August 21, 200917 yr I didn't necessarily believe it. I hoped that wasn't the case. Ridge says it was. Frankly, there wasn't a whole lot I would put past the previous administration when it came to conducting the "War on Terror" ...
August 21, 200917 yr Do you think it applies to him? Yes, I do. I think it applies to a large number of politicians these days.
August 21, 200917 yr You could argue that President Bush was a demagogue. A new book by Tom Ridge is coming out saying that he and his administration (read: Cheney) used the terror threat scale for political purposes. I believe I read/heard that they raised it right before the 2004 election in the hope that the "strong military" candidate would keep us safe. I believe it. As I said, I think has been used by a large number of politicians over the years. Fear is a major tool for both sides.
August 21, 200917 yr Author Yes, I do. I think it applies to a large number of politicians these days. What prejudices is he/has he played to?
August 21, 200917 yr While I don't trust Obama as far as I could throw him, I don't think he's an idiot either. There's your difference. I would say that I am a bit scared of what he might do, but that's still not the same as the horror I feel over the idea of blithering idiots such as Palin or Dubya making decisions that affect me. Either way, I find all three unelectable, and that's why I sat this presidential election out -- the first time I've done so since I've been eligible to vote. Jim, you hit the nail on the head with this post. I can live with a POTUS that is opposed to my beliefs, but when s/he is just about the dullest knife in the drawer, I shake in my boots.
August 21, 200917 yr I didn't necessarily believe it. I hoped that wasn't the case. Ridge says it was. Ridge is going to be called a RINO, now, and lose support just like Colin Powell did for not "sticking with the team."
August 21, 200917 yr Emotions and passions, perhaps? Prejudices, no. I also associate demagoguery with fearmongering, as True Blue and Gold mentioned, even though the dictionary doesn't go in that direction. Thanks for the clarification. The original quoted post is now clear to me. :thumb:
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