Bush-Whacked: A Florida Perspective

Well, a Texas/Florida one anyway.


If I'm gonna have any credit whatsoever, there are a few nasty little secrets I must divulge. I voted for Bush. Five times. Two states. Three men. Dang!, Bush-Whacked five times and I never got it right! There, now that I have that off my chest, maybe I can explain myself a little.

Born and raised in Texas, I proudly hailed myself as a Republican, a business shark for sure. Restaurateur, entrepreneur, basically full of manure (that is a high-fallutin' word for bullshit). I was a proper Robber Baron, using all the well placed governmental tricks to rise to power and squander lots of cash and common sense, why shouldn't I be a Republican? Heck, I even used the bankruptcy laws in 1985 to erase my debts and put on a Teflon skin to escape retribution, just like any Republican worth his salt and lawyer would,right? I digress.

I voted for GW as governor of Texas based upon a deep mistrust for my parents' wisdom, I mean after all I was smarter, right? (sound familiar) Armed with this wealth of knowledge, I set out on a decades long journey to save my parents from themselves.

I celebrated when GW got the Governor's mansion, I even gloated when the then Democratic Lt. Governor endorsed him for re-election. I was well on my way to showing mom that Ann Richards was merely a good speaker, right? (sorry mom) I digress again.

Chasing the almighty dollar, I soon left the Great State of Texas (what a mistake!) and sold my loyalties to Florida for a job, just as any self-respecting Republican would, damn them all and to hell with family, I boldly strode into the Old South and on to more money! (sheesh, what a loser) Enter Jeb Bush, stage right. Well heck, I got a chance to further my cause and without involving mom...cool! And low and behold there were two!

Now of course in the Reagan years I was initially infected with this flaw, as much of us were, hell, the man could speak. When it came time to bless Poor George as his heir and successor, why not? Right? (I think Reagan was actually a CIA plant, put there at that time to make Poor George actually look good, but then I digress yet again) That was the beginning of the end.

When GW was nominated, I celebrated once again, heck, a Texan! They make great Presidents, right? (I somehow forgot Johnson was one of us...oops.) Well I voted, Valerie voted, even my minor children voted, this is Florida you know! (In Tallahassee at the time, you were actually encouraged to take your school aged children to the polls to vote in a "Children's Vote", chads and all. no manure!) But that is another story.

I felt vindicated when all the Miami grey haired ex-New Yorkers started the hanging chad ruckus, I mean damn, I voted, I used those machines, I didn't have any problems. But then again, I actually deserve to have a driver's license, but that is a whole 'nother story. Bush was the man, Gore was the goat. Incidentally, I believe that if ever the Dem's actually put forth an actual live human being as their nominee, it would be a landslide! Merely my opinion. 9-11 came and went, Bush soared as our economy and security plummeted. And I was blind. War in Iraq came and Bush soared once more and men and woman died and my nephew went to war and I was blind, but starting to blink. The 2nd election came and once again the Dem's forgot to check his pulse and I had to vote Bush, still blind but noticing shadows. And there I was Bush-Whacked five times, wow. (conviction has it's perks, or should I be convicted? No matter, the punishment was doled out.)

And today it is all "the administration" ok 'd the sell to Dubai, and "Bush didn't know", but "Bush supports his administration's call". I am beginning to think that "Poor George II" is the one getting Bush-Whacked. By daddy, Donald, Wolfie and all the rest. Sorry for my sins and please forgive a reformed reformer. Hmm... mom and dad sure did get wiser.

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Bush, Party Affiliation, Changing Lanes, Parenting, Learning