There will never be an argument made that these last seven years in American politics have not been controversial. President Bush has been forced to confront a series of challenges that rival the challenges presented to many of our former Chief Executives.
Whether or not someone likes President Bush is really rather insignificant at this point. It's not that he doesn't deserve our respect given his title, but seeing as how he will never be able to serve as our president again, all we can do is watch what is going on in the world around us and look forward to the next election.
Young people seem to have been floating away from the Republican Party for years now. It seems in every election cycle, fewer and fewer people in our age bracket seem to be following the Republican ideal. I recall clearly in 2004, a staffer with the "Rock the Vote" organization was asked if they would see their cause as a success if there were a record number of young voters but a Republican were elected. Her silence and inability to answer indicated to me that people see the vote of young Americans as a guaranteed Democrat vote. I feel that since this election is so crucial, it is important to make a distinction.
Young Americans can vote Republican. It is not an evil empire as it is portrayed in this day and age. I see President Bush attacked almost every day on our campus, whether it is on a T-shirt, a poster, a bumper sticker or a Facebook group. It always stings a little bit, seeing as how I personally still support President Bush, but for the most part I just see it as inevitable. Young people are going to hate Bush, just as they have for years.
What worries me about all this hate, as long term consequences are concerned, is what this means for the future of the Republican Party. The GOP seems to be roped on to the legacy of President Bush and this is discouraging. The GOP is not Bush. Bush is not the GOP. He is simply a member of the party and our current Commander in Chief.
The GOP has a lot to offer the next generation of America and deserves consideration. It should not be immediately dismissed on the premises that if Bush was a Republican and if you hate Bush, you should hate Republicans automatically.
Hating any politician automatically is never a good thing. Everyone deserves a fair chance in the minds of voters. For instance, my dislike of Sen. Hillary Clinton is not a snap decision. It is a decision I came to after years of watching her in public life.
Once Bush is out of office, all those who hate him, all those who bought the tee shirts proclaiming, "Not My President" will no longer have Bush to bash. He will most likely retire to private life, never to step into public service again.
In the next election, though, I urge everyone our age to give Republicans a fair shake. When you are watching the primaries and the debates where every single candidate promises the change that will likely never come, take a second look at all the candidates, and remember that a vote for a Republican is not a vote in support of Bush. It is a vote for the next four years of America's direction.
Write to Alex at apcarroll@bsu.edu
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