Mission accomplished

May Day has long been a favored day for lefties. For many years, this was the day that the Soviets would parade their tanks and missiles in front of the waxworks peering from the Kremlin balconies. It has been the day that those who support amnesty for illegal immigrants have chosen to mount protests. And since May 1, 2003, it has been the day that taunting lefties use to chide their sworn enemy, President Bush, over appearing on the deck of the aircraft carrier with the "Mission Accomplished" banner behind him.

It's always been a magical day for these peace-loving people, who demonstrate their commitment to moral goodness by showing incredible, unceasing hostility towards any who might disagree with their worldview. As someone who deserves excoriation on any number of levels, I thought it wise to look at how the Left has accomplished its mission in the past four years.

The mission has been simple - destroy the current president, no matter what it takes, and no matter what the damage might be. George W. Bush has made it pretty easy, since he has demonstrated, repeatedly, an inability to fight back against the daily calumnies heaped upon him. Bush has apparently believed that he was dealing with opponents who act in good faith. After four consecutive years of abuse, you'd think he would have learned that you cannot ignore what the Left is doing. Instead, he has stayed on task, stubbornly plowing forward even as his enemies continue to attack him.

My understanding is that Bush's approval rating is something like -25% and that he is only slightly more popular than Mussolini and root canals. I have followed politics for a long time and I have never seen someone who is vilified as much as George W. Bush. Even Nixon, during the height of Watergate, drew more sympathy from the American people than Bush apparently does now.

Still, I wonder whether the Left understands how Pyrrhic a victory they are earning. By destroying this president, they are also undermining the ability of any future president to effectively govern. The earth in Washington is not only scorched, it has also been covered by salt. All of the prospective Democratic saints (Hillary, Barack, Al) will find that they will have little goodwill upon entering the Oval Office.

It's a shame, really. We will need an effective leader once George W. Bush decamps to his ranch in Crawford. But I question whether there will be anyone who will be able to lead.

If the idea was to put nihilism in the saddle, then indeed the mission is accomplished.