Rating: 
Summary: Timely Display of a Great President
Review: This book was superb. It was informative, and elucidated scores of facts with respect to George W. Bush. The information was irrefutable, and the book is absolutely devastating to Bush-haters. I was delighted to finally see someone step up to the plate and dispell the "Crazy Liberal Ideas", one-by-one. Podhoretz also manages to maintain a light-hearted, funny tone, throughout the book. A truly relevant book now, with the election under way - Kerry VS Bush. This book is book is essential for understanding George W. Bush - a disciplined, strong, compassionate man, who continues to lead America in the right direction.
Rating: 
Summary: I finally learned something about The Pretendadent
Review: Yup. It's true. I learned something from this book about Our Beloved Pretendadent.I've learned he's so pathetic not even apologists like Podhoretz and his alter ego Ann Coulter (yes, they're the same person) can make him look like anything other than an incompetent brain dead loser. Not to Barbara: When did you drop l'il Georgie on his head and why didn't you tell us?
Rating:
Summary: Flag-waving nonsense.
Review: Mr. Podhoretz takes several dozen false premises, then uses these narrow-minded half-truths as a basis for his book. In particular, the book exhibits the narrow-minded, xenophobic thinking that is prevelant in the United States today. Mr. Podhoretz's lack of understanding of anything beyond the borders of his own country makes for a laugh-out-loud read (I'm assuming this wasn't his intention... if it was, then this book deserves 5 stars as one of the best parodies of American idiocy around). Books like these scare me. The "hurray for us, let's wave a flag" genre does nothing to improve the image of the United States at a time when it's image is one of war-mongering, self-serving, ignorance. The author fails to see the potential long-term effects of Bush's foreign policy. In fact, the author seems largely unaware of what Bush's foreign policy is, and how it negatively impacts people world-wide. Undoubtably, a future American president will be forced to clean up the political mess Bush has left in his wake on the world stage. Such criticisms are largely ignored, or glossed over as unimportant and inconsequential. The bottom line is that this book is little more than flag-waving political nonsense.
Rating:
Summary: Other Podhoretz Titles You Will Enjoy
Review: 1. BONDS COUNTRY -- How Barry Bonds Bulked Up Eating Fruits and Vegetables and Getting Plenty of Rest -- and Became A Great Home Run Hitter (And Drove Roger Maris Fans INSANE.) 2. MICHAEL JACKSON COUNTRY -- How Michael Jackson became a Great Dad and Early Childhood Authority (and Drove The Santa Barbara DA INSANE.) 3. LIMBAUGH COUNTRY - How Rush Limbaugh Became A Crusader Against Draconian Drug Laws And A Stalwart For Civil Liberties (and drove the Palm Beach DA INSANE) 4. BILL BENNETT COUNTRY - How Bill Bennett Lost Millions of Dollars Playing The Slots (and became even more of a moral paragon for the zany right wing) -- and drove his bookies INSANE! 5. NEWT GINGRICH COUNTRY - How Newt Gingrich Brought Family Values Back to America --and Drove His ex-wife, her cancer surgeon and divorce attorneys INSANE! 6. SCOTT PETERSON COUNTRY - How Scott Peterson Became A Great Family Man (And Made The Tabloid Media INSANE!)
Rating:
Summary: It's Called Spin Doctoring.
Review: OK, I saw this chubby buffoon on cable TV claiming that Bush was a great, great president, better than Reagan, and was curious about this book. I voted for Bush (although I now regret it.) It should be said up front, I am a fiscal and social conservative, determinedly against big government, high taxes, military adventurism, nation building, etc., (all the stuff Bush claimed to be for in the run up to election 2000). But I was ashamed of the way the election played out (I know, heresy! to expect fair play from our national leaders. But I tell my kids to play fair and I was dismayed in the extreme when I had to explain to them how the GOP was able to prevail in Florida. I can hear the chorus of indignation "He must be a faker! How can he be a Republican and not defend Bush in Florida!?" I am a Republican, but I also believe in honesty. You neo conservatives should try it sometime. It's good for the soul....) Anyway, back to the book. I was curious about it because I have been very disappointed in this president. I wanted to hear a case for him from someone other than the shrill propagandists on the right (Limbaugh, Hannity, etc.) I have an open mind. What I got from this book, however, was pure, cynical spin. The author claims Bush is a great president, that his liberal opponents have blackened his name, on and on. OK, I agree with the author that Bush is not a stupid man. He graduated from Harvard Business School and so on. But this is not the point. JFK was a bright man, as was Clinton. Both surrounded themselves with the best and the brightest -- and failed as presidents. A man's intelligence is not the issue, but character is -- and here, the author is nothing short of dishonest. The problem with this book is it erects straw men, then knocks them down and gloats triumphantly, see? No one said Bush was stupid (no one with any credibility, anyway.) But a lot of people have said that Bush is corrupt (see Paul O'Neill's Price of Loyalty, or Kevin Phillips' new book on the Bush legacy. And these are not liberals, but card carrying American patriots, Republicans both.) A lot of people have critized Bush for his family's ties to the Bin Laden family and his thick entanglments in the politics of oil. A lot of people have criticized Bush for his ties to Enron and his advocacy of crony capitalism -- what's good for Halliburton is not necessarily what;s good for the rest of us, Mr. Bush. His contempt for the Constitution. His unwillingness to cooperate with the 9-11 commission. His ignoring the warnings of Sandy Berger, of the Hart Rudman commissions warnings about terrorism and the dangers of Al Qaida, until it was too late. His disastrous handling of foreign policy, abrogating 50 years of alliances. His messianic religiosity (I would think Mr Podhoretz, a Jew, would be troubled by Mr. Bush's conviction that God is speaking to him daily, and his desire to blur the lines between church and state. None of this Mr. POdhoretz deals with. What he does instead is spin doctor, tenderly caressing the boots of power as if it takes great courage to suck up to the Bush family! -- and this should be embarrassing to anyone who knows what true conservatism means. History will judge this president, not Mr Podhoretz and the other lickspittles in the neoconservative elite. In the end, he will go down neck and neck with his kinsman, Franklin Pierce (who also had his sycophants and toadies) as one of the worst presidents in our history (remember the Kansas Nebraska act, which ushered in the Civil War? Think about it --). In short, this is a silly book by a cynical and intellectually bankrupt individual. Save your money -- or better yet, buy my copy!
Rating:
Summary: Bush, the Leader
Review: Anyone that knows what he/she's looking at knows the kind of man President Bush is. And that is sincere and honest. Thanks to Mr. Podhoretz, we know this to be even more true.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Logical Arguments!
Review: As a conservative, even I was frankly surprised by what this president's accomplished. I have always liked his informal, plain spoken persona, but must admit that he's far exceeded my expectations. As for the immature reviews (ramblings) of the "anti-Bush" crowd, you'll notice that not one of them includes any true rebuttal to the book. You get the bitter, maniacal, vitriolic ranting, sure - but has anyone taken on even one of Podhoretz's arguments, and tried to refute it? No. Oops - sorry, actually one person did - and it was an excellent point, with regard to Bush's spending. However, the person making that point was not one of the bitter liberals - but a conservative giving an honest review of the book. As a conservative, I totally agree that Bush's spending has not been fiscally responsible, and was disappointed to see that point glossed over by this book. That aside, I really enjoyed reading the "laser-like" dismantling of the "liberal elite's" criticisms/arguments. Perhaps "Embarassed to be a Republican", was embarassed about not realizing what the conservative platform actually is.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book. Proud of President Bush
Review: John Podhoretz makes a cogent, appealing argument in favor of and in defense of President George W. Bush and his administration. It is well-written and argued, as are Mr. Podhoretz's weekly columns, and an easy read -- it is not a book heavy with minute details, but gives a great summary of Mr. Bush's character and leadership style. This book provides supporters of President Bush a needed diversion from four months of non-stop uncritical media coverage of the Democratic presidential race and their presumptive liberal nominee, John "French" Kerry. ...
Rating:
Summary: Proud Republican, Proud of Bush
Review: "Bush Country" codifies all of the reasons why I voted for GW BUsh and, more importantly, why he should be elected. Podhoretz says that the first 3 years of the Bush Presidency has been one of the most consequnetial in history. Not one negative review has attempted to rebut that. Read this book. Be informed!
Rating:
Summary: Embarrassed to be a Republican
Review: As a long-time Republican and an ethical Christian, I do not think I fall naturally into the "liberal" label category. I think it is absolutely shameful, however, what is happening to the Republican party. I think it is equally shameful that defenders of this neo-conservative movement (such as John Podhoretz, Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Hannity, and so many others) will brand anyone who dares ask questions or "challenge the authority" of the current administration in Washington as "liberal" and to imply that they are somehow anti-American and unpatriotic. I voted for Bush in 2000, and since I am one of the members of our voting republic that appointed him to his present position, I feel I have every right to call him to task for the manner in which he has managed this country. I own my own business, and I can tell you for a fact that I am most certainly NOT better off now than I was three years ago. Nor are most Americans. During his term in office, Bush has made many domestic and foreign policy decisions that have really hurt the majority of working class Americans in this country. I will not go into detail about the many really bad decisions he has made--one can find a wealth of information regarding those decisions and their consequences and implications quite readily. What I will say, though, is that if I hired someone to run my company and they took that position and used it for their own personal gain--to the detriment of their employer, the other employees, and the company as a whole--I would certainly call this person to task for the way they mismanaged the resources they were entrusted with. Discouraging rational debate over VERY REAL and honest concerns the majority of ALL Americans have right now (not just "liberals") is not only irresponsible, it is probably the best example of anti-American, unpatriotic behavior I could imagine. "Me think thou doth protest too much," Mr. Podhoretz. America was founded on the principles of democracy and open debate. Ad hominem attacks against anyone who may see things differently than you do is a really poor use of your first ammendment rights, but thank the framers of the Constitution that you do, at least, have them. If you really consider yourself a Republican, a Conservative, or a Christian - I strongly encourage you to do your own research. Books like this are designed for one purpose - to put your mind at ease. To make you complacent. I am afraid to report, however, that our party has been hijacked, and its true agenda can be discerned not by the words our leaders speak, but by the actions that they take. There is a real and legitimate reason for average Americans to be concerned about what is happening to our country right now. Do not be afraid of asking questions and finding REAL answers. It doesn't make you a liberal to want to know the truth. It doesn't make you unpatriotic demand answers from the people you have elected. And it doesn't make you anti-American because you're concerned about rising deficits, pre-emptive war, job loss, and environmental issues. It's okay to be concerned. It's okay to ask questions. And if you don't like what you find, it's okay to not vote Republican. For the first time in a long time, I won't.
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