Guess He Wasn't So Bad After All

You all know that with the exception of Supreme Court appointments, tax cuts, and his love for America, I was no big fan of George W. Bush. For me, "compassionate conservatism" was a long way of saying "liberalism." Big gummint, fix everything from Washington DC, fight a war against an enemy you refuse to name without a clear goal in mind. But even his late-term low polling numbers are beginning to look good now next to the Messiah's.

The last place on earth I would look for W. to be outpolling Obama is in the rich, liberal enclave of Martha's Vineyard. Well, if T-shirt sales are any indicator, Bush today would be elected if he ran against Obama. Yeah, I know, it's not scientific. But it's fun.

The Boston Globe, a noted liberal newspaper, breathlessly announced that they were shocked--shocked--to find out that during his weekly vacation, Obama was less popular than Bush, at least on Vineyard T-shirts. On August 18, the Globe reported: "One barometer of the plunge in excitement has been the sale of Obama-themed T-shirts, which designers had been banking on after the craze of last year [Obama's last visit there]. Clothing labeled with the president's name sold by the thousands, helping to salvage a tough economic year for the island. But this year's T-shirt sales are much less brisk, merchants say." Except for Bush tee-shirts, of course.

A local clothing merchant says: "Last year, Obama gave you goose bumps, but I don't think you're going to see that this year." Last year this merchant sold 4,000 tee-shirts emblazoned with "I vacationed with Obama." This year, his hottest item is one depicting George W. Bush with the legend "Miss me yet?"

T-shirt sales in Martha's Vineyard are off across-the-boards, but then so is everything else. A year ago, Obama didn't even need a boat to get to Martha's Vineyard. He just walked over from the mainland. The economy was terrible, and Obama was blaming it all on Bush. To paraphrase Dinah Washington's best-selling hit--"What a difference a year makes." Even loyal Vineyardites (Vineyarders? Vineyardians?) aren't buying the "Bush did it" mantra anymore. They have given Obama nearly two years to make some inroads into the recession. There are few indicators that his massive government programs are doing anything except deepening the debt and the deficits needlessly.

As for the tourists, they're aware that they're about to get taxed heavily for Obamacare and the stimulus packages that didn't stimulate much of anything except unemployment in the private sector. So, many visitors who might have sojourned there during Obama's visit decided to hold onto what little money they have left just in case they're next in the unemployment lines. They're cringing at the thought of which socialist policy Obama might next push through against their will.

For the tee-shirt folks, I suggest a new one. A picture of a homeless person, wearing a shirt with Obama's picture and the legend "mission accomplished."