The Bush Administration might as well be over. I can't even recall the last time I heard something positive about the White House, and it's not an issue of a biased media. We have a president whose political skills are obsolete in this modern landscape. Five years of mistakes, missteps and malaise have taken their toll, to the point where we might as well pronounce this horse officially dead.
If there is a better example of troubles facing a modern politician than the Cheney shooting incident I don't want to know about it. If there is a worse example of a way to respond to it, I pray to God I won't ever know about it. Nobody can blame a guy for accidentally shooting his friend, but you can fault somebody for handling it so poorly. I didn't even think it was possible to get crucified for something such as this, but I guess that's what happens when you not only neglect to inform the media of a near vice-presidential manslaughter, but the commander-in-chief as well.
Republicans like to think they bring business logic to the government, but the fact that White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan still has a job proves they're full of it. The days of a press secretary being able to spin a story or shift the blame are long gone. The legions of fact checkers have expanded from the press corps to literally anyone with a computer. The RatherGate incident reflects the reality that faces politicians on a daily basis; the no-spin zone has expanded from O'Reilly's TV show to the entire Internet; everyone's a Jon Stewart as they laugh at the excuses.
For all intents, the old media - CBS, ABC, NBC - are as elitist and corrupt as our politicians. They are established and stuck in their ways, completely oblivious to the changing winds. The new media - talk radio, Internet and cable news - are different, and they more closely resemble the makeup of the population. It could be the fact that they actually involve the public via phone calls, emails and letters, or it could be the fact that they seem to put in some effort. Do not misunderstand this phenomenon or label it an obsession of the middle class. The people's involvement in the media has drastically changed the equation, and made it impossible for politicians to ignore.
Remember as a child when your parents told you that "if you ignore it, it will go away?" You might as well forget that if you plan on playing the politics game in the future. In this era of instant gratification, everything is about satisfaction. When people express worry they want to be calmed, when they expose a problem they want it fixed, and when they feel they've been wronged they want an apology.
Article comments
1 - Al Barger
Yeah, if Bush would just start a blog, he'd look hipper and maybe people would like him better. And we should ALL be supporting internet voting, cause we don't have NEAR enough vote fraud now.
Frankly, this article is crap. It's wishful thinking to say that this administration is "over" and that NO ONE has ANYTHING good to say about W. That's just not true.
Now, I'm no big fan, and there are plenty of times when I'd like to slap the taste out of the president's mouth my damned self (I've NEVER voted for a Bush), but the guy's got a tough job, and he does get a lot of nonsense over stuff that is completely not even vaguely reasonable- such as Katrina.
As to not giving his opponents the respect of a response to their criticisms, that's simply factually not true. Bush, Republicans and conservatives are all the time responding.
In fact, they respond too much, and give the opposition FAR too much credit that certainly very few national Democrats deserve. John Kerry and Ted Kennedy are simply contemptible hacks who don't deserve an ounce of respect for their constantly purely 100% patently dishonest and demagogic arguments.
In practice, the opposition is only and merely that. They can tell you that Bush sucks, but they've got NOTHING to solve any problems. It's going to take a bit more than being mad at Bush for not changing the weather to do better than him.
2 - Nancy
Good comments. You pegged the problem, tho: hubris. Arrogance is what keeps politicians (and businesses) repeating their mistakes over & over - & thinking they should/can get away with it. Ford & GM found out that's not true; pity the same isn't true for Dubya & Co.
3 - ryan
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In practice, the opposition is only and merely that. They can tell you that Bush sucks, but they've got NOTHING to solve any problems. It's going to take a bit more than being mad at Bush for not changing the weather to do better than him.
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THAT IS MY POINT.
But instead of, I don't know, mentioning that, Bush just assumes everyone will listen to him. Rather than explain why he's right, he just wants to public to believe everything he says. Sorry, but that's not how it works. Politicians answer to the people, and when that relationship stops working, the polls start dropping.
Look, I didn't say the President should start a blog, but there is no reason a Congressman shouldn't be utilizing the internet. There are literally millions of people out there writing because they want to feel important. If a politician can't realize the potential in that then they don't deserve to be in charge.
I completely agree that Katrina wasn't his fault, but since he sat there and didn't open his mouth, the media painted it that way. He let fucking Anderson Cooper define his policies instead of doing it himself.
You can trade stocks, file your taxes, pay your bills online, voting shouldn't be far behind.
4 - Bliffle
GWB is failing because he has no real interest in being president, he was only interested in becoming president. Perhaps some oedipal thing, I'm not an expert.
Look at what a slacker he is. He takes 20% time off, and when he's in DC his attendance record is terrible. He hasn't studied anything or learned anything (or his statements would be better) and he's as dumb now as when he took office. He's still trying to deal from the naive notions of his childhood, about "evil people" and "free markets", etc.
He has no excuse. He was blessed with a good IQ, his dad sponsored him to a good education (whereupon he seems to have chosen to coast instead of learn), was excused from Vietnam war service (again thru his dads influence) was bailed out of his business failures (dad again) and has just dreamed his way thru life. He has no principles except the simple elitist homilies he learned in his parents living room, has shown no interest in exploration or exposing himself to other minds.
he's a dud and a lazy lout. If he worked for me I'd fire him.
5 - ryan
Not a bad comment Biffle.
The fact of the matter is that he does work for us, and if he were up for reelection today, I wouldn't vote for him.
6 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Ryan writes,
"The fact of the matter is that he [Bush] does work for us, and if he were up for reelection today, I wouldn't vote for him."
Bush doesn't work for you anymore, if he ever did. You have no tool to get his attention now except impeachment. And impeachment would waste the resources of the government that allegedly serves you.
So you are stuck with him till 21 January, 2009.