Thu
Jul 3 2008
06:07 pm

Republicans have made a tranformation I don't fully understand, from rock-ribbed Bush backers to embarrassed by Bush's big-spending ways. To help me understand this change, I am inviting local conservatives to submit essays in response to the question below.

I will award prizes for Most Charming entry and for Firmest Grip on Reality. Contest starts at sundown and ends at sunrise on July 14.

The Contest

The purpose of the contest is to help out-of-touch elitists understand how hard-working Republicans went from voting for Bush in 2000 and even 2004 to being embarrassed by his big-spending ways. We are all embarrassed by Bush, no explanation needed for that, welcome aboard. But you were fine with all the big spending when it was being proposed and voted on by Republican Congresses, so slow-witted, wine-addled liberals can't understand why you are disgusted by it now. Should this be a math contest instead of an essay contest? Wait, that's not the question.

The Question

What have you learned from the Bush White House about corruption and how it leads to out-of-control government spending?

The ground rules...

57-word minimum, 1776-word maximum. 'Essay' just means the sort of expository writing normally seen on blogs. This contest is not open to Democrats or loose nuts like myself, only to people who voted for Bush either time. It is not necessary to disclose which time nor why, just respond to the question. Submit your entry as a post on this thread or, if you were a victim of the Stalinist purge or are otherwise boycotting knoxviews, post it on your blog or a blog you have not been banished from and get someone to post a link to it. Feel free to announce this contest on other blogs and forums.

The contest concludes at sunrise July 14. Cheaters will be given retroactive immunity from all contest rules.

Please refrain from replying to entries until the contest ends! This thread should be used only for posting entries or handling administrative matters.

R. Neal's picture

BUMP: Where y'all at? I'm

BUMP: Where y'all at? I'm looking forward to the responses. Is it a problem of having to admit voting for Bush? Heh. Just kidding.

Johnny Ringo's picture

I'm thinking. If I can

I'm thinking. If I can think of a suitably snarky response, I just might enter.

Factchecker's picture

I'm thinking. If I can think

I'm thinking. If I can think of a suitably snarky response, I just might enter.

I think you just did.

Johnny Ringo's picture

It's nice to be appreciated.

It's nice to be appreciated.

Factchecker's picture

No prob

You are appreciated--next to this guy!:

If it's any consolation, the rules work in your favor: Cheaters will be given retroactive immunity from all contest rules. Hope that applies to me too, since we're supposed to keep this thread clear. But given I'm a Obamaniac liberal, I don't reckon that's the case. ;>)

tin cup's picture

Twice.....

I voted for W both times. Let's see, I could've voted for Big Al in 2000 but even his own state said, "Nah!" Then in 04 the other choice was Big John. He was so great that W received 62 million votes, more than any presidential candidate in history!

Now we get the chance to mix Ob-mama with Pelosi and Reid. Hmmm........

Rachel's picture

If this is your essay

If this is your essay submission, you failed to answer the question.

(Sorry, Rikki, my bad. I won't post to this thread again.)

tin cup's picture

I'll pass it on..........

metulj, I'll pass on your comments to my 62,000,000 friends. I'm actually taking your advise. When I was young and stupid, I voted in the 1976 election....my first. I stepped in a big pile when I voted for an inexperienced, extremely liberal peanut farmer. I won't be voting for the inexperienced, extremely liberal, Reverend Wright-following but oh-so-patriotic Ob-Mama. No dancing for me.

Rach, this was my essay.

R. Neal's picture

Sorry to violate the thread

Sorry to violate the thread rules but an administrative point of order. I believe John Kerry also received the highest ever number of popular votes. And Bush barely won, by about 3%. Not exactly the mandate he was looking for.

Anonymously Nine's picture

Point of order...

Don't you mean Al Gore?

R. Neal's picture

No, Gore won the majority of

No, Gore won the majority of the popular votes in 2000. Kerry and Bush both won more votes than any candidate in a presidential election prior to 2004, if I'm not mistaken.

tin cup's picture

Al's Total

Algore won about 50 million votes, lost the electoral college vote then took the whole matter to court although most argue W did.

R. Neal's picture

What was the name of the

What was the name of the case before the U.S. Supreme Court?

tin cup's picture

US Supreme Court

Bush v. Gore

tin cup's picture

Wrong, metulj

Gore sued when the Florida Secretary of State did her job based on Florida election law. It quickly went to the kooks on the Florida Supreme Court. Luckily, W was able to tamp down the libs by apealing to the US Supreme Court where the majority thought it was a good idea to follow the law.

Rachel's picture

apealing to the US Supreme

apealing to the US Supreme Court where the majority thought it was a good idea to follow the law.

I'll bet you a lunch you can't tell me what that law says. (No fair googling)

Yup, the SCOTUS covered itself with glory, issuing an opinion they felt necessary to state shouldn't be taken as a precedent.

tin cup's picture

Bush won, Gore lost and the

Bush won, Gore lost and the military personnel who voted absentee in Florida were not disenfranchised.

I don't care what the law was, Rachel, but I did what you asked and did not google it. I'll buy your lunch anyway 'cause I'm a nice guy.

Rachel's picture

Bush won, Gore lost and the

Bush won, Gore lost and the military personnel who voted absentee in Florida were not disenfranchised.

Not even close.

I don't care what the law was

You know, that's just sad. I'll let you off about the lunch if you'll at least read up on the facts of this case.

Bbeanster's picture

Rachel, you lucky dog!


I don't care what the law was, Rachel, but I did what you asked and did not google it. I'll buy your lunch anyway 'cause I'm a nice guy.

I'm jealous.

tin cup's picture

Say it ain't so, Beanster!

I can't have that, Beanster. I'll buy your lunch, too 'cause I'm a really nice guy!

tin cup's picture

And I was trying to be

And I was trying to be nice.............

Rachel, you and the Bean should take me up on the lunch thing now before mean ole Obama takes my hard earned money.

Hey, metulj, chill man. Algore was the plaintiff in Florida. W appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. You're right though. I probably should stick to golf.

Andy Axel's picture

I probably should stick to

I probably should stick to golf.

Having a handicap is more acceptable 'round yonder...

____________________________

"It's gettin' so a businessman can't expect no return from a fixed fight. Now, if you can't trust a fix, what can you trust?"

rikki's picture

no drooling allowed

It seems too obvious to need saying, but Republicans who are not embarrassed by the massive deficit spending and the waste and fraud that occurred during Bush's tenure are not eligible for this contest.

I could possibly create another contest for them, but the rules would have to be different. I'd probably need to impose a 57-word maximum, and I'd have to install a spit guard on the Interwebs or pass out tin cups and chin harnesses to entrants.

tin cup's picture

OK, sorry Rikki, you're

OK, sorry Rikki, you're right. You made the rules and I broke them. I'll take whatever punishment you dish out.

rikki's picture

I didn't say you broke the

I didn't say you broke the rules, just that you are not eligible to participate in the contest. Nonetheless, your punishment is to recoup the $9 billion of U.S. taxpayer dollars that vanished into thin air in Iraq.

redmondkr's picture

Nonetheless, your punishment

Nonetheless, your punishment is to recoup the $9 billion of U.S. taxpayer dollars that vanished into thin air in Iraq.

Shouldn't you deduct the cost of a couple of lobster dinners from that total since The Cup did offer to take Betty and Rachel to lunch?

Fair is fair.


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Rachel's picture

the cost of a couple of

the cost of a couple of lobster dinners from that total since The Cup did offer to take Betty and Rachel to lunch?

Hey, I didn't realize that was a lobster dinner when I let the Cup off. :)

redmondkr's picture

Lobster Dinner?

I assumed as much since reading his/her comments led me to believe we were dealing with a high roller.


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