The Myth of Bush Sr., the Moderate

[Mechaman]

All too often on this forum I hear the standard "HW Bush was a caring compassionate moderate who went against the heartlessness of the Reagan era!" line so often I hear it in my sleep sometimes.  What is so amusing about this is that from what I can recall of the HW Bush years was basically Reaganomics 3.0.  In fact, the man seemed to be even worse than Reagan from an objectively liberal viewpoint.  For starters:

• For all of the talk of his ultra-conservatism, Reagan had very cosmopolitan views and didn't go out of his way to bash groups like atheists.  HW Bush not only did bash said groups, but he made a practice out of labeling them "unpatriotic" and even used that attack against Clinton in 1992.
• HW Bush's pandering to the Religious Right was far more out in the open than Reagan's.
• Reagan never made a "NO NEW TAXES!" promise.  Hell, he probably is at least in the top ten in regards to creating new taxes (granted a lot of those taxes disproportionately affected the non-rich, so there's that).  Meanwhile people take HW Bush raising a gas tax (hardly a progressive tax, at least for the time and the reason) to be some sort of indication that he is a severe moderate?  Give me a break!
• And also despite much talk about how much of an openminded social moderate he was, HW Bush did nothing but embrace and endorse social conservatives during his term in office.  He fully embraced and advanced "Culture War" talking points like there was no tomorrow.  About the only thing Bush disagreed with social conservatives on it seems was gun control, and that is before I note that Reagan himself (the Great Conservative Satan!) signed several gun control pieces of legislation as president.

So seriously, what gives?!

[MT Treasurer]

There is a difference between pandering to these groups and actually sharing the same ideology and beliefs with them. The Bushes have a history of pandering to the religious right in order to get their votes yet not sharing their beliefs.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I believe we've already had this discussion...

Anyway, obviously I agree in full.

[TNF]

Didn't Bush Sr. also veto a civil rights act?

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

He's a Neocon, not a true Conservative.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

People have a tendency to let fail leaders off with pity votes. (For example, A lot of people who rightly condemn the misrule of Thatcher, sometimes say forgive Major because he was so lame and useless; despite the fact he did some of the most fluffed and useless privatisations of the era).

In Bush Sr's case he practically ran Reagan's last term, so it's not like they weren't too far away from each other ideologically ..;

He's a Neocon, not a true Conservative.

#justlibertarianthings

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I think the disableds like him.  Didn't he promote the passage of and sign the ADA?

[Sumner 1868]

Didn't Bush Sr. also veto a civil rights act?

Yes, 1990.

[Antonio the Sixth]

He also appointed Clarence Thomas.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I would assume that a lot of Bush's controversial statements about the atheists and such was because he had to build "conservative credentials". Reagan didn't need to pander to the Religious Right because they were already in his back pocket. A Vice President who'd been pro-choice up until 1980 and didn't have a "tough-on-crime" record like that which Reagan cultivated while Governor of California had significant ground to make up for in the social issues realm, especially as he'd been Reagan's greatest threat from his left flank eight years prior.

[SWE]

Bush Sr. was a genuinely horrible human being

[Sumner 1868]

Bush Sr. was a genuinely horrible human being

This at the very least is fact.

[Joe Republic]

Compared to the conservatives of today, of course we would view him as a moderate.

[TNF]

Let's also not forget he directed the CIA, which makes him pretty much an HP by any definition of that term.

[Brewer]

Bush Sr. was a genuinely horrible human being

This at the very least is fact.

Lol, are you aware of what a fact is?

[Sumner 1868]

Bush Sr. was a genuinely horrible human being

This at the very least is fact.

Lol, are you aware of what a fact is?

I don't know him personally, obviously, but I know enough of his history to determine he is a truly evil man, and possibly an outright psychopath.

[Brewer]

Bush Sr. was a genuinely horrible human being

This at the very least is fact.

Lol, are you aware of what a fact is?

I don't know him personally, obviously, but I know enough of his history to determine he is a truly evil man, and possibly an outright psychopath.

Right, you're obviously entitled to your opinion, but I've found what seems to be the True Leftist-centric tendency to cast everyone they're in disagreement with as "evil" or even "psychopathic" while stating such as an undeniable fact to be incredibly annoying, so forgive me.

Though, in honesty, I see where you're coming from. GHWB was no doubt a terrible President.

[Sumner 1868]

Bush Sr. was a genuinely horrible human being

This at the very least is fact.

Lol, are you aware of what a fact is?

I don't know him personally, obviously, but I know enough of his history to determine he is a truly evil man, and possibly an outright psychopath.

Right, you're obviously entitled to your opinion, but I've found what seems to be the True Leftist-centric tendency to cast everyone they're in disagreement with as "evil" or even "psychopathic" while stating such as an undeniable fact to be incredibly annoying.

Not a "True Leftist" or socialist/communist. I don't see all people on the center-right or right and think "evil!" I just truly think, given his past actions, he's not a man with good intent.

[TDAS04]

Also, while challenging Senator Ralph Yarborough in 1964, Bush attacked Yarborough for voting for the Civil Rights Act of that year.  That doesn't make Bush racist, but he was willing to exploit racism for political gain.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Bush was no moderate. Every time Congress tried to do anything useful, Bush vetoed it.

[Sumner 1868]

Also, while challenging Senator Ralph Yarborough in 1964, Bush attacked Yarborough for voting for the Civil Rights Act of that year.  That doesn't make Bush racist, but he was willing to exploit racism for political gain.

And Willie Horton.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Let's also not forget he directed the CIA, which makes him pretty much an HP by any definition of that term.

I'm sure Bush (and most Americans) would proudly wear the "horrible person" label when its coming from a proponent of systematic genocide.

HW was a watered down version of what the Republicans wanted and he compromised with the majority Democrat congress, so that's where a lot of his moderate designation comes from. Plus he pissed off the NRA crowd by limiting certain rifle imports and signing gun-free school zones and got framed as a squish by Buchanan in the 1992 primaries. Plus the hard right will never accept him because he oversaw Ruby Ridge and used the phrase "new world order" (OMG! CONSPIRACY!). And he just has a general personality and demeanor that gives off the moderate vibe. I can't imagine seeing him get mad and start screaming.

When compared to most other politicians, HW technically has a record of bipartisan achievements, many of which are liberal priorities: (Repeal of Medicare Catastrophic Coverage/Clean Air Act Amendments/ Disabilities mandates/ Creation of a new top tax bracket/ Medicaid drug rebates/ Increased FICA taxes on higher incomes/ Huge increase in immigration from not-white countries/Oil Spill cleanup taxes/Gun Free School-Zones/New Wetlands funding)

These are not generally conservative positions, but Bush signed them all, so he gets credit. That plus the dislike of him on the rightward fringes, and the fact that he just looks like Mr. Rogers in the news  paints him as a moderate.

[Mr. Smith]

Of course he's no moderate, but it's laughable to call him more conservative than Reagan.

For one, he never accused trees of pollution.

For two, ADA

For three, talk all you will about his stumps against Yaroborough, but he never implied housing segregation was okay like Reagan did

And his foreign policy had some respect for the rest of the world, it wasn't nearly so needlessly invasive...I'm not gonna call it Carter-esque perfection, but there was some dignity to it.


But he is moderate compared to literally every other Republican running for the presidency since 1980.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Didn't he insist on watering down the ADA?

Also, the Gulf War wasn't exactly a liberal endeavor.