Conservatives, why is criticism of the president unpatriotic?

Question

Why is it that when liberals disagree with Bush, they are called unpatriotic, America-haters, but when conservatives disagreed with Clinton, it was okay to do so?

Why the inconsistency of standards? (It was and still is okay to bash Clinton, but if you bash Bush, you hate America, the troops, and love terrorists.)

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." -Theodore Roosevelt

Answer 1

They won't tell you the truth but I will, it is called hypocrisy.

Answer 2

The Bush speech insinuates that his approach is "fighting for freedom" and that any opposition lumps the speakers in with the terrorists. Certainly the treatments of the Dixie Chicks and Michael Moore has not been that of shrugging and saying "I'm not buying" -- there have been threats and bans that far exceed "we agree to disagree". Acknowledging that other valid courses may exist, instead of "This, I believe, is what the asker is asking about." A smear machine seems to be at work, looking only as far as the work of the Swift Boat critics or the attacks on Republican who have opposed Bush. Reagan's "If you're not with me, you're against me" never had the dark side that Bush's "you're either with me or against me" seems to have.

Disclaimer: Death threats against a President is unpatriotic, and criticisms should be limited to the ***many*** accurate facts, not just name-calling.

Answer 3

I absolutely love these questions to see what crawls out from under what rock. Let's not split hairs. Conservatives or Liberals, Republicans or Democrats, they're all pathetic liars and mudslingers. Defending them or excusing them or whatever exposes their supporters as the mindless zombies they are.If you can't get of your medication for a least a few minutes and admit Clinton was an embarrassment and disgrace and Bush is just an idiot, this country is in a lot of trouble.(oh yeah, it is! Hillary for President!!!)>

Answer 4

in the bizzare liberal martyr myth, when bush specificly addressed foreign states and said "you're either with us or you're against us" every liberal decided to include themselves in the company of assad, kahtami and hussein. i don't know why, but they did. it was a frame they put themselves in. nobody put that frame on them.

in contrast, in the wake of the oklahoma city bombing, president clinton got before the ameican people and blamed the attacks on conservative talk radio hosts:

"But we hear so many loud and angry voices in America today ...They spread hate. They leave the impression that, by their very words, that violence is acceptable. ..Well, people like that who want to share our freedoms must know that their bitter words can have consequences..."

he also said this"
"[t]here's nothing patriotic about hating your government or pretending you can hate your government but love your country,"

can you imagine? can you even begin to concieve of the rightious sh**storm which would follow if bush said anything similar?

the moral of the story is this: if a progressive tries to put something shady on you and you don't know where it came from, it probably came from their own playbook.

Answer 5

i'm not being inconsistent. the difference i get mad about is this: when Clinton was president, i NEVER, NOT ONE TIME, called for his DEATH. i see plenty of that sh*t happening on here though.

i NEVER, EVER wanted AMERICA to lose a war, either. yet i see that wishful thinking on here though.

that's why i think some of you are unpatriotic. i don't know if you personally have done any of that, i'm just answering your question. i didn't like Clinton, but the difference in me and those i've mentioned is, i never called for him to be hurt, killed, or anything else. i also didn't call for him to get impeached. i thought it was wrong that he committed perjury, but frankly i don't give a damn who he blew or who blew him- my concerns with the man was his running of the country. i can even admit that Clinton has a certain charm and charisma. he definitely knows how to talk to people. that doesn't mean i think he was the greatest thing ever though. being charismatic does not make one a great leader.

do you get the difference? there is such a thing as common decency and respect. you can disagree with Bush all you want to. but when i see all these personal attacks against the man, wishing for him to drop dead or worse, wishing for someone to murder him, that's not cool. not cool at all. and if it were Clinton being talked about that way, i would be just as pissed. that sh*t is NOT RIGHT.

Answer 6

Just because he is a Republican, and they are for the rich
people. It was told that Clinton, had sex with a woman that was wanting some of his riches, Bush can kill and and keep sending our troops over there, For what?

Answer 7

When Bill Clinton was President, it never occurred to me to call his critics unpatriotic. However, when I criticize George Bush, that's what I frequently get. It shows the immaturity, and pettiness of Republicans.

Answer 8

I think they say its wrong because if they don't President Bush would be judged and found to be guilty of quit a lot....and who wants to be responsible for putting a man like that in charge of the U.S.A

Answer 9

It isn't the criticism that is unpatriotic, it is the method and contents of the criticism that is. Examples to follow.

Patriotic: "I disagree with the President's policy. In my opinioin, we should do xyz instead of abc".

UnPatriotic: "Bush is a Nazi, murdering our troops for oil".

Patriotic: "Let's do xyz to fight the war on terror better. Let's try abc to do a better job of fighting the insurgency in Iraq."

UnPatriotic: "Bush lied about WMD. Surrender to the terrorists and run away now!".

See the difference?

Answer 10

it really works both strategies: "Do liberals and Democrats keep in innovations how they noted as dissent patriotic? You extra effective end asking Republicans to go back down demanding on their boy from South Carolina or admit your hypocrites." you won't be able to have your cake and eat it too, bro.

Answer 11

It isn't the criticism, it's the name calling, the attempts to parallel the president to Hitler, the calls for him to be hanged, the unfounded allegations of drug use, an affair with the secretary of state, etc., etc. ad nauseum, that I find treasonous and un-American.

I have no problem with someone criticizing anyone in government, but keep it above the belt and at a maturity level consistent with someone of voting age.