Did I Miss Something?, March 03, 2006

Bush Gets Support From Unexpected People

As we end another week, I feel like I'm emerging from one of Rip VanWinkles 20 year slumbers. I turned on the television and twice this week watched as President Bush received support and some praise from unexpected people in the entertainment industry.

First it was Bono, of the group U2, performing duties as the keynote speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. On the surface that seems like an odd combination....then again, not as odd as hearing Gene Simmons of KISS singing the praises of George Bush.

Simmons showed up midweek on "Your World with Neil Cavuto." He was there to promote his new partnership with the Indy Racing League. But as often is the case on Cavuto's show, the talked turned to politics. That's when things got interesting. Neil asked him some rather straight forward political questions and what resulted went something like this.

SIMMONS ON VOTING : I voted for President Clinton and I voted for President Bush with my eyes and ears wide open. And I think most people are like myself, which is, you keep your options open, and you vote for the issues and the person, not the party, which is why the door is wide open.

SIMMONS ON WHY HE VOTED FOR BUSH(and an abstract comparison between the Bush and Clinton years): Let me put it to you this way, because the masses tend to tune out when you start talking about politics and specifics. When you go through a really bad neighborhood, you want a rottweiler with you. When you go through a nice neighborhood, you want a nice French poodle. Not a good idea to have a friendly, French poodle when you go through a bad neighborhood. In a time of war, I want a rottweiler. And we have a president who is a rottweiler, who is not interested in politics, not interested if he is popular or not. And he stands by it. I mean, whether your like him or not, you can't say the guy is just chasing the public vote. He's really not. He's a guy, love him, hate him — it doesn't matter — this guy stands for what he says. And that is what it is. And, by the way, if the masses don't agree, next time, vote for somebody else. It's such an easy idea.

SIMMONS ON THE PRESIDENT'S FALLING RATINGS: I was a big fan of President Clinton, still am. I think he's a terrific president. And his poll numbers, as I understand it, were just as low, in the low 30s. People don't remember that. But the real idea is, we better figure out how to get together and figure out what the big problem is, which are, there a lot of cockroaches in the kitchen. And if you think you are killing a few on the floor, it means nothing. You have got to tear down the walls and go right in there, because they are multiplying, whether you like it or not. And we better figure out how to speak as with one voice, because everybody is watching America, including the bad guys.

You know, common sense really does come from the most unexpected places these days. The people you would expect to already know this stuff are so far detached from reality that it drives you nuts. And the people you expect to be off the charts to the left, well sometimes, they really suprise you. Maybe Rip VanWinkle had the right idea. I wonder if I take a 20 year snooze of my own, will the left's liberalism disappear like last years Christmas Party hangover?

(originally posted 3-3-06 on Yahoo 360)