According to columnist Charles Krauthammer, who coined the phrase, “Bush Derangement Syndrome” is “the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal people in reaction to the policies, the presidency — the very existence of George W. Bush.”
Let me confess right here that I suffered from a mild case of “Clinton Derangement Syndrome” during the 90s although my husband would say it was far from “mild.” However, on January 20, 2001, all symptoms miraculously disappeared and I was totally cured. Although I really can’t tolerate seeing former President Clinton in any setting even now, I don’t experience the same visceral reaction to him as I did then.
Unfortunately, those that suffer from BDS have not been so lucky. BDS is alive and well in America and after almost twenty months, I don’t get why that is.
My first up close and personal encounter with someone who I believe suffered from BDS came in 2007, although the malady had already been around for over six years.
One day after the horrific gunning down of 33 people at the campus of Virginia Tech, I was at the nail salon watching the memorial service at the school on television. Among the attendees of the service were the President of the college, various representatives of different religions, the Governor of Virginia and President and Mrs. Bush.
A forty-something gal walked in and sat down next to me. We watched as President Bush approached the podium at the service. The gal next to me asked if anyone loved President Bush. Lee and Sonny, the nail technicians, didn’t say anything, but I said, yes, I liked President Bush very much. She then said that President Bush was at Virginia Tech for political reasons.
“Boy, and I thought I was cynical,” I said to myself. Here’s a guy who wasn’t planning to go to Virginia today but showed up to support the students and parents in their grief and loss. I said nothing.
She then said, “Well, he needs the votes.” I had no idea where this woman was coming from. “But he’s not running for anything,” I said. The following dialogue then took place.
“Well, he’s not very popular right now,” she said.
“But he’s not running for anything.”
“He will be.”
“What’s he running for?”
“President.”
I was flabbergasted.
“But he’s already been President for two terms.”
“Well, he’ll need the votes next time.”
“But he can only serve two terms as President.”
“I don’t follow this stuff very carefully,” she said.
I wondered at the time whether she was just ignorant, misinformed or suffered from BDS. I can’t be sure about her, but some people remain absolutely obsessed with President Bush. If they don’t have full-blow BDS then they’re definitely border-line sufferers and now have to blame President Bush for everything.
Of course, we’ve heard from the far-left loons, like Rosie O’Donnell, who’re convinced that President Bush had something to do with the attacks on 9/11. Danny Glover blamed President Bush for the earthquake in Haiti and Cindy Sheehan blamed him for Hurricane Katrina. I’ve got news for Danny and Cindy. The President of the United States may be the most powerful person in the world, but he doesn’t control earthquakes and hurricanes. There’s someone higher up that’s even more powerful. Sorry to burst your bubbles.
I really wish someone would figure out how many times President Obama has blamed President Bush since January 2009. By the way, this is the same President who, just recently, told high school students not to blame others for their problems. And how many times have we heard someone in the administration or Congress refer to “the policies of the past eight years?”
President Bush has been blamed for everything, including the housing crises, the market crash, the automobile industry’s problems, the banking problems, the catastrophic BP oil spill, the problems in Greece, and on and on and on ad nauseam. CNN’s Fareed Zakaria even blamed President Bush for the recent Israeli flotilla incident with Turkey. Rep. Maxine Waters has even blamed the Bush administration (I think that counts) for her own ethics problems. Even then-Senator Joe Biden actually blamed President Bush for the Virginia Tech killings!
But, what really got my head spinning was when I heard Tipper and Al Gore’s separation was, yes, you got it, President Bush’s fault. According to Sharyl Attkisson on CBS News, the loss of the 2000 Presidential election may have caused the Gore marriage irreparable harm, to which Sally Quinn, of the Washington Post, chimed in “he’ll never get over it.” I kid you not.
People, stop already! Enough is enough. Like Elvis decades before, President Bush “has left the building.” Move on; take an aspirin; call your doctors in the morning; change the record; get a life; do something!
I don’t get it, and, if you do, God bless you.
