The Soapbox

Joined: 06/21/2015 Posts: 5135
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An interesting footnote on the GHWB coverage

It's fascinating to me that every retrospective and commentary I've seen, on TV and in print, downplays or flat-out ignores his loss in 1992. It's not like he didn't try to win, but it's as if his thorough rejection by the electorate is too embarrassing to discuss. I wonder why that is.

You know damn well every obit and assessment of Bill Clinton (re-elected easily) will lead with his impeachment, and they won't be wrong to do so. In a more direct comparison, Carter's landslide loss to Reagan will be very high up in his obit.

The phrase I've seen a lot is "the best one-term president in history." That may be true in retrospect, give or take a JFK, but it's an incomplete narrative to not at least donate a sentence or a few seconds to why he's on that list.

Posted: 12/05/2018 at 3:42PM

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An interesting footnote on the GHWB coverage -- Fuzzy Dunlop 12/05/2018 3:42PM

Where is Perot buried? -- ConnHoo 12/06/2018 07:47AM

In Grant's Tomb? (actually Ross P. in still on this side of the daisies)** -- Tuckahokie 12/06/2018 08:04AM

Can I still pee on him? ** -- ConnHoo 12/06/2018 08:10AM

What is it with Trumpies and pee? ** -- Shenhoo 12/06/2018 09:27AM

Probably the pheromones ** -- Hoo TV 12/06/2018 2:23PM

If you can get past his security folks. ** -- HowieT3 12/06/2018 09:10AM

You said above you wanted to “puss.” I think you’ve got that covered. ** -- WahooRQ 12/06/2018 08:29AM

Maybe you want to reserve that for the Christian right which -- HoosWillWin 12/06/2018 08:02AM

Huh? The AP story mentioned it in the first paragraph. -- JMHoo 12/05/2018 11:10PM

Yeah, because our brain-dead electorate defected from Bush and voted for -- Faz d. Hoo 12/05/2018 10:18PM

Well, I actually think they voted for Perot...not clinton, but you are .. -- GoochlandHoo 12/06/2018 08:54AM

As mentioned elsewhere in this thread -- Faz d. Hoo 12/06/2018 10:09AM

Taxes, raise them or die! ** -- ConnHoo 12/06/2018 07:47AM

Nah man, James K Polk is the GOAT 🐐 ** -- EspressHoo 12/05/2018 9:14PM

Polk was a Tar Hole, Class of ‘18. They did have to go to class back then. ** -- HowieT3 12/05/2018 10:08PM

I’m not sure I get your point. His dramatic -- BocaHoo91 12/05/2018 8:00PM

I totally agree that Fuzzy is inventing a partisan grievance. -- hoolstoptheheels 12/06/2018 10:16AM

I don’t know how you discount the 19% -- BocaHoo91 12/06/2018 10:29AM

What might or might not have been true in 2004 has nothing to do -- hoolstoptheheels 12/06/2018 10:58AM

An incumbent president getting 37% of the vote and losing by over 200 -- WahooRQ 12/05/2018 8:47PM

But nearly 20 points went to a 3rd party. So you just have 80 points -- BocaHoo91 12/05/2018 9:48PM

Ross Perot lost the election for Bush. He had a strong -- ESHooFan 12/05/2018 9:07PM

That is an oft-heard fallacy not supported by any data that I’m aware of. ** -- WahooRQ 12/05/2018 9:20PM

Clinton 44,909,89 Bush 39,104,545 Perot 19,742,267 enough said ** -- ESHooFan 12/05/2018 10:22PM

Meaningless without electoral numbers itemized by state. -- SchmHoo 12/06/2018 09:36AM

Only if you believe more than 2/3 of his voters would have voted for -- 111Balz 12/06/2018 06:52AM

I agree. I think even without Perot, Bush likely still loses. But it's -- BocaHoo91 12/06/2018 07:20AM

Perot took a larger % of Bush than Clinton, but not enough to matter in the -- Tuckahokie 12/06/2018 07:03AM

Very fair assessment ** -- 111Balz 12/06/2018 07:04AM

Exactly. Nate Silver calls it "The Perot Myth." -- DanTheFan 12/05/2018 9:57PM

I think it's one of those things that kind of "feels" right. I went to see -- Seattle .Hoo 12/05/2018 9:40PM

Question is, would that have happened with a stronger economy -- hoolstoptheheels 12/05/2018 9:16PM

Actually a lot of analyses I've read suggest that Perot drew equally from -- Seattle .Hoo 12/05/2018 9:16PM

If true, that would make the margin for Clinton x-Perot 53/47. Hardly -- BocaHoo91 12/05/2018 9:53PM

Who said it was a thorough rejection of Bush? He lost, which is really all -- Seattle .Hoo 12/06/2018 01:28AM

The original post -- BocaHoo91 12/06/2018 01:32AM

Ah ok I glossed over that. Semantics argument. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 12/06/2018 11:55AM

James Baker claims 2/3 were righties. ** -- hoolstoptheheels 12/05/2018 9:17PM

Well, they were 100% people unhappy with the incumbent, which is the only -- WahooRQ 12/05/2018 9:31PM

Makes a good story, doesn't it? Anecdotally, I voted for Perot that year -- Seattle .Hoo 12/05/2018 9:22PM

Bush 43 graciously mentioned in the eulogy. -- DanTheFan 12/05/2018 7:17PM

They hide this information in history books. ;) ** -- Seattle .Hoo 12/05/2018 6:24PM

It’s the pervasive right wing bias in the media, stupid. ** -- ResistHoo 12/05/2018 5:27PM

Boy, that has not been my experience in seeing quite a few -- hoolstoptheheels 12/05/2018 5:07PM

Easy. We are in the "get" Trump era. All liberals are somehow in love -- Hokieesith 12/05/2018 4:34PM

I don't entirely agree. -- hoolstoptheheels 12/05/2018 9:25PM

Though speaking of getting Trump -- WahooMatt05 12/05/2018 6:21PM

Trendsetter ** -- 757 12/05/2018 8:08PM

Ah, here it is -- WahooMatt05 12/05/2018 6:30PM

What a weird take ** -- wahoo138 12/05/2018 4:50PM

I've seen lots of negative stuff about GHWB lately -- WahooMatt05 12/05/2018 4:46PM

I haven't read any obits, but have watched many tributes... -- GoochlandHoo 12/05/2018 4:03PM

Agreed. I think the coverage is fair. He did what he thought -- HoosWillWin 12/05/2018 6:45PM

I wonder how much was simply a case of the electorate looking for a change -- Tuckahokie 12/05/2018 4:26PM

It's the economy, stupid. If they election had been -- HokieDelNorte 12/05/2018 4:29PM

Outside of FDR/Truman...one party POTUS control more than 12 years is -- Tuckahokie 12/05/2018 4:33PM

Understood. Just think that line resonated with people. ** -- HokieDelNorte 12/05/2018 5:03PM

I doubt Carter's loss will be very high up there ** -- Hooddihsm 12/05/2018 3:48PM

Yep. Hope so. Bad POTUS but more so horrible timing. Great and decent man. ** -- Hoodafan 12/05/2018 4:22PM