I am becoming more and more convinced that a large part of Conservatives anger towards Bush, is that
Bush put Conservative's principals to work and these principals FAILED! Conservatives who look at the world in
Black and White have had no choice but to go into Panic mode because of this. Liberals
are used to thinking critically about our beliefs and assumptions. Conservatives look at this
(self-critical thinking) as a weakness. Once they believe in something, the only thing that matters is the intensity of their belief.
When faced with failure they only become more Conservatives, more fanatical, and try harder. They won't back track until, much like anyone else with an obsessive/addictive disorder they CRASH. The Republican Party is now suffering a nervous breakdown down from their obsessive/addictive behavior towards Bush and Conservative principals in general. Rather than blaming themselves for making bad choices they are directing their anger at President Bush
The Core Beliefs that Conservative Held that President Bush has Proved to be False are:
1) Tax cuts pay for themselves by generating more revenue
This is one of the linchpins of conservative economic theory. Bush enacted huge tax cuts upon coming into office, and the deficits rose. Therefore Bush enacted even more tax cuts. The deficits rose even faster. This has resulted in even serious thoughtful conservative economist justify their theories through increasingly nonsensical mathematical gymnastics. The deficits are due to Iraq and Katrina even though they cost less than the deficit. (Iraq cost $90 billion/yr., Katrina money haven't been spent yet but are about $20 billion/yr. , the deficits are $300-400 Billion). The faithful are starting to panic over the shortcomings of supplied side economics.
2) Democrats want to spend your money while the GOP is more fiscally responsible
I long argued with Conservatives (pre- GOP takeover) that if you focused on farm subsidies which go almost exclusively to rural (read: conservatives) counties mostly represented by the GOP, you would get a different image of the true Conservative spending habits. This was prior to the GOP controlling all levels of government, so when spending mushroomed under the GOP I only said, "I told you so!" The faithful are in a panic over having put their small government faith in the hands of the GOP and watching it fail.
3) Republicans are better at using the military and projecting US power abroad
From the intelligence disaster pre-Iraq, to the Iraq battle plan itself, the GOP has failed. At first the excuse was "Every war features mistakes". Ignoring that in previous wars, commanders who fail were dismissed. When the failure continued the excuses became louder, shriller, and more vitriolic. Until finally with full failure staring them in the faith conservatives have gone through panic attacks. Likewise with failure in diplomacy in Latin America, Iran, ect. their faith in the GOP on foreign affairs has forced them to realize their world view was wrong.
4) Policies aimed at helping big business will stimulate the economy
People are looking at a stock market (and 401K's) that still haven't recovered to where they were in 2000. This as boomers approach retirement. Even if the Dow passes it previous high, later this year, that would have been 6 YEARS of a no growth stock market. With stagnant wages, rising healthcare, and inflation, conservatives are staring reality in the face. Blue-collar conservatives are especially effected by this false belief. They voted against their immediate self interest because they thought it would work out in the long term, now that it hasn't they are in full panic mode.
5) When social conservatism fails it's because YOU weren't conservative enough
Teen pregnancies are higher in red states than blue, conservatives don't change policies they go for even stricter abstinence only education. Conservatives fail in teaching personal responsibility to themselves by not having abortions so they want to erase Roe v Wade banning abortion even in cases of rape and incest. Terry Shivo's husband Michael has free choice in his marriage as conservatives believe. But when he doesn't choose what they want, then he doesn't get to have free choice anymore. In the last throws of panic conservatives are getting more and loony.
6) The GOP is more virtuous then those heathen Democrats
Conservatives focused on the personal failings of Democrats in high office (ie Clinton), this lead them to believe Democrats where more corrupt. What they didn't think about was that Democratic personal misconduct (while still wrong) tended to only effect the office holder, their family, and their "victim". On the other hand the GOP's corruption cost this country TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS, while still being just as wrong . The strain of arguing that the GOP is more moral than the Democrats is beginning to show. Don't be fooled, Republicans telling a pollster that both parties are corrupt is similar to a junkie saying, "everyone does drugs". It's simply self-justification that is easier to take than acknowledging errors in ones judgment.
Like all people who become obsessed whether it's drugs, neglecting your family to go out partying, or conservatism, when reality finally sinks in it's usually very ugly. Realizing that your core behaviors, beliefs, and worldview, especially after publicly defending them causes a nervous break down. Conservatism currently in its last throes is going through its own nervous break down. Like I wrote earlier, Rather than blaming themselves for making bad choices they are directing their anger at President Bush
It's what people who are crashing and burning do " I wouldn't have messed up if you hadn't...."