Repent For Our Pleasure

Abbeville in Louisiana is notable for cajun food, being the setting for The Blob and being the home town of a member of swamp pop band The Boogie Kings.

It is, perhaps, more notable today for being part of the wave of support for President Obama that has swept the country since the election. From a position of having the support of 52.9% (November election) he appears to have a support level of around 70-80%.

So many people are queuing up to distance themselves from their previous stance. Whilst the following is not the most eloquent or logical explanation for the change of heart - ignoring such minor matters as Iraq, Guantanamo, Kyoto and New Orleans (where different waves led to different sweeping with no help from George), it may be indicative of a future mindset.

From the Abbeville Meridional newspaper's online version:

• George W. Bush

  Posted January 21st, 2009 by LSN

  When Bush first ran for president, he was governor of our sister state, Texas. We examined his track record as governor and decided to support him for the presidency on the grounds that he was a good man, honest, truthful, and compassionate and a good leader.

  We knew he never won any prizes for being smart, but we thought he had good common sense and we supported him throughout his two terms. When he invaded Iraq, we immediately knew it was ill advised and a terrible mistake. Still, we supported him in the belief we didn’t know all the facts and he did.
  We continued to support him through his two terms hoping against hope that he would correct his many misjudgments and mistakes. Sadly, we were wrong on every count.

  Without Louisiana, Bush would have never been president of the United States. We believed he would continue the legacy of President Ronald Reagan who single handedly restored America and the Republican Party to new heights. Instead, Bush single handedly disgraced America and destroyed the Republican Party.
  We supported Bush editorially for president not once but twice. We now believe he will go down in history as the worst president ever and deservedly so due to his ineptness, incredible incompetence, and his lack of truthfulness, intelligence and compassion. Throw in arrogance and you run the gambit of what it takes to be the worst president in history.
  As to his compassion, out of the last 40 who petitioned for a pardon or commute of sentence, he miserly commuted only two and they were the border guards that carried the approval of over 90 percent of the people polled. Presidents Reagan, Clinton, Carter and Truman all pardoned up to five times more petitioners than Bush, no doubt confirming that with Bush it was always politics before compassion.

  We are not the Bush haters you see or read about. We wish him well as he rides into the sunset and into oblivion. On the other side of the horn, we are happy that his presidency has ended.
  We deeply regret having recommended Bush to our readers and profusely apologize for our mistake in character and judgment.

  LSN

  Editorials represent the opinions of this newspaper, and not of any one individual.