It’s hard to fathom how the party created by Abraham Lincoln and solidified by Ronald Regan has diminished to such chaos and uncertainty. If you look back at the events and policies of the Bush Administration, it’s pretty easy to see why many US citizens has turned blue instead of red. 

1. The 2000 Presidential Election
   There are many who claimed this election was rigged. Others claim the Bush lost not because of Florida, but because Gore lost his own home state of Tennessee and Clinton’s home state of Arkansas. Whatever side you choose, this was the beginning of a rift that would divide the country farther to the left or to the right.
   
   
2. The Wars of Iraq and Afghanistan
   No matter the reason, there is no such thing as ‘just war.’ Yes Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Ladin were enemies of the US, but unfortunately to the eyes of the world this war made GW Bush equal, if not worse. 
   
   It was the way the war was started. Bush did not care what the public thought. He cared not what even the US citizens thought. He was going to war, like it or not. Unfortunately, it’s 2009 and wars are still being fought.  Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead and thousands more in Afghanistan. While the war destroyed the infrastructure of these two nations, it only strengthened those who can really hurt us.
   
   The United State in the meantime grew further divided.
   
   
3. The Patriot Act
   So now that the brown man is coming after us, the government decides to take some of our civil liberties away.  Our founding fathers would squeal at this Patriot Act. It’s a complete reversal of the US Constitution.
   
   The Republicans somehow managed to convince their supporters to declare, “I have nothing to hide so let them search me.” I’m sorry, what are troops overseas fighting for? Freedom? Did you say our Freedom? You sure?  The biggest threat to our freedom is in not Baghdad or Kabul, it’s in Washington DC
   
   
4. Hurricane Katrina
   The turning point of the Bush Administration. It’s during the aftermath of this hurricane when the people finally begin to realize that the Republican led government of Bush and Cheney are incapable of handling crises.
   
   
5. Valerie Plame
   The Republican led government, who only a few months enacted the Patriot Act that promotes spying against private US citizens, revealed the identity of a CIA operative. Yes, it led to the downfall of Scooter Libby, but we all know he took the bullet for his boss Dick Cheney.
   
   
6. Financial debacle
   While the Republicans cannot be solely blamed for this, it was the work of former Republican Senator ‘Foreclosure’ Phil Gramm who pushed to deregulate the financial industry by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act that led to the current debacle.
   
   
7. Dick Cheney
   The torturer-in-chief, angler, Dr. Evil, or what ever you want to call him, Dick Cheney is undoubtedly one of the most ruthless politicians in US history.
   
   
8. 2008 Presidential election
   McCain lost in an electoral vote landslide mainly because he ran what the worst presidential candidacy ever. He introduced the nation to a highly unpopular figure like Sarah Palin. Then to top it off, he hired Foreclosure Phil Gramm as his campaign manager. Combine that with voting 90% on Bush’s issues, it’s little wonder he took the fall, as did many republicans that evening.
   
   
9. Current leadership. Please?
   Rush Limbaugh – A man who can be considered a cult leader and mocks a man suffering from Parkinson’ disease. If this is their idea of a leader, the dems are smiling wide.
   
   Sarah Palin – Good governor or not, it’s unprofessional for any elected official to leave office and the people who elected her. Alas, the dems are smiling wide.
   
   Mitt Romney – I like him. Now if only the Republicans like him too.
   
   Is this what you call leadership?
    
    

Now are Democrats a solution to this mess?  No. They are merely the ‘other’ choice.

When the Democrats won majority of the seats in Congress after the 2006 mid-term elections they, like McCain, supported gave a blank check to just about everything Bush needed, including further funding of the wars.

·         Where were they when Guantanamo Bay needed attention? To this day, it’s still open and functioning and torturing.

·         How can you support an exit clause to bring US soldiers out of Iraq by approving the very funds needed to keep them there?

·         It was Bill Clinton who signed ‘Foreclosure Phil Gramm’s” Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act that lead to this economic disaster we are facing today.

It’s not Republicans or Democrats are solely to blame. It’s more about right-wing vs left wing.
We need more moderate ‘meeting in the middle’ thinking.