Why are some people unable to just say "George W. Bush was a terrible President and so was Trump?"

[darklordoftech]

I should probably mention that The Lincoln Project was largely a creation of people from McCain’s campaigns who were critical of Bush in 2000-2008.

We seem worlds apart from era in which the divide was between Bush and McCain.

One of the issues that divided Bush and McCain was torture. I feel like that forshadows the Trump/Never Trumper divide. Also interesting that John Weaver was a key figure in Kasich’s 2016 campaign.

Its not "interesting" it is fundamental to why Kasich went from an interesting choice in the election for me to just another establishment copy cat in case Jeb fell flat.

This is what I meant by “interesting”: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2015/11/john-kasichs-campaign-makes-no-sense-the-ohio-governor-is-following-a-losing-strategy-that-hurts-the-republican-partys-most-viable-establishment-candidates.amp This article suggests that Weaver is behind the idea to run as a “maverick”.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I should probably mention that The Lincoln Project was largely a creation of people from McCain’s campaigns who were critical of Bush in 2000-2008.

We seem worlds apart from era in which the divide was between Bush and McCain.

Dubya was celebrating McCain's birthday with him when Hurricane Katrina hit, so they weren't exactly enemies.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I should probably mention that The Lincoln Project was largely a creation of people from McCain’s campaigns who were critical of Bush in 2000-2008.

We seem worlds apart from era in which the divide was between Bush and McCain.

One of the issues that divided Bush and McCain was torture. I feel like that forshadows the Trump/Never Trumper divide. Also interesting that John Weaver was a key figure in Kasich’s 2016 campaign.

Its not "interesting" it is fundamental to why Kasich went from an interesting choice in the election for me to just another establishment copy cat in case Jeb fell flat.

This is what I meant by “interesting”: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2015/11/john-kasichs-campaign-makes-no-sense-the-ohio-governor-is-following-a-losing-strategy-that-hurts-the-republican-partys-most-viable-establishment-candidates.amp This article suggests that Weaver is behind the idea to run as a “maverick”.

Everything they touch turns to crap.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

A lot of people seem to be unable to admit that George W. Bush and Donald Trump were actually far more similar than they were different.

That seems like the most obvious thing to just point to instead of using one to deflect the attacks on the other. So why is it so difficult for many?

[Beet]

Greenwald and jfern seems to be representative of a type that, while they nominally identify on the left, do not seem to represent "the left" as a whole but rather a narrow culture of their own, that often makes allegiance with the right.

[Chips]

Over time, one's opinion of a former president tends to rise as the new president takes center stage and said former president basically goes into the shadows, staying out of public eye for a while. Trump was a lot more controversial than Bush ever was so that probably explains why public opinion of Bush went up.

Of course, I think Bush and Trump were both horrible presidents and were both huge jerks for different reasons.

[Chips]

The thing is up until about early last year, Trump really wasn’t that bad. Say what you will about him but he never caused the chaos W did, at least on the foreign policy end. That isn’t for lack of trying. Trump’s incompetence and laziness are double edged swords. Sure, it kept him out doing neocon things but it really hindered him on the pandemic because he’s incapable of the dedication needed for long term thinking which was the noose around his neck. If he spent last spring telling his hardcore followers that it was their patriotic duty to stay home and wear masks instead of not wanting to spook the stock market and all of the crazy liberate such and such state bs, he’d have won.

Also this, I actually still had a somewhat positive opinion of Trump around this time last year. And for what it's worth I still do think Trump was probably a little better on the whole.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Bush has positive approvals now with Democrats, IIRC.

Nope!

https://twitter.com/YouGovAmerica/status/1420027025931264002

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Bush has positive approvals now with Democrats, IIRC.

Nope!

-snip-

https://thehill.com/homenews/news/357109-poll-dems-have-favorable-view-of-george-w-bush

Perhaps the survey is an outlier, and the one you posted is more recent, but I was disgusted that any Democrat would have an opinion of George W. Bush that isn't negative. Being a nice guy doesn't absolve him of the torture and the needless deaths that happened on his watch.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Bush has positive approvals now with Democrats, IIRC.

Nope!

-snip-

https://thehill.com/homenews/news/357109-poll-dems-have-favorable-view-of-george-w-bush

Perhaps the survey is an outlier, and the one you posted is more recent, but I was disgusted that any Democrat would have an opinion of George W. Bush that isn't negative. Being a nice guy doesn't absolve him of the torture and the needless deaths that happened on his watch.

I mean that's true but George W. Bush being a terrible President doesn't absolve Donald Trump of being a terrible President as well.

Remember: jfern both ragged on Pelosi for not impeaching Bush...and then ragged on her for impeaching Trump TWICE.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'm surprised I didn't mention this until now, but one thing that Greenwald, jfern, and the rest overlook and gets completely ignored is how Rudy Giuliani was both one of Bush's top shills and sycophants in campaigning and was effectively Trump's right-hand man for a period as well.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Oh here's another great point: Trump appointed the same Attorney General as Bush's father.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Oh here's another great point: Trump appointed the same Attorney General as Bush's father.

At least he didn't appoint the same Secretary of Defense who was involved with the Iran contra scandal that Bush and Obama had.