George W. Bush vs. Woodrow Wilson

[A18]

Two presidents who are complete polar opposites of each other.

[opebo]

They seem pretty much the same to me.

[A18]

• Wilson was a Democrat. Bush is a Republican.
• Wilson thought big business was evil. Bush is like McKinley.
• Wilson raised taxes. Bush lowered them.
• Wilson was born in the south and moved to the northeast. Bush was born in the northeast, and moved to the south.
• Wilson re-election campaign theme: he kept us out of war. Bush re-election campaign theme: he led us through war.
• Wilson is responsible for the modern estate tax. Bush is hardly a big supporter, having temporarily abolished it beginning for the year 2010—he's now pushing for full repeal.
• Wilson pushed for the League of Nations. Bush formed a 'Coalition of the Willing' and sidestepped the UN Security Counsil on final authorization of Gulf War II, as international outcry ensued.
• Wilson instituted segregation in the federal government for the first time since Abraham Lincoln. George W. Bush's cabinet included the largest number of minorities in American history.
• Wilson thought drug dealers were freedom fighters. Bush supports the war on drugs.

Etc, etc...

[Joe Republic]

Wilson is a Democrat. Bush is a Republican.
Wilson thought big business was evil. Bush is like McKinley.
Wilson raised taxes. Bush lowered them.
Wilson was born in the south and moved to the northeast. Bush was born in the northeast, and moved to the south.

Well that's all true.

Wilson re-election campaign theme: he kept us out of war. Bush re-election campaign theme: he led us through war.

Or: Bush led us INTO a never-ending long-term war.

Wilson thought drug dealers were freedom fighters. Bush supports the war on drugs.

What?  Where exactly does it say Wilson thought drug dealers were freedom fighters, or was that just a joke?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Wait til Ernest sees this...

[A18]

The drug dealers thing was a not-so-subtle dig at opebo

[Cashcow]

What miserable choices.

[Rob]

They are very similar. I wouldn't vote for either of them (yeah, I know that's a copout). Before, I always thought I would have voted for Wilson in 1916, but now I know Hughes would have been much better.

[A18]

Why would Hughes be much better? I'm sure he would, but only because Wilson is one of the worst presidents we've ever had.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

They seem pretty much the same to me.

No kidding, listen to what the Republicans don't like about Wilson, and a lot of that sh**t applies to Bush. Anyways, I'm not particularly fond of Wilson but he's definitely better than Bush.

[Rob]

He was quite brilliant. He was an excellent reform governor of New York, and he would have been a strong President. Too bad TR ruined his campaign.

[A18]

They seem pretty much the same to me.

No kidding, listen to what the Republicans don't like about Wilson, and a lot of that sh**t applies to Bush.

So Bush is a big UN internationalist pussy who raised the top tax rate to over 70%, instituted segregation in federal government, and signed the first modern estate tax into law?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

They seem pretty much the same to me.

No kidding, listen to what the Republicans don't like about Wilson, and a lot of that sh**t applies to Bush.

So Bush is a big UN internationalist pussy who raised the top tax rate to over 70%, instituted segregation in federal government, and signed the first modern estate tax into law?

I said a lot of, not all.

[12th Doctor]

Two presidents who are complete polar opposites of each other.

No they aren't.  Neoconservatism is largely based off of Wilson's 14 Points.  The major difference is trust is large, "world governing" bodies.  Anyone who makes this kind of argument has no clue what they are talking about.

[J. J.]

I read an excellect paper on this recently.  :-)

[A18]

The difference between my argument and yours is that I provided a full list of differences, and you provided nothing.

The fact that they both believed in democracy and free trade is entirely specious, and entirely ignores the relevant policies of each man, thus proving you know nothing about one of them, or either of them.

[12th Doctor]

The difference between my argument and yours is that I provided a full list of differences, and you provided nothing.

The fact that they both believed in democracy and free trade is entirely specious, and entirely ignores the relevant policies of each man, thus proving you know nothing about one of them, or either of them.

You claimed that two people could not be more different.  I only set out to prove that you were wrong.

[J.R. Brown]

• Wilson was a Democrat. Bush is a Republican.
• Wilson thought big business was evil. Bush is like McKinley.
• Wilson raised taxes. Bush lowered them.
• Wilson was born in the south and moved to the northeast. Bush was born in the northeast, and moved to the south.
• Wilson re-election campaign theme: he kept us out of war. Bush re-election campaign theme: he led us through war.
• Wilson is responsible for the modern estate tax. Bush is hardly a big supporter, having temporarily abolished it beginning for the year 2010—he's now pushing for full repeal.
• Wilson pushed for the League of Nations. Bush formed a 'Coalition of the Willing' and sidestepped the UN Security Counsil on final authorization of Gulf War II, as international outcry ensued.
• Wilson instituted segregation in the federal government for the first time since Abraham Lincoln. George W. Bush's cabinet included the largest number of minorities in American history.
• Wilson thought drug dealers were freedom fighters. Bush supports the war on drugs.

Etc, etc...

I think their foreign policy's are pretty similar. Otherwise they are pretty opposite.

[Rob]

All right, here's a list of similarities:

- Bush and Wilson were both southern governors (yes, Wilson was governor of New Jersey, but he was from Virginia and retained a southern viewpoint)

- They were both initially elected against a divided opposition with a minority of the vote (TR was obviously much more influential than Nader, but they both cost the opposition the election)

- They both professed to believe in states' rights, yet both greatly expanded federal power

- They were both internationalists; they differ on the method, not the goal

- In their reelection campaigns, both faced Northeastern patricians who, while being intellectual, were widely perceived as being cold and aloof. Both Wilson and Bush won by roughly the same margin (3 percent), and both won because of war (Wilson from opposing it, Bush from being perceived as a strong leader)

I'm sure there are more parallels, but that's all I can think of right now. A lot will depend on Bush's second term.

[J.R. Brown]

- Bush and Wilson were both southern governors (yes, Wilson was governor of New Jersey, but he was from Virginia and retained a southern viewpoint)

Wasn't Bush born in Connecticut?

[Rob]

- Bush and Wilson were both southern governors (yes, Wilson was governor of New Jersey, but he was from Virginia and retained a southern viewpoint)

Wasn't Bush born in Connecticut?

He's a southerner at heart, regardless of where he was born.

[12th Doctor]

Hmmm... I could be wrong, but I think Bush was acctually born in Texas.

[Rob]

Hmmm... I could be wrong, but I think Bush was acctually born in Texas.

He was born in New Haven, Connecticut.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush#Personal_life.2C_service_and_education

[12th Doctor]

Hmmm... I could be wrong, but I think Bush was acctually born in Texas.

He was born in New Haven, Connecticut.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush#Personal_life.2C_service_and_education

Oh, huh.  I'll be damned.  Didn't spend much time up there though.  Not more than a couple of years.  I know he was living in Texas when his sister was born.

[Rob]

Yes, his time there really was negligible. But it was enough to get him tagged as a Yankee by his detractors.