Quantitative Analysis of Political and Public Opposition

so ive been wondering for a very long time, is there anyway to fairly and legitimately conduct a study on whether Bush or Obama received greater flack from their nay-sayers and the public?  Which president had to put up with more crap?

Today everyone is crying about how Obama is facing the most obstructive and hateful oppoisition ever faced by a president.  They say the hardcore tea partyers and are calling for his impeachment and making up incredibly outlandish stories about his "tyranny."  Additionally the Repubs have pretty much united against him to obstruct anything with his stamp of approval on it.

But how does this compare to Bush?  He was pretty hated too and had to put up with a ton of shit from liberal media outlets.  I even remember dolls of Bush being made for people to mock Bush.  He was called idiotic and sometimes even the worst president in American history, much like some people say of Obama now.

Now, why were each hated?  Bush had the two wars and the economic collapse under his belt.  Obama has his healthcare reform, and immigration I guess?  I guess its just his overall agenda people seem to poke holes in.  Personally, I think two wars and an economic collapse are more worthy of public ire.  but people now seem to hate Obama for not being able to remedy those obstacles as well as he promised.  Also he is leading with a very obvious agenda focusing on liberal reforms.  Immigration, healthcare, gay rights, education.  They all scream liberal.  Is that bad? Well, it is to some and isn't to others.  Just a perspective.  Did Bush have an agenda and goals that obviously screamed conservative?  Maybe.

How do you answer this?  How do you figure out which faced more flak?  Who faced more bullshit?  You can't just put out a general public poll today because I dont think people will fairly judge.  Because I think the political mindset of the nation has shifted greeatly between now and Bush's fifth year?  How is shifted? you tell me, but i think it did.  So you would have to somehow find quantitative data on what things were flying around in each era, and how much of it was shared and spread amongst the public  How popular was it to crap on each president?

Personally, I think Bush was called a worse president more often during his presidency, and faced more flak than Bush.  I think the flak facing Obama is more outlandish and unwarranted, giving a certain harsh edge to it.  But Obama sympathizers shouldnt be always crying that Obama is the only one to face this and it being attacked cuz he is black.  for some people it is true, but not all of it.  Bush was hated on too.

awkward smiles

ive been having lots of personal awkward moments lately. just to myself. thinking aout stupid mistakes and things i have said. that jsut make me cringe to think about them. or say fuck. i say fuck a lot to myself. cuz i fuck up.....o well....

but today especially i ahve been smiling randomly thinking about great stories and moments from the years. and tonight i cant stop thinking about that epic game of pong from fall 11 in dc.  what a game. down 6 cups. the other team just finished us off. we are at shoot to we miss. i make 3 straight cups to get us started. joradn drains another 3 straight.....OVERTIME MOTHAFUCKA, incredible. jsut an astounding effort. while also hammered on stones....i felt sick...o well!!! worth it!!! 3 cup overtime.  we win three cups to one. the tripple low high for the win! what a night. i think thats like my favorite drunk/stupid college story.  just so much fun that night. miss seeing j like that....it was the best of times....i did everything i wanted and more there. i played  it cool, calm, colectted and balls out....perfect combo to have the greatest college semester possible. i am proud of myself if you couldnt tell.

hawks win again, what a fucking team, they own this city.

Islam and politics and the arab spring

just had a revelation curtosy of my great philosophy professor.  the problem with the muslim world is that modernity was imposed upon it.  it was imported during nearly two centuries of colonialism.  in the west, they created modernity, it came from their leadership and the great thinkers following the 14th century that created a new europe.  it was their own doing, it wasnt impose, it wasnt copied from someone else.  their political and ideological dilemma created during that time this need to integrate christianity into the context of modernity.

now, possibly the arab spring has made this opportunity in the muslim world.  he we have parties of old traditional thinkers being forced to confront modernity and the modern nation-state.  the muslim brotherhood, to be honest, does not have a realistic modern political platform.  their ideals are based a romantic nostaligia for the past. nostalgia for the muslim golden ages, it isnt rooted in modernity.  now that they are in power, they will be forced to create a new interpretation that works with modernity, they will be forced to adapt.  they will create it on their own and the west is not imposing it.  the problem with the past is that modernity was imposed or copied from the past.  it doesnt work that way, it needs to be organic.

isnt interesting that traditionalists in islam have grown MORE stringent over the years, from hanbal, to tayymiyah, to wahhab. as apposed to becoming more progressive or fit to the times.  christian fundamentalism has its nut jobs, but their philosophy isnt on the scale seen in the muslim world.

ill try to remember more from our talk....