George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
Diane Ellis ·
December 28, 2010 at 1:45am
What does it mean that George W. Bush's memoir is already outselling Clinton's after just one month?
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Oct '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
May '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
Here's a video of the former President talking about his book with the employees of Facebook. He's pretty articulate and funny. I have always maintained that he'll be remembered more fondly than he was liked when President.
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
It might have to do with the fact that the book is not self-serving in the ordinary way. Our last President actually admits that he made mistakes. Even if one is inclined to be critical of much that he did and left undone, one has to acknowledge the man's honesty and decency. Most memoirs of this sort are not especially instructive. This one is. Today, we are inclined to wonder what made our opinion-makers underestimate Harry Truman. That will be Bush's fate fifty years from now.
Oct '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
Grant Casteel: Maybe that's part of it, Grant, but there is actually a long history of conservative authors shellacking their liberal counterparts in book sales. Conservatives are willing to pay for a book. · Dec 27 at 4:56pm
Either Grant suffers from multiple personality disorder, or this second comment is from another Ricochet member who uses the same computer? (J.C. Casteel perhaps?)
The popularization of shellack as a verb meaning 'to beat handily' is one of Obama's greatest contributions to this country to date, IMHO.
Aug '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
Obama is the BASF of presidents: making former presidents look a whole lot better.
Oct '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
I hope someday he realizes that TARP was one of those mistakes.
Dec '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
For yucks I've been following the reader reviews posted on amazon.com since the day it was released.
The BDS sufferers have been all over it. Amazon has deleted at least 50 and maybe as many as 100 one-star reviews written by Bush bashers and haters who obviously didn't read the book. A few even tried to fly under the radar by posting a Bush bashing rant while giving it a five-star rating.
There are also a few rabid Bush hating lefties who troll the "comments" sections with their "views" on GWB and his admin.
Edited on December 28, 2010 at 2:26amMay '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
Could it mean that GWB was not as universally despised as the media would have us believe?
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
The book was under the tree on Christmas morning, and I spent the day paging through it. (It wasn't one of my gifts; I "borrowed" it for the day...)
It was absorbing and chatty and thoroughly engaging. And bluntly honest, too. Most presidents are oozing with personal charm (two recent exceptions: Carter, Obama) but Bush has something else -- he's got enough character to talk openly about his mistakes and shortcomings. It's a rare thing in presidential memoirs: truthful, readable, and fun.
Sep '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
Rob Long: The book was under the tree on Christmas morning, and I spent the day paging through it. (It wasn't one of my gifts; I "borrowed" it for the day...)
It was absorbing and chatty and thoroughly engaging. And bluntly honest, too. Most presidents are oozing with personal charm (two recent exceptions: Carter, Obama) but Bush has something else -- he's got enough character to talk openly about his mistakes and shortcomings. It's a rare thing in presidential memoirs: truthful, readable, and fun. · Dec 27 at 5:58pm
Bush is obviously a man who is a humble and wise public servant. Our country is better for having him and men and women like him as our representatives. I'm going to get the audio version...
Aug '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
To my mind, he overcame his demons and evolved into a gentleman, a decent man. That may not have made him a great, perhaps not even a good, President( it's too soon to judge), but it certainly sets him apart from his last two Dem predecessors. BTW, aren't there more Truthers than Birthers, and isn't the latter nutty theory incomparably more benign than the former, even if it does get more play?
Jul '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
So the guy sells a couple of million books and suddenly we're all singing hossana's?
Let us not forget George W.Bush was Mr. Big Government; a faux-conservative who increased federal discretionary spending by 54% over his two terms, while GDP increased by only 34%. I cannot think of a single example of Bush reining back the growth of government.
He gave us absurd, expensive programs like Medicare prescription coverage and No Child Left Behind. He created the behemoth, freedom-destroying Department of Homeland Security.
He surrounded himself with inept toadies like Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, Alberto Gonzalez and Harriet Miers.
And he involved us in two doomed nation-building experiments.
A comeback of George W Bush Republicanism? Let us pray not.
Dec '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
It shows that Clinton was overrated, as are all Liberals, and that Bush was not as despised as the media would have us believe.
I also think some people bought the book to remember what now feels like "the good old days", and to poke Obama and the Democrats in the eye. Perhaps, too, many people are interested in reading something about private heroes like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld.
Oct '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
May '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
I don't think that a rising level of interest in Bush's memoir implies a rising level of support for Bush. I would, after all, read Stalin's memoirs if they were published because he's an interesting fella, albeit a real douchebag too.
Nov '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Either Grant suffers from multiple personality disorder, or this second comment is from another Ricochet member who uses the same computer? (J.C. Casteel perhaps?)
The popularization of shellack as a verb meaning 'to beat handily' is one of Obama's greatest contributions to this country to date, IMHO. · Dec 27 at 5:07pm
I'm not allowed to touch their computer.
Oct '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
But does the new Tea Party Republican Party welcome back Dubya with open arms?
Oct '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
I thought obama's the new comeback kid in 2010?
Jul '10
Re: George W. Bush: 2010's Comeback Kid?
As Dubya's light begins to peep from under the basket again, we are hearing praise for the qualities of Jeb Bush, Barbara's own first choice for a presidential son. We are told he is actually more conservative than his brother, a keener intellect and no longer fat. In short, isn't it his turn? The time is coming when our presidential choice will narrow to someone from the Bush, Clinton, Cuomo or Kennedy clans (if they emerge from rehab), with the Obamas a possibility if Michelle concludes we are no longer a "mean" country and one in which she could take pride in leading into further self-abnegation..