Bush Country : How Dubya Became a Great President While Driving Liberals Insane

Rating:
Summary: this book is a joke
Review: The only people who will enjoy this book are the same right-wingers that listen to O'Reilly and Hannity and think they are truthful and moral. It's too bad the conservative media (like Fox) has preyed so effectively on the ignorance of so many.

Rating:
Summary: UNHOLY LIBERALS: BOW DOWN BEFORE YOUR MASTER GW BUSH, NOW!!!
Review:
Podhoretz's book is admirable because it aims to corrosively disprove derisive liberals with their ultimate Achilles' Heel: incontrovertible fact which they've no defense against--it's sorrowful that Podhoretz misjudged to approach this flawless prospect with such mediocrity. There are EASILY many other conservative/pro-Bush books available that correlate with Podhoretz's aim, only succeeding a lot better. Podhoretz's adversity stems from some derisiveness in presuming he's exorbitantly witty that he can effortlessly compose interesting rebuttals to arch-villain liberals' charges against Bush. Podhoretz's suppositionally refuting contestations are more on the elementary scale, with foundations that are apparent to even the most novice of news-watchers. Nonetheless, the book's later stages, specifically regarding AIDS money, Patriot Act, and the War on Terror, impinge on more analytically convincing arguments.

When Podhoretz supposedly debunks a hopelessly errant liberals' blasphemies, his debunking is constricted more to his opinion or some sarcasm or ridicule of the liberal in scrutiny, rather than point-by-point disestablishment. For instance, when Podhoretz challenges the NYT's mentally ill Krugman concerning Krugman's iniquitous complaining that the Bush Admin. wasn't spending enough federal dollars on post-911 NY, Podhoretz cites this is due to local politicians' complaints, who'd rather want the federal government to subsidize them than spend their own funds--without providing basis. This is also flimsy evidence as part of Podhoretz's material, on top of Podhoretz's mockery of Krugman for living in NJ as a rebuttal after citing Krugman's envy of federal money being distributed equally among states rather than just urban areas.

Other instances, Podhoretz simply resorts to the most glaring of translucent facts that anyone with just the slightest exposure would be aware of to cheaply debunk his liberal fiends. In example, in recalling Bush's across-the-board tax cuts not for the wealthy, Podhoretz self-evidently mentions the fact that child tax credits and a reduction in the marriage penalty both amount to middle class tax cuts. Anyone who's been following economics for the past year realizes that. Still other times include Podhoretz pointing out the most defamatorily obvious facts to liberals' horrifically insane charges, charges that don't even justify dignity, in some cases. Referencing liberal taints that Bush is solely a puppet being manipulated by the "hawks" or Cheney because he's so "stupid", Podhoretz goes to the nuisance of actually explaining how nauseously insane that is because of how inconstant and contradictory liberals' accusations are. Ergo, liberals smear that Bush is a puppet for oil companies, Jews and neoconservatives--all tarnishes which are racist, conspiracy theorist and speculative, which disqualify themselves out of their own contemptibility.

Podhoretz's intended points sometimes crumble into questionable effects. Where he's revisiting the Bush family's interplays, Podhoretz stumbles onto some unintelligible conclusions. He compares GW Bush's upbringing as similar to Gore's--both attended preppy schools--to qualify that GW had a tougher time than his father who was an oil entrepreneur in convincing people of his commonness, which goes without saying!!!! Similarly, Podhoretz postulates Bush realized there was something amiss with liberal derision mentality when a Yale chaplain derogated his father's name to his face. Complementary, Podhoretz' remarks Bush was living in his dad's shadow to the effect of rejecting to chose career moves different from him, and as a result of fear, quit drinking since it may've reflected on his father--both of which don't need explaining. Still, Podhoretz stoops to unverifiable speculation in Bush's and his dad's relationship--certain friction--unfoundedly based on suffocative blurbs each has said previously. Podhoretz also points out the obvious when gratingly explaining that GW learnt from his dad's unsatisfactory reelection campaign--namely, to disallow your opponent to define you and to keep campaign promises. These stimuli's impact is thoroughly apparent without Podhoretz's nauseous translations.

Podhoretz strives to affectedly praise Bush; while nothing's amiss there, his reasoning's doubtful. He compares Bush to Shakespeare's Prince Hal because some vermin in the liberal media have done so--derogative more than flatteringly redemptive to Bush, since that analogy imposes Bush didn't accomplish anything before 9/11 "turned him around", which is betrayed by his MBA degree and Texas Rangers' revitalization. Podhoretz complements by attempting to psychoanalyze great/not-so-great figures' offspring--where his conclusions aren't substantiated other than by his prejudices. He unfoundedly supposes that not-so-great figures' offspring have the same or possibly even harder adversity to surpass their paterfamilias, but his reasoning's mistrustful.

Podhoretz succeeds when describing Bush's AIDS initiative, where he circumvented the UN's inefficiently disorganized aid-distribution--from an initial, largest contribution of $1000000000 over five years--to administer the "rifle-shot" approach of spending $15000000000 on the fourteen hardest-hit African/Caribbean countries, the most expensive international public-health plan ever. Bush invoked this charity with the parable of the Good Samaritan to subtly intimidate his friends on the Religious Right who he'd know would understand the suggestion: let America be the Good Samaritan or face the ignominy of indifference to a problem, like the Levite. Podhoretz believably crushes liberal's scaring accusations about the Patriot Act, specifically that it can be misused to procure persons' records in terror investigations, although 215 hasn't been invoked, nor does it allow law enforcement to seize records without judicial approval. When pontificating the War on Terror, Podhoretz submits insightful rationale as to why militant Islam prevaricates two "different" forms--religious-extremist and secular-nationalist--which are compatible because of their goal of antagonizing America.

Despite Podhoretz's amateurish mistreatments, perhaps half the book's likeable--approaching the end--starting with his pinpoint detail of Bush's post-9/11 reactions both administratively and compassionately. He bothers himself to highlight Bush's concern for American Muslims. He movingly portrays Bush as a president unconventionally challenged to not have the luxury to distress over paltrier issues like children's literacy or drug benefits because terrorism shockingly eclipsed all. Podhoretz admiringly recounts how Bush profoundly grasped that America had to prosecute terrorists preemptively to prevent America from becoming a treacherous place of lockdown against its founding freedoms.




Rating:
Summary: all Bill's fault
Review: John Podhoretz's book, BUSH COUNTRY, does what most authors and pundits have failed to do during the past 4 years: lay the blame for many of the travails of Bush43 squarely on Bill Clinton. Now this is not the core of the book, but it is a feature that makes his analysis of the first Bush43 term different. He organizes the book around a set of lies concocted by the DEMs all aimed at Dubya.
He is a moron, puppet, fanatic, cowboy, and above all, a liar.
He is Hitler-like; is failing to protect the Homeland and is
bankrupting the country.
The simple fact that he is NONE of these simply drives the DEMs crazy. Hence the sub-title: "How Dubya became a great president while driving the liberals insane."
Podhoretz alternately lays out the liberal's view of Bush43, then debunks each of the above accusations. Along the way he offers a few interesting insights.

In contrast to Bill's largest tax increase in American history, 43's tax cuts plan takes a backseat to JFK's in 1962 and RR's in '81.

In the puppet category, JP points out that while making the claim, the DEMs just can't quite pin down who the puppet master is: Rove, Cheney, Big Oil or "the Jews"! One set of liberal authors hurl the worst epithet that they can think of at Rove; accusing him of being the "co-president"!

In the category of fanatics, JP places the larger circle of Bush-haters led by TIME's Joe Klein.

We are informed that at the outset of his presidency Bush directed his staff to distance themselves from "the moral and ethical troubles of his predecessor." JP attributes to Bush the statement: "I have no stake in the bitter arguments of the past few years." As a result, Bill and his cohort have largely been given a free ride. Rumor has it that while Dubya stood on the Capitol steps in JAN 2001, a cleaning crew was scrubbing the Oval Office clean of `all things Clinton'. It is as if they never existed and are not to be spoken of in polite company.

Although the greater number of "issues" that Dubya has had to deal with are derived from "the 90s" and many directly attributable to Bill (SSA, UBL, the recession, an enfeebled military, ENRON), Dubya rarely utters his name much less offering criticism. It is simply by enumerating these issues that JP lays the blame on Bill.

STOP HILLARY in 2008!


Rating:
Summary: Mediocre Book on a Mediocre President
Review: Bush has done very little outside of this war which itself is becoming more and more questionable. The election should have been a shoo-in for a republican president during war time, but instead he was very close to losing it to the "most liberal Senator". His approval rating during most of his presidency has been anything but Great because he is so divisive and not too intelligent.
This book is not very well written and is another example of an author telling you what to think and feel. It is at best a mediocre book about a mediocre president.

Rating:
Summary: TAKE THAT, LEFTIES!
Review: In his new book, "Bush Country: How Dubya Became a Great President While Driving Liberals Insane," widely acclaimed New York Post columnist John Podheretz uses this story to hammer away at the common liberal misconception that this man who learned to fly a complicated and dangerous piece of machinery - the F-102 fighter - was rated as a superior pilot, got an MBA, ran a Major League Baseball team and made millions for his partners, and won two terms as governor of Texas is really quite stupid.

Podheretz demolishes this Bush-is-a-moron myth, which he calls "Crazy Liberal Idea #1," and goes on to dismember seven other Crazy Liberal Ideas, doing so with a razor-sharp wit and driving his points home with the obvious relish that comes from skewering a very skewerable left.

George W. Bush, he writes, came into office believing he was put on Earth to do two things: to lead the United States into the third millenium with all its terrifying challenges and wondrous opportunities, and to drive liberals insane.

Bush, he adds, "is succeeding brilliantly at both."

His claim that Bush is one of the nation's greatest presidents is bound to drive liberals mad, but he lays out a stunning profusion of the president's accomplishments as proof of his contention.

In just three years, Bush has led the nation into two wars, ousted two of the world's most barbaric regimes, redirected U.S. foreign policy to confront the threat of rogue states possessing weapons of mass destruction, daringly embarked on a campaign to introduce democracy into the Middle East, and reconstructed both the military and the executive branch of government.

Moreover, as Podheretz notes, he shoved two huge tax cuts down the throats of a Congress that traditionally has preferred to spend the people's money rather than permit then to spend it themselves, and in the process revived an economy that began to slump at the end of the Clinton administration.

Podheretz also reminds us that Democrats automatically label Republican presidents as dunces - Ike and Reagan especially were seen by the chatterers as less than bright.

He is unrelenting in demolishing those Crazy Liberal Ideas. He shows how asinine is idea #2 - that Bush is a puppet - and demonstrates convincingly that Bush is his own man.

What really controls W, in Podheretz's view, is a determination to put America back on the road to the shining city on the hill paved by Ronald Reagan. The author devotes a chapter to showing how W has worked to bring back Reaganism and explains that the two presidents have much in common.

Fantastic book!

Rating:
Summary: If John Podhoretz had his way
Review: ...there'd be framed portraits of Trotsky and Bush in every classroom. According to the electoral map, the political vision of his father, Norman, and Irving Kristol has at last been realized. "Red states," indeed!

Rating:
Summary: Total crap
Review: The rantings of a neoconservative apologist for President Bush. Total crap...skip it and try to find more objective research on the Bush presidency.

Rating:
Summary: I love Bush-and this book!!! :)
Review: This is a great book! It dismisses 8 crazy liberal ideas about Bush, and it also gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in the White House.

It spotlights the facts that he is a great Christian leader!!

Rating:
Summary: A few comments
Review: I admit to being fairly apolitical, having given up on following it pretty much in disgust about 20 years ago. So I make no great claims when it comes to having much in the way of political acumen. On the other hand, I do know about economics, so I was interested to read any of the author's comments about Bush's economic vision for the future, or even something about the Bush family's financial empire and their many and varied connections to big business and the military, and what that has meant for the country for the last several decades.

Well, there wasn't much of that in this book, but I still found it useful for what issues it does discuss. Still, I discovered that books about political personages (and even the president of the United States) and poitical topics aren't really my thing. I suppose I should try to be a better citizen and be better informed on the subject, but I just prefer reading up on economics and also the physical and biological sciences.

Oh well, what can I say. Perhaps that makes me a poor citizen, but as I said, at least I'm well-read and well-informed on the economic issues, which is more than you can say for most Americans, who simply accept the pronouncements of the politicians about the economy when they don't know anymore than their contituents do. So I thought I'd at least leave you with a few comments about that in regard to some of the present economic issues that I think everyone should be concerned about, especially the recent tax cut. This tax cut was much trumpeted by the current administration and reported on in the press as a much needed financial and economic stimiulus to continue encouraging the nascent economic recovery here in the U.S.

But was that really the case?

Unfortunately the history of tax cuts is that they are usually the last economic stimulus to be applied during an economic downturn, and by then the economy is already recovering, and the tax cut has the effect of spurring inflation more than it does revenues. This was true of almost all the tax cuts in the U.S. in the 20th century, and will likely be the case in the 21st if past history is any indication.

A recent research study also revisited this issue, I think it was by the Federal Reserve, if I remember right, who I trust more than your typical republican or democratic party ideologue, and it came to the same conclusion as when I was studying economics many years ago.

Anyway, it's not that the idea is a bad one, it's just that with the squabbling politicians we have running this country, they argue about the tax cut or it gets delayed for other reasons until it's so late that it's actually not needed as an economic stimulus and it would be better to withold it and use the money for something else. But that's what happens when you have people who are economic simpletons running the country.

There's more to the problem also, but I don't want to get too technical, such as the fact that a misapplied tax cut actually causes a nonlinearly accelerating inflation curve, since in an economy as large and powerful as the U.S., once inflation gets going it's about five times harder to stop as it is in a small country, since it's like trying to turn a battleship around. Basically this means that an incorrectly applied tax cut is worse than not having one at all, but unfortunately, that's how most of them have worked out. But as I don't want to get too deep into the economics, I'll leave it at that.

But just remember that the simplistic, naive, sugar-coated economics that both republicans and democrats try to foist on the economically illiterate and uneducated American public is usually almost complete nonsense. The only defense against this is for the public to become economically literate themselves (which seems an unlikely eventuality).

Well, I apologize for making the review more about my own comments than the book itself, but actually, from reading the other reviews here, which seem to be either from Bush-haters or supporters and so are basically saying nothing new and preaching to the choir, at least my comments are a non-partisan and more objective consideration of the economic issues, and perhaps you'll find them useful for that.

Rating:
Summary: Nice Read for this Election Year!
Review: George W. Bush is a man for his time, and will go down in all-time as a great President-regardless of the outcome of the 2004 election. John Podhoretz's account of Bush the Younger's presidency provides a compelling read for this election season. I recommend it.

For one thing, the organization of the book is great. Eight solid chapters are each accompanied by sub-chapters that address the most crazy and foolish left-wing ideas about our President, with a summary chapter closing it up. Podhoretz does a splendid job in dismantling the ridiculous (and conflicting) claims that our energetic executive is a mere moron, puppet, fanatic, etc., etc., etc. Over the last year I've also seen plenty of left-wingers in downtown Seattle waving signs comparing our President to Hitler. Not only is there a new generation of Lyndon LaRouche supporters to supplant the old guys with long beards outside post offices (the new guys go to the post offices, too), but the LaRouche message is all but identical to the many of our most whacked-out college professors and those Dean-dongs-turned-Kerry-supporters.

This reviewer was once an ardent Democrat who voted for Democrats. I was fortunate to make the change in my early 20s and am now spending my mid-20s doing what I can to re-elect the man who will do the most for our nations' security. I am tired of the "blame America first" stuff and our country demands a strong leader who will protect us from terrorism. As Podhoretz shows, we have such a leader in George W. Bush.

Particularly important is Podhoretz's overview of President Bush's strategy against terrorism. He highlights our President's resolve to bring the battle to the terrorists-right to where they are. To make our last line of defense a more rigorous system of port scanning is not only logistically and economically impossible, but leaves us vulnerable and gives the terrorists valuable time to make their advances. Podhoretz discusses some of the major foreign policy speeches where our Commander-in-Chief lays out the case for aggressive action against terrorism and asserts the importance of American self-determination.

Very enjoyable is Podhoretz's account of the almost lighting-quick rise of George W. Bush, right up to the highest office of the land. His climb to the top was certainly remarkable. Podhoretz asserts that the man who ran for the White House in 2000 became a different kind of leader and rose to the challenges that the new, post 9/11 world presents.

Podhoretz also gives credit to President Bush for the strong leader and stellar politician that he is. One of the reasons the "loony left" dislikes the President is because he has been so effective at achieving results. While the President's foreign policy achievements are the most remarkable, he has also successfully landed a series of domestic policy victories-including some crucial tax cuts.

Another reason many on the left despise our President is because of his faith. Podhoretz does an excellent job in discussing this issue, demonstrating that while the President's faith is a source of strength, the President has always been guided in his policy decisions by the oath he swore to the Constitution and the best-interests of our nation.

Podhoretz is a former speech-writer and a reporter, so the writing is solid and the book has great flow. Keep in mind the timeliness of this book and our elections--if you're going get it, I suggest you do so now!