Why this Progressive will miss George W. Bush

Although it’s true that, NOW, I’m an inconsolable political junkie and irretrievably maddened news consumer who throws his shoe at TV political pundits with a regularity that almost kept Circuit City in business, the fact is that I haven’t been politically aware for very long. My passion for politics is a flame that’s been burning extra hot since it was first ignited sometime during the 2000 general election.

For all practical purposes, I was politically virginal. George Bush popped my cherry.”

Sure, I voted for Clinton. Twice. But, other than that, I didn’t pay much attention. I guess I started paying a little bit of attention during the whole Monika Lewinsky dust-up; I remember being profoundly irritated that Republicans made such a poop over it when Congress should have had better things to do. Around the time of the 2000 primary I was much more defined by my atheism than I am now and, as such, was particularly impressed by Bill Bradley’s refusal to discuss religion on the campaign trail, so I supported Bradley until he pulled out and then figured I’d vote for Gore. For all practical purposes, I was politically virginal.

George Bush popped my cherry. I started paying attention to this guy and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I learned the issues and Bush’s positions on them. Even my amateur, freshly-political mind could recognize his lies. Even I could tell he was just telling people what they wanted to hear. Even I knew he wasn’t the gosh-darn likeable guy people seemed to think he was. I began to realize that I did in fact have strong political ideals, and that this guy went against every single one of them. George Bush represented everything wrong and unjust in this country and was lying to convince people otherwise. And it was working. I’m not sure what it was specifically, or when the moment happened, exactly, but a new kind of horror descended upon me like none I’d ever felt before. “You mean this imbecile could actually become President?”

A politico had been born. For me there would be no turning back. Ever.

 I watched him debate Gore three times, and lose all three times. In my mind it wasn’t even close, but the media… oh, the media! They declared tie after tie. Gore had sighed and rolled his eyes. “Of course he did! Bush is a moron!” I yelled at the TV – the first time ever in my life caring enough about what I saw on that screen to scream at it.

TV pundits asked who we would rather have a beer with and it instantly became an issue, “George Bush is the kind of guy you’d want to have a beer with!”

I’m not sure what it was specifically, or when the moment happened, exactly, but a new kind of horror descended upon me like none I’d ever felt before.”

During the recount I went to work grumpy every day. My boss was always angry with me for reading news online instead of, well, working. It didn’t matter. I snuck peeks at the internet when no one was looking. I was outraged by the transparent and cavalier way politically-appointed officials would order the recount to stop. The Supreme Court, evenly-divided. Almost.

Almost immediately after Bush was sworn in, I discovered news media that wasn’t mainstream media. I learned truths about the Bush Administration that wasn’t being reported in “the news”, and long before the rest of the world caught up. I was horrified by everything he did. The environment. Civil liberties. Tax cuts for millionaires…

The missile shield. That damned, god-forsaken missile shield. This object of his affection which represented his “revamping” of national security, and held his attention to the exclusion of…

Boom.

Never has anyone used such a tragedy so opportunistically. He was shameless. I will go to my grave calling him The Propaganda President. Condi said, “mushroom cloud” and, while Democrats quivered in their boots, we went to war. As America experienced, “Shock and Awe”, I pulled my hair out.

When I could take it no more, I started a blog so I could rant and vent and let it all out so my friends and family could just stand to be around me. It was then I realized I could write, and that the world of politics gave me endless inspiration to do so. Not only had I discovered a passion, but it improved me.

Bush lied, messed up the country and put the interests of big business over anything and everything and, with my blog, I had a vehicle with which to tell more than just my friends and family exactly what I thought about it all. Yep. George W. Bush and his administration kept me busy for quite some time.

And the bastard got re-elected. The man who was allowed to dodge military service with preferential treatment stood by while scoundrels lied about the war hero, John Kerry. John Edwards, who had always been my choice for President anyway, spoke first with a concession speech of his own, and on the morning of November 3rd, 2004, I watched a blurry John Edwards tell me not to give up on my beliefs, as tears rolled down my face.

You don’t experience eight years as vividly and passionately as I did and forget the man who introduced you to that passion. This passion ran so deep, in fact, that I left my home and career to come to Washington to try and get involved in whatever way I could.

George Bush threw a switch inside me that changed the course of my life. He changed me fundamentally. Because of him, I became someone new. Because of him I found my passion and my calling.

Indeed, Obama gives me hope. His opponents will make me as angry as the Bush Administration always did, and that’ll keep my fire burning for sure, and well into the future.

But ole’ number 43 will always hold a special place in my heart. George W. Bush will always be my first love, that I loved to hate.