Riverwood Presbyterian Church

Politics

Bush Derangement Syndrome, or, Whose Side Are You On?

by Clay Staggs

I’ve heard conservative bloggers refer to “Bush Derangement Syndrome” - a condition where, out of sheer blind hatred for George W., his opponents are compelled to oppose everything he supports, regardless of whether that’s good for the body politic or not.

I now believe quite firmly that this condition actually exists. Here’s my proof. Fox News conducted a poll this week (full results here) and asked the following question: “Do you personally want the Iraq plan President Bush announced last week succeed?”

Now, the way that this question is phrased is quite telling. They didn’t ask “do you want the Iraq plan to succeed?”; rather, the question got to the same point, but asked the respondent whether he or she personally wanted Bush’s plan to succeed. Objectively and logically, since Bush is the commander in chief, if his plan succeeds, the military succeeds, and the country is victorious over the enemy. So, if one is thinking rationally, one must answer yes, unless, of course, one actually wants to see our enemies succeed. But then there’s the fact that for the plan and the military to succeed, it will necessarily mean that Bush has succeeded. The brilliance of the phrasing of the question is that it tests whether BDS exists.

The answers were 63% yes, 22% no, and 15% don’t know.

That means that a full 37% of the citizenry can’t bring themselves to wish for success (note that all they’re being asked to do is “want” success, not actually do anything to achieve it themselves, like plant a victory garden or anything). That 37% either actually wishes for the success of the jihadists or suffers from BDS. I would suggest that the 15% that doesn’t know is suffering from BDS. What’s there to even think about? Either you want us to win, or them. At least the 22% is honest and forthright, though whether they’re actually behind the enemy or BDS sufferers themselves is impossible to say.

I don’t know which is worse - BDS or pulling for the enemy - and it probably doesn’t matter anyway. If anyone doubts that the American dominance on the world stage will come to an end (like Britain, Rome, etc.) - and soon - just think about this poll. After all, a house divided against itself……