The Bush Contrariety
How is it that the Bush Administration can be so inept to the point of clueless during a crisis either domestic or foreign, so clumsy in policy implementation, and yet, have one of the best political spin machines this country has ever seen?
Am I the only one who admires a really good politician? We admire those who excel in sports and arts, and criticize those excel in politics – not corruption and self-enrichment (no one but those directedly benefited likes that) but the commerce of a people self-governing themselves: politics. I used to marvel a LBJ’s ability to manipulate Congress to achieve his agenda. Ronald Reagan always looked good on TV whether it was a friendly situation or not. Bill Clinton has one of the best political minds in this country, today. FDR and TR, I can only read and imagine. However their statesmanship ineptitude, I have to give Bush and his political wonks their due for spinning the here and now.
No one has tapped into the American majority the way they have. To read about such political ability is one thing; to see it happen is something entirely different. Acting like strange attracters in the chaos of American politics, they have solidified tendencies in the heartland in their favor. Getting their people to the polls using crowd drawing ballet initiatives and sensitive issues is one for the books.
Earlier, I had awarded Bush The Fickle Finger of Fate Award for his ability to be so wrong about Iraq and yet maintain the support of the American people for so long and then to be blamed for the Hurricane Katrina response fiasco which was more probably a lack of local leadership than that of any national leader.
The Fickle Finger of Fate Award seems to be the kind of award that just keeps giving. Bush’s constant harping on the fear of another terrorist attack, using it to chastise his critics and defeat democrats has back fired on him. He and his people have continuously played the fear card, and now he has it thrown back in his face on this port deal. Did he really think that all this talk of fighting terror, of using the 9/11 meme to degrade those that opposed him and then turn over the ports to a bunch of Arabs? That may not be how it is, but that is how it looks. Oh! That fickle, fickle finger of fate!
The Bush administration is proof of the old adage that what it takes to get elected is not necessarily what it takes to run the country. If only the purpose of government was to get elected.
In addition to that, Cheney and friends want to bring about a more powerful executive. Since Watergate and Nixon, too much power had been eroded by Congress, as they saw it, and they were of a mind to change it for what they saw as the better. Quietly, while the Neocons pursued their foreign policy goal of overthrowing Saddam and interjecting democracy in the Middle East, Cheney and friends move to accumulate more power in the Presidency.
His power without vision is sort of like an old line of a blind bull in a china shop responding to expectations rather than what's really there. What a more visionary politician could have done with that power. Cheney has a vision of a powerful executive but no vision as to what he should do with all that power. He could only respond with more base ambitions for he and his friends.
What a contrariety.
By the way, another memo has leaked.
Am I the only one who admires a really good politician? We admire those who excel in sports and arts, and criticize those excel in politics – not corruption and self-enrichment (no one but those directedly benefited likes that) but the commerce of a people self-governing themselves: politics. I used to marvel a LBJ’s ability to manipulate Congress to achieve his agenda. Ronald Reagan always looked good on TV whether it was a friendly situation or not. Bill Clinton has one of the best political minds in this country, today. FDR and TR, I can only read and imagine. However their statesmanship ineptitude, I have to give Bush and his political wonks their due for spinning the here and now.
No one has tapped into the American majority the way they have. To read about such political ability is one thing; to see it happen is something entirely different. Acting like strange attracters in the chaos of American politics, they have solidified tendencies in the heartland in their favor. Getting their people to the polls using crowd drawing ballet initiatives and sensitive issues is one for the books.
Earlier, I had awarded Bush The Fickle Finger of Fate Award for his ability to be so wrong about Iraq and yet maintain the support of the American people for so long and then to be blamed for the Hurricane Katrina response fiasco which was more probably a lack of local leadership than that of any national leader.
The Fickle Finger of Fate Award seems to be the kind of award that just keeps giving. Bush’s constant harping on the fear of another terrorist attack, using it to chastise his critics and defeat democrats has back fired on him. He and his people have continuously played the fear card, and now he has it thrown back in his face on this port deal. Did he really think that all this talk of fighting terror, of using the 9/11 meme to degrade those that opposed him and then turn over the ports to a bunch of Arabs? That may not be how it is, but that is how it looks. Oh! That fickle, fickle finger of fate!
The Bush administration is proof of the old adage that what it takes to get elected is not necessarily what it takes to run the country. If only the purpose of government was to get elected.
In addition to that, Cheney and friends want to bring about a more powerful executive. Since Watergate and Nixon, too much power had been eroded by Congress, as they saw it, and they were of a mind to change it for what they saw as the better. Quietly, while the Neocons pursued their foreign policy goal of overthrowing Saddam and interjecting democracy in the Middle East, Cheney and friends move to accumulate more power in the Presidency.
His power without vision is sort of like an old line of a blind bull in a china shop responding to expectations rather than what's really there. What a more visionary politician could have done with that power. Cheney has a vision of a powerful executive but no vision as to what he should do with all that power. He could only respond with more base ambitions for he and his friends.
What a contrariety.
By the way, another memo has leaked.
posted by scout29c at 12:39 PM
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