Bush Country

How Dubya Became a Great President While Driving Liberals Insane

De: John Podhoretz

Narrado por: John Podhoretz

George W. Bush arrived in the White House an untested governor with an unfortunate habit of tripping over his own tongue, presiding over an economy slipping into recession, and a nation more obsessed with reality television than with the reality of international terrorism. He was considered by many opinion-leaders a dupe, an illiterate, a cowboy, a preppie, a child of privilege who would never have made it to the White House without the help of his ex-President father. Now, with his first term coming to an end, it is clear to John Podhoretz that Bush has become, and will be remembered, as one of this nation's strongest leaders. He has changed the country's agenda from top to bottom. Steeled by the tragedy of September 11, he has responded with visionary power and towering authority. He has presided over victories in two wars and a triumphant repositioning of his party. His secret: the willingness to spend political capital rather than hoard it. Bush Country makes its case with style and verve. Here is an engrossing and entertaining portrait that proves that "misunderestimating" our forty-third President is folly indeed.©2004 Henya Ltd. (P)2004 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Provocative, witty, in-your-face, and honest." (Publishers Weekly)
"Bush Country: How Dubya Became a Great President While Driving Liberals Insane is an unapologetic apologia, a cheerfully demotic assault on the president's detractors designed to inflict maximum damage in the shortest space of time....Despite the flippant title, Bush Country is serious stuff, a line drawn in the sand with passion." (The New York Times Book Review)

Good book but not so good read.

The author should have left it up to someone else to read. This is one book that I followed the text as it was read. The reader skips paragraphs and even pages at a time. I have no idea why.

Apologia Pro Duci Suo

The combative tone of the reviews here so amused me that I just HAD to download the file. I've just finished listening to Podhoretz's reading of his book and I have to wonder if some its more vehement detractors on this site have themselves listened to it. They really ought to. Podhoretz's mapping of the contemporary political landscape is concise and clear; his reasonableness might prove a welcome antidote to the frenzy that grips the minds of anti-Bush extremists.

I particularly liked Podhoretz's essay on the reputed "stupidity" of Bush. I've been waiting almost four years now for some evidence of this Jay Leno sort of characterization and all the evidence points the other way. Bush has outplayed both the Democrats and his own party and achieved every goal. In geopolitics he has outmaneuvered France, Germany, Russia and Brussels; won two wars, and broken the financial back of Al Queda. If this is "stupidity" let's have more of it!

I would have given "Bush Country" 5 stars if it weren't for the subtitle about driving "Liberals crazy" and the chapter headings "Crazy Idea One" and so on. For one thing, the language is unnecessarily inflammatory -- talk-show stuff, beneath Podhoretz. For another, it isn't just "liberals" that Bush makes nuts: he also enrages extreme right-wingers. Anyone who irks both the Left and Right fringes is all right with me.

Right wing reporter likes Bush, shocking!

Not a bad book really, but it has its facts abit mixed up. For example, the recession happened after Bush came into office, though the White House has been steadily back-dating it as the elections draw near. It should also be noted that the military that has done so well (whether the wars were justified or not, they did well) was the army put together by Bill Clinton (bush didn't have time to make any big changes before the wars). There's also the fact that Bush has been doing everything in his power to hinder the investigation into 9/11, hardly the actions of a good leader who cares about his people. Then there's the lying about the economy, the fact that he turned Clinto's budget surplus into the largest deficit this country has ever seen, and did it in only three years.
Again, this isn't a terrible book, and Bush has done some good. He isn't evil or stupid like many claim, but he is greedy and arrogant. I suppose it helps that the author is a reporter for the New York Post, which is barely a step adove a supermarket tabloit, and totally in the pocket of republican interests.

I Was Going to Pass On This Book Until I Read ...

.......The Negative Reviews!.......now I wouldn't miss 'reading' it. I will get back to you with my assessment, that's a promise! (the number of stars were chosen for preliminary neutrality, so as not to weight the averages until my final vote)

Prescient and Refreshing

The facts that Podhoretz brings into near categorical alignment speak for themselves. My fellow reviewers have failed even to note a single "balloon-trick" from the tome. The author clearly favors the Bush presidency, but spares no expense to qualify his enthusiasm with genuine criticism on certain Bush policies. This is not twisting, but unambiguous articulation. But one thing Podhoretz does incredibly well is explain the overall spectrum of successes the Bush administration has had (whether or not you agree with the successes). The quick list runs like this: 2 major tax cuts, 2 successful wars, prescription drug program, homeland security, foreign policy alignment, affirmative action, and stem cell research. Bush has dealt with a whole host of issues, and most of them have gone his way. The author's description of Bush as a Poker Player can hardly be called an amorous analogy, but it accurately portrays the strategy. What my fellow reviewers can't stand is that people actually DO listen to this stuff. They rightly note that it's too early to call Bush a "great" president, but IMHO, this is just a time factor. I highly recommend this audio book.