I wonder what the weather is like in Bush’s little bubble

March 30, 2005

There’s Bush’s view of the world…

President Bush insisted Wednesday that public opinion is leaning his way on his proposal for a Social Security overhaul and hinted at political problems for lawmakers who oppose him.

Notwithstanding a host of recent polls showing waning public support for his proposal, Bush cited only the part of the surveys that shows the public is — as it long has been — aware of the program’s long-term fiscal problems.

…and then there’s reality.

A Time survey last week found Bush had 37 percent approval rating on Social Security issues, while 54 percent of respondents disapproved. The numbers were 33 percent approval, 59 percent disapproval in a Newsweek poll conducted at the same time, and the Washington Post placed it at 35 percent to 56 percent.

It makes me wonder, is Bush even aware of his political difficulties? By that I mean, is the president in complete denial or do his handlers only show him the parts of the polls that reinforce what he wants to believe? Or maybe this is some kind of Karl Rove-inspired “inevitability” strategy?

Either way, if the president honestly believes “public opinion is leaning his way” on privatization, it shows an almost-frightening disconnect with reality. It’s not quite as bad as when Bush told reporters (twice) that we invaded Iraq because Saddam Hussein wouldn’t let weapons inspectors into the country, but it’s close.

Makes one wonder if Bush is even allowed access to the internet by his handlers.

  • Why should anyone be surprised? There have been no mistakes made and there are no negative poll numbers. To quote George Will, “got it?”

  • It’s of a piece with the essentially totalitarian mindset that permeates the right these days. “We Never Make Mistakes” was the title of a Solzhenitsyn novel – about the old Soviet Union. They have the requirement of absolute loyalty to the Party, the glorification of whatever party hack was currently top of the heap, the need for total secrecy, the promotion to power based on political reliability rather than merit, and even spreading Lysenkoism.

    We won the cold war and got taken over by a dictatorship anyway.

    OT: Every comment I’ve posted, the security question was the same. Is it just me?

  • I would love to see Bush in a parliamentary setting, where members of the opposition party would have the opportunity to yell at him in person from time to time, just like here in Canada. It might shake him up a little, and help him hear things from persons who aren’t sycophants.

    For the next 4 years I’m trying to laugh at Bush and the republicans, instead of just hating them.

  • I don’t think that Dubya is particularly ignorant or even protected by his handlers. I think he just doesn’t give a damn. He is certain that he already knows everything he needs to.

    The Bush administrations disconnect from even the vaguest notion of impartial reality is far too consistent to be a result of even the most careful source management on the part of his staff. If nothing else, one has to admire the mans strength of conviction — he really believes this stuff and has never been one to let facts get in the way of perception. George Bush is, in a quite literal sense, on a mission from God and operates on the assumption that sometimes you have to cut off a hand to save an arm. He is fighting for the very soul of every American, whether we want him to or not. It’s his friggin’ duty and not open for discussion.

  • I think he knows what’s going on. I think two things are at work in that twisted mind. First, he discards realities that he doesn’t like. Then what’s almost as frightening: his conviction that if he says something enough, people will follow, he’ll turn out to have been right. Maybe because he has enough people around him who strong-arm or use pay-offs to bully others into compliance.

  • Not related…The 11th Circuit just released their opinion. Up until now, they have “assumed” that the bill passed by Congress was constitutional–that they had jurisdiction in the case. Because the Schindler’s and their lawyer had to push it, the Court finally ruled on the constitutionality of the bill. Here are some of the best parts…(this is Judge Birch who is a Bush I appointee and according to my lawyer father “pretty far to the right”)

    In the begining of the opinion the Judge makes reference to “activist judges”…

    “A popular epithet directed by some members of society, including some members of Congress, toward the judiciary involves the denunciaiton of “activist judges” The definition is one who decides the outcome of a controversy before him according to personal conviction, even one sincerely held, as opposed to the dictates of the law as constrained by legal precedent and, ultimately our Constitution”

    Then at the end he comes back to this theme….

    “Should the citizens of Florida determine that its law should be changed, it should be done legislatively. Were the court to change the law, as the petitioners (The Schindler’s) and CONGRESS invite us to do, an “activist judge” criticism would be valid.”

    DONT YOU JUST LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Bush 1 appointee is lashing out saying “you bastards are always calling us ‘activist judges’ and here you are forcing us to be ‘activist judges’ you damn hypocrites!!!!!”

  • I suspect that SS privatization is Bush’s baby and I think he is ignorant. Only an idiot would keep pushing this proposal. I can’t imagine someone as savvy as Rove doing this (although the Man to Mars thing got by someone) … No, I think Bush has decided he knows better than his handlers and he wants to go down in history as the conservative answer to FDR.

    Jesus, this “proposal” is a joke 1) it doesn’t solve the shortfall 2) it creates a crushing amount of debt 3) and it requires a cut in benefits … he must think we’re a nation of retards, which, under the circumstances, is understandable. This nation apparently elected him.

    The other problems notwithstanding, most Americans have a deep distrust of the stock markets … how brazen, for a man who has made insider trades to propose that the entire working class invest in the markets … he knows how that shit works, he know what he is proposing. What an asshole.

  • 2 Friends went to Dave Reichert’s Social Security town hall yesterday. He was one of the first members of Josh Marshall’s ‘Conscience Coalition’. All questions were in writing. No public comment was made. The presenters were from Hastert’s office, and every other extreme GOP type. As a result, the GOP got all the ‘talking points’ from those opposed. These are headed straight to the Think Tanks. The most damning were not addressed. The audience was mixed pro and con, but for the most part jeered, laughed at the senseless statements, and were angry at the panel’s dismissal of their concerns. All the same, they managed to win over one friend of mine who said he thought they were sincere in their belief that privatization will be a wonderful thing. I pointed out that these people are trained at projecting sincerity. The ones who are not are retrained. Adolph Hitler was a miserable speaker. He was given lessons from the best. The Republicans on the panel are put through the best training. Only the most convincing are put in the public eye. They’re getting better. Don’t dismiss them. There is a lot to be said for persistence. And, at the same time they’re doing this social programs are being cut and laws enacted to remove most environmental protections. Social Security and Terry Schiavo are smoke screens and beginning salvoes at the same time. After crunching the GAO offices audit and the Trustees Audit – don’t remember which was the greatest eyestrain, I’ve come to the conclusion that the only likely outcome is bankrupting the Federal Government. Adding $5 Trillion dollars debt over the next 25 years, and ignoring the immediate peril from Medicare, Medicaid + Drug Benefit, Military expenses, Homeland Security, and the combination of Tax Cuts, Tax Elimination, and the balance of trade. We’re in for a bumpy ride unless privatization is stopped and critical budget issues addressed.

  • Eli, that was not the court ruling on the constitutionality of the Save Terri Law — it was just one judge’s concurring opinion. One judge.

  • A-train: According to the New York Times, Social Security Privatization is Bush’s #1 agenda item. He’s put Rove in charge of it full time. They’re taking out Republicans with a conscience one at a time, evidence Dave Reichert. I’ve heard lots of debate about whether Bush is stupid or not stupid. After reading most of them I’m of the conclusion that he’s not stupid. What matters most is that the administration is filled with people who are extreme in their beliefs and skilled in the methods of big corporations – marketing, and strategy. They have the same scruples, thus making them seem both unbelievable to any thinking person and heartless at the same time. They are not revealing their real intentions. Bill Moyers had an interesting article in the New York Times Review of Books on March 24th. The most significant point was the number of GOP representatives that have 80%-100% approval from the Christian Coalition. Since Karl Rove was the Legislative Director for the Christian Coalition before working for Mc Cain and Bush, this extreme Christian group is in the White House and aimed at Social Security, and other programs they think are ‘socialist’. They’re careful never to say that, but that’s the underlying belief. Don’t be suprised if they succeed, and work to make sure they don’t. It is possible to show that they are vulnerable. Then it will be easier to take them on.

  • This is their MO, and they’ve outright admitted it. They first lie out their ass, and then hope that by repeating it, with enough media coverage, the lie gets accepted as reality, or at least as a possiblity in a “he said she said” matchup against the truth.

    Classic Bush, classic Rove. It’s not a bubble, it’s deliberate “faith-based” denial of reality– hoping that, through the magic of the Corporate Media Echo Chamber, the article of faith will be accepted as truth.

  • I’ve heard lots of debate about whether Bush is stupid or not stupid.

    Although it would be nice to know, it really doesn’t matter. Whether he is fiendishly clever or as dumb as a bag of hammers the policy we get is the same … D Pecan I will have to check out those articles, it’s hard to believe that Rove thinks he can privatize SS. But you know what they say, pride before the fall …

  • It is an M.O. As an example. Do you know how you build an airport?
    You talk about expanding the old one, everyone complains.
    You propose a new site, everyone complains.
    You do an environmental assessment, they yell save the eagles!
    You purchase the land, they cry, not there!
    You hold public meetings, they write letters to the newspaper, show up at the meeting and grumble.
    You release the proposed layout and a few protest.
    You promise to protect an early settler graveyard, they say thats good!
    You’ve got an airport!
    Time wears out the opposition.
    BushCo is using the same strategy, talk and distract. with enough time everyone gets tired of hearing about it and assumes it is inevitable.
    I just hope he doesn’t have enough time!

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