Centerfield

Mathew,

As a Dallas, TX resident, I have to wonder where you lived during the 90's to have that impression of Bush's service as governor. His excessive alliance with business interests, especially, was quite pronounced. He simply does not see that sometimes government needs to ensure that business is conducted in a way that benefits citizens as well as stockholders. Well, not really stockholders as much as the good ol' boy network -- the guys who run business in this state. Yes, he made progress in education by working with the Dems, especially by letting Bob Bullock take him under his wing. And he was careful not to appear to deferential too the theocratic right that is so powerful in the Texas GOP. (Tom Pauken even quit as state chairman because of that.)

Ok. Sorry if I sound miffed, but I have to breathe Dallas' polluted air that GWB's policies did absolutely nothing to improve. (Seriously. I get headaches this time of year as we have orange and red ozone days.)

Anyway, my real point is that Bush now has a record, and to hope that he will have different policies simply because he can't run again is a bit of wishful thinking. Mathew, we can't wish our way into the future. I too wish GWB's policies had been more in line with his rhetoric, but they haven't been. I don't think the public will reward him for this. Current polls indicate that most believe we need to be on a different track. As do I.

As for the GOP: I yearn for the moderate party of the 60's and early 70's. That was my party. But the southern influence is not likely to lessen in the near future, pulling the party in a hard right, anti-eastern-elite direction. I know McCain is trying to figure out how to pull the GOP back to the center. I wish him well, but I think it's a futile effort for the next decade or so.

(With that I'm off to Vegas for a few days. I'll check back next week.)

Erasmus,

Forgive me... I do not know enough about Bush's policies in Texas to comment intelligently. The impression to the rest of the country though was that he was centrist to conservative Republican like his father who favored spending more on education, and was more moderate on social issues. I remember a George W. Bush who even said in his campaign for Governor the first time around that the Republican Party should not rely on lower taxes as it's central message - which I totally agree with.

I fully admit that my perception may not have actually been reality.

My wish that his policies would be different in a second term is in large part due to the fact that although I did not agree with Bush all of the time I certainly did not see an alternative from the other side. I do think, however, that Kerry is making progress, but in the end I just do not believe that Bush is the evil bastard that some on the left think he is, and that voting for anyone just to get him out of office is the answer.

I voted for the President the first time around and currently plan to do so again, but I admit I am not pleased with a good portion of his policies and am waiting for Kerry to give me a reason to switch.