You know, despite my kevetching against the current President, I don't hate George W. Bush. I'm upset at his policies such as Iraq and his support for the Federal Marriage Amendment, but I don't actually hate the man, just his policies.
That's not true with some people I know. There are many people who open hate W. for no logical reason. Then there were those people a decade ago who just hated Bill Clinton for no reason. Before that were people who hated Ronald Reagan.
You have to wonder what makes people openly hate the leader of an opposing party. This Washington Post story gives some insight into why people tend to hate certain presidents.
The answer? The never-ending culture wars. Mr. Fine notes that Clinton represents to conservatives all that was wrong with America in the 1960s, while for liberals, Bush represents someone who breezed through life, like some did through those turbulent years.
All this doesn't help those of us in the middle who want to judge a leader based on what he has done as President and not on what he did 30 or 40 years ago. To me, it's further proof that this election is less about issues than it is about culture.
Anyone want to place bets on how Kerry will be treated?
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Posted by: Laura at May 15, 2005 04:22 PM"You have to wonder what makes people openly hate the leader of an opposing party"
One word: Personality.
Bush-haters hate his smugness and his "I got here on my daddy's coattails" air. Clinton-haters hated his personal morals and his slickness. Reagan-haters hated his cowboy attitude.
Some people hated Reagan and Bush because they thought they were too simple-minded. Others hated Clinton because they thought he was too smart for his own good, the guy who thought he could charm his way out of anything.
"To me, it's further proof that this election is less about issues than it is about culture."
Absolutely. The main issues that motivate the ABB crowd to get behind Kerry are Iraq and the Patriot Act. Two issues that Kerry voted, um, FOR.
Posted by: Brian at August 7, 2004 11:04 AM