In the wake of the revelations that the Bush Administration is supporting the sale of port facilities in 6 of our US Port Cities to interests in Dubai, there is an unusual phenomenon taking place. As intriguing and infrequent as a solar eclipse… an unlikely meeting of the minds is taking place across the political spectrum as ideologues as divergent as Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and rightwing radio radical Michael Savage find common ground in their opposition to the "PortGate" sale.
Blogs and forums where political ideologies usually clash vociferously are practically breaking forth in a KumBaYah of unity on this very issue. Left and Right are joining arm in arm to oppose this knuckle-headed and almost inconceivable abrogation of our national sovereignty and security.
What does this spell for the Bush Administration? The President should take heed!
The fact of the matter is that President Bush truly IS becoming quite unpopular. Though for differing reasons, both the left and the right are finding reasons to be upset with him.
The vocal leadership of the Left continues to paint Bush as an "ultraconservative". A Right-Wing fascist. Too Friendly toward Faith. Too friendly toward business. Too militaristic. Too "out of touch with the little guy". This is the drone against ANY Republican and plays well with their base. In addition, they play up an image that he's a dunderhead. A dupe of Cheney, Rove and the rest of the "Cabal".
The Right finds him not conservative ENOUGH!
While the Right supports the tax relief and the overseas efforts to combat terror, they see him as failing to uphold US Sovereignty on our borders. He still pushes the ill-conceived "guest worker" program. He's too friendly with Vincente Fox. He is offering new "initiatives" which further expand government and spending. He has NEVER PULLED OUT a veto pen... not being willing to confront congress on ANY issue - much less on a budget. He is way too cozy with the Saudis and now, with the so-called "PortGate", he's showing himself in bed with Dubai as well.
Of course, there are partisans on the right who will defend Bush (regardless of his foibles, gaffs, failures or indefensible policies) as vigorously as Clinton was defended by partisans on the left regardless of his offenses.
The reasonable of both parties are willing to acknowledge that he has done some good, and some bad - while they may disagree as to which policies were good and which were bad!
The fact of the matter is that Bush is NOT the Reagan Conservative it was hoped he would be. He's also not the bumbling idiot or war-mongering nazi that the extreme on the left would like to have us believe he is. What he is is George W Bush. Right on some issues, wrong on others.
History will be the ultimate judge as to whether his positive strengths outweigh his shortcomings. It would be shortsighted and naiive to deny the President has shortcomings -- and it would be utterly disingenuous to deny that he has strengths. The fulcum has shifted back and forth and the beam has teetered and tottered both ways. Where the balance point will ultimately be struck has yet to be finally determined.
Perhaps the discovery that there CAN be common ground between Left and Right might ultimately play in whether such a determination can be FAIRLY made in our lifetime.
Copyright © 2005 by Doug Edelman
Doug Edelman is a conservative political commentator and a contributing editor for The Conservative Voice, and his work is also seen on News By Us, The American Daily, The Post Chronicle, New Media Journal, Capitol Hill Coffee House etc. None of these pays him, so for the support of his family, he is also an IT Consultant/Contractor and owner of a Computer Services Business. He has taught PC Maintenance & Repair and Networking at his local Community College, and maintains a blog at http://edeldoug.blogs.com/.
