hat, I don’t post it on my weblog and make fun of him. It IS possible to get behind somebody who doesn’t politically agree with you. I vote entirely opposite than he does, but I don’t disrespect him or his office.
Hell, what would be the point of having elections?
To vote for the person you think should be in office. If your guy doesn’t win, you don’t cry like a child. You gear up for the next election.
were their convictions really valid in the first place?
Here is what you are saying .. “if I believe in the killing of babies (ie abortion) and an anti-abortion president gets elected I should all of a sudden be anti-abortion???” That’s not what I’m saying. Believe in abortion, go ahead, but if somebody gets elected that’s anti-abortion, work to get your guy/gal in office next time. Don’t make fun of his ears … that’s divisive.
IT IS POSSIBLE TO LOVE YOUR COUNTRY AND HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE MAN RUNNING THE SHOW AT THE SAME TIME!
Who needs to lighten up? To your point, I agree with you. I’ve believed that before I knew who you were. Now if you ever yell at me again, that’ll be the last time I respond to you.
What freakin’ planet are you from?
I can’t turn coal into diamonds with my bare hand so I’m going to have to go with … Earth.
Did you miss the entire Clinton presidency?
Actually I don’t miss it at all.
Are you old enough to remember the shit Carter had to put up with?
Yeah, when he was an Expo he was really getting some shit. It wasn’t until he was a Met that his talents started to show through, but even then, the sports reporters were all over his ass.
But this isn’t exactly an official town hall meeting on how to better our nation, either!
That wasn’t my point … my point was that Dan, in his own weblog, wanted the country to come together no matter who was elected. His post about W’s crazy jacket prove contrary. That’s all.
Last time I checked, it was a place on the internet(s) where people who disagree with each other can shoot the shit. Geez, dude, lighten up!
It is, so why are you so worked up? You’re shouting, getting all long winded and stuff. I’m over here sipping a latte writing a C program.
Yeah Boy, why is it so dastardly to make fun of the guys in charge? Do you really think they care? Haven’t you ever watched comedy shows like SNL or Mad TV? Is what they do dissrespectful, or just low-ball humor? I choose the latter, even when they’re picking on liberals, believe it or not!
I guess I just simply don’t understand why you get so insulted. Do we really have to walk on eggshells every time we pick on our leaders? Truth be told, the only thing I regret putting on Dan’s weblong so far is my comment a few weeks ago, calling Bush the “idiots’ champion”. Believe me, I’ve caught a lot of heat from my side on that one, too. :)
But come on, man. You seem to be a smart enough guy. Why the thin skin? Can’t you just look at the silly picture of Bush, read Dan’s smart-ass comments, and say, “Yeah, that’s kinda funny”. If we can laugh at Clinton, you can laugh at Bush.
Long-winded? You have no idea…
I did think it was kind of funny. Notice the “To your point, though, Starship Troopers was a horrible movie. ;)” I posted.
Anywho … thanks for the dialogue - I do appreciate a good debate. :)
I see your point on the last post.
Peace out.
So how - in your mind - did it go from thinking it was funny to me being anti-president?
Clearly anything I’ve said in the past about bringing people together is now moot because I made fun of a ridiculous looking fake jacket.
In all the finger pointing going on here, you know one guy who really isn’t working to bring the American people together? GWB himslef and the wedge issues he’ll be championing over the next 4 years.