Judging what the people think based on what appears in the media (ESPECIALLY the N&R) is like judging an entire bushel of apples by what can be seen on top.

Verna,

Your "silent majority" needs to get up off its ass and do something about our President's poll numbers, too- they're lower than Nixon's during Watergate- or else you will be roundly trounced in the voting booth.

MrWatkins: your thought is exactly what the writer is talking about. Bush does not worry about polls and media spin, he does what he thinks is right.

Bush is not perfect, no president ever has been, but I'm glad he doesn't base his decisions on the latest poll or front page article.

There is a silent majority out there, but they understand media bias and appear at the ballot boxes every 2-4 years.

Forgot to mention your statement about Bush getting his poll numbers up or we will be roundly trounced at the voting booth Mrwatkins. Just in case you are unaware of term limits, Bush will not be running in ' 08 :)

Dan; thank god above that GWB is not running in 2008!

Ms. Shuford; is that the same "liberal press" that gave Ronald Reagan a 2 week funeral?

Sure it is wayneleeray. They love to celebrate when a Republican dies.

That was a joke (or at least I hope it is).

I think George Bush made a huge mistake last night promising to rebuild New Orleans. Either the damage isn't as bad as has been reported, or President is off his rocker. To rebuild New Orleans is just plain stupid and we will be paying for it out of OUR pockets. Then what happens 5 years down the road when the next hurricane drifts that way. We do it all again.

Verna,

Your imlication about the "silent majority"...

Mr. Ott, have you heard about the "silent majority"?

The silent majority study the issues, separate fact from fiction and express their opinion at the voting booth, not in the media.

...is that they then conclude that GWB is in the right.

That is not always the case. Sometimes we/they decide the opposite.

But..Ms. Shuford, Bush IS a bad president. He's darned near bankrupted our country [from a surplus from the last election] he's got us into an unwinnable war based on fabrication and lies, he's breached the separation of church and state that our wise founding fathers made sure was there, he's appointed unqualified political hacks [Michael Brown] to positions that affect the well being of our country...oh I could go on but why? Ask yourself the question from a previous election: "Are we better off now than we were [6] years ago?" Nope and it's gonna get worse before it gets better. My advice to you is to THINK and REMEMBER.

The sheep who choose to believe that the media have a liberal bias are exactly the people who should "study the issues" and "separate fact from fiction". Until this hurricane, the media have essentially given Bush a five-year free pass. In the weeks before and after the completely unnecessary and deadly war in Iraq, you heard no actual debate in the media. Only fringe people like Michael Moore and Janeanne Garofolo who the right could easily marginalize.

In the months before the re-election, I never once saw anyone in the media take him to task for failing on every single campaign promise from the first election. Who remembers "compassionate conservative" (Bush is neither), "No child left behind" (not even close to true), "A uniter not a divider" (Has the country ever been so divided? Who would have thought that even the worst hurricane in US history would have been a partisan issue?)

Now the media has seen first hand what the federal government has (not) done, and people have died because of it. So once again, they become the liberal media. If you insist on only getting your "facts" from the right, pay less attention to Pat Robertson and more to Pat Buchannan, who said about eight years ago that there is no more liberal bias. That claim is used by the right to discredit media reports whenever convenient.

More blind Bush supporters in denial! lol

"MrWatkins: your thought is exactly what the writer is talking about. Bush does not worry about polls and media spin, he does what he thinks is right."

Yeah, Dan, keep on thinking that.

In regard to being trounced in the voting booth, I should have been more specific: I did not mean Bush's numbers, per se, rather the numbers of his Congressional bootlickers.

Congresscritters are already abandoning his policies like rats off a sinking ship: When Howard Coble criticizes a Republican president, somebody has f*cked up, and bad.

test

Hmmm Well Guilford County went for Kerry. I guess the voters do know the truth.

Could be Bush doesn't worry about polls because, since he refuses to read newspapers, he doesn't know about them..that could explain a lot now that I think about it.

Guilford County going for Kerry means exactly what, Jim?

All I can see is that means voters in Guilford County voted for Kerry more than they did Bush.

If they were running for a Guilford County Commissioner seat, I could see where that might make a difference.

Heck, I'd probably vote for either one of them over the crew we've got now.

Tony Morton, are you worse off now because of some government action or inaction? Just curious.
Speaking for myself, the government doesn't make or break me.

"Bush does not worry about polls and media spin, he does what he thinks is right."

Dan - you are so full of crap - actually, maybe you're right -- "Bush" does not .. read a paper or gather info from anywhere outside his inner circle (frankly, that is his fatal weakness) - but if you truly think he is not worried about what the people think, then you are so full of crap.

Jon, We are all worse off from both government action and inaction. The place I live as well as probably back in good old NC has lost more jobs, we are subject to the Patriot Act, our country is the laughing stock of the world as well as we are being demonized because of things like quantanimo and the overall abuse of both citizens and non-citizens denied due process, my childen and grandchilden will be saddled with enormous debt for years to come due to irresponsible tax cuts and an unjustified war overseas....not to mention the blurring of the line separating church and state. My particular 'minority' is especially persecuted by the neo-con religious right. Yes, I am definitely worse off than before Bush etal.

Busy busy today, I've been actually working in Nashville so I can earn some money & pay taxes!!

JDR, Did I say Bush didn't read the paper? No I said he didn't change his policies based upon polls and media spin. I'm sure you don't agree with his policies, but obviously he does, otherwise he would have worried about Cindy Sheehan et al and cleared tail out of Iraq last month.

Tony, I guess it's all Bushs fault (as everything is for you guys) that NC has lost jobs huh? Never mind our esteemed governor who has raised taxes to make NC one of the highest taxed states in the south. Nah, of course our democratic state leadership had nothing to do with it, Bush issued an edict for NC to lose jobs!!

I love how you guys also demonize the Patriot Act. Can anyone in cyberland please provide a concrete example of how the Patriot Act has PERSONALLY affected you? Have the Feds been checking you out at the library Tony? I'll even expand this further, provide a concrete example of how the Patriot Act has PERSONALLY affected anyone you know? I can't wait to hear, Tony you get first dibs.

Oh one more Tony, how is Bush blurring church & state? Did he call you and tell you to get to church on time this Sunday?

Jim: glad to see you so behaved today, you only used neocons but no wordy dirds.

Separation of church and state is growing Tony

" ..... how is Bush blurring church & state? Did he call you and tell you to get to church on time this Sunday?"

No - but the entire Faith Based Initiative works like this - Your tax dollars are re-distributed to a ministers who lead a flock. By accepting cash, the ministers are subtilely swayed - and preach support a political agenda.

It's way too close to buying votes.

When considering an issue, I try to reverse it.

What if Jesse Jackson were in charge, and he seriously ramped up the program, giving billions (vs. mere millions now) to black congregations that support his cause?

Besides - ask yourself this - if you're all about self-determination and picking up your ownself - isn't in embarassing to accept "government money" - taken from others - to do what you can do on your own "educate your children"?

"This latest meeting with black leaders is part of an aggressive strategy by the Republican Party aimed at African American churches and, through them, black voters -- the Democrat's most loyal constituency."

"http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=18609"

THe truth is -- this is ALL ABOUT POWER -- you can wrap it in legit' issues, but at its core they want the power.

"They" is most folks in political office, with rare exception.

Look, both parties are corrupt. America is run not by Bush, but by big business i.e. oil companies, drug companies. Our President is not dignified. He does not act like a well educated man. He is a cow boy with little or no experience in government or business. His daddy got him to where he is now. Heaven help us. Is not not someone in our country who can be a great and profound leader. Forget Republican, Democrat, liberal and conservative. My sister voted for this man without listening to the debates, without reading anything about the administrations policies. She voted for him because she lives in KY and they are very biased against the minorities. She does not like all the entitlement programs and believes the Republicans will take them all away and get rid of the minorities in this country. This country robss from the poor to give to the rich. The separation of classes is becomming more pronounces everyday.

Impeach Bush!

Tony Morton, reading between the lines I see you are one of the liberals (of which there are many in this forum) that blame Bush for all of life's woes.
"We are all worse off because of government action or inaction". Speak for yourself bud, I'm enjoying my new home that I have purchased as a result of the low intrest rates that I couldn't afford under the democratic controled government.

As Dan refered to, I cannot name one incident that the patriot act has restricited my rights as a citizen. Sure I get my luggage searched at random times when I travel,but I have no problem with that. In fact, I wish it were more often and I wish they would search ALL bags ,not just little old ladies and let some others go by because they looked of middle eastern orgin and therefore it would be pollitically incorrect to search them as it might offend them.

"My particular 'minority' is is especially persecuted by the neo-con religious right". Altough not stated,I am assuming you are gay and feel that your group of 'minorities' are worse off under a Bush white house,correct? (if not then I appoligize). But what,pray tell,did say.... a Clinton white house do for your group? As far as I know he did nothing but give a few speeches (and these were in a controled enviroment where the audiences were receptive to his comments) but did nothing to advance your causes,correct? What law did he (Clinton) sign that gave you more rights than Bush? Again,I may be wrong and if so,I appoligize.

When I hear the comment "ask yourself are you better off than you were x years ago and the answer is 'no' " I am assuming that statment comes from one who is waiting on government to make their life easier for them. If so,they are in for a long wait my friend.

startreck,tell Scottie to beam you back up.