Before I go to bed at night, I go around the house - one final check of the doors to make sure that the doors are locked and that there are no monsters lurking. Despite my daughters ages, this little step of me double-checking everything puts them at ease, and they can go to bed believing that no harm will come to them during the night...
About a decade ago, I was managing a softball team. It was comprised of business people, and we were pretty good. Going undefeated during the regular season, and lot of credit was given to me for the success of the team. During our first playoff game, we were down by one run going into our last at-bat. We got someone to second-base, and with one out, our best hitter smashed a line-drive hit to right field. I was coaching third-base and made the decision to send our runner home.
The right fielder made a heck of a throw to the infield, and the second-baseman through a strike to home - well, our runner was out by three feet. Our next hitter popped-out to far left, and if I had stopped the runner at third on the previous play, the game would be tied. I did what I thought was the best for my team. Despite regretting the outcome, I know that I would do the same thing if faced with the same situation...
With George W leaving the White House in a few days, it is time to reflect on the past eight years and wonder how I will remember him. When he came into office, Bush had a pretty good reputation from the job he did in Texas. When a new President takes office, it is almost like we can hit reset and start over. New leadership, new policies, a new direction. He was coming to Washington as a 'compassionate conservative'. Despite a fractured electorate, and a contentious election, hopes were high that Washington would take on a new tone and spirit of cooperation.
9-11 then ushered in a new era. America was struck squarely between the eyes, and we demanded that something be done. Almost like a movie, the cowboy President seemed the perfect person for that moment in history. The country rallied around him, and who could forget the image of him at Ground Zero - standing with his arm around a rescue worker and proclaiming that those who attacked would soon be hearing from us.
Before this tragedy, Bush's approval rating was around 55%. For almost a year after it happened, it didn't go below 70%, reaching as high as 90% the second week of September 2001. Almost all Americans were supportive of Bush and what he did: going into Afghanistan, and then Iraq. Even at the time Saddam was captured, his approval ratings were slightly above where they were when he took office.
Somewhere after that, the public grew tired. A lack of progress in Iraq and mounting dead, the Patriot Act, inhumane (and unlawful) treatment of POWs. A growing list of gaffes and blunders led to the perception that Bush was not too bright. Choking on a pretzel, hurricanes hitting the Gulf and a poor federal response, and a failing economy that has our nation on the precipice of another great depression. Let's face it, there have been quite a few things happen that explain why just over 20% of the public approve of him now.
I mentioned the two stories at the beginning for a reason. I am going to miss W a little bit.
First, the actions he took after 9-11 made me feel safe. I grew up fascinated with the cold war and how nuclear weapons could destroy us all. I would try and calculate if Findlay was just far enough away from Toledo and Lima for us to survive a first strike on those cities. After the cold war ended, things were looking up - conflicts seemed minor, and I felt pretty good. Domestic terrorism can change someone's mind, and I was glad to have someone who was willing to stand up to the bad guys and say nothing else was going to happen on their watch. Bush did what he needed to make us safe, and I appreciate that. Despite several opportunities and close calls, systems put into place have made a difference. I am happy that my children can go to sleep at night and not have the same kind of dreams I had growing up.
Secondly, the person in charge gets too much credit when things are going well, and often too much blame when things are going poorly. I am not an apologist for Bush, but 9-11 put our country in such a hole that it was going to be a miracle for us to emerge unscathed. Markets took a huge hit, "Death to America" chants started up again across the Middle East, and then our spending on defense suddenly skyrocketed. It is amazing that we went as long as we did before our economy crumbled.
Bush has made mistakes - many mistakes. Which President hasn't? History will be the ultimate judge of his term in office. There are hundreds of stories that the anti-Bush crowd can give that support the notion that he was the worst President in history. I am not sure if he has been that bad, but I would not rank him up there with Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Reagan. One all the books are written, and we read his memoirs to get his side of the story, all sides to te story will be out there. We have a great capacity for compassion and forgiveness. I'm interested to see if this extends to one of the most divisive figures of this new century.
If nothing else, a President leaving office deserves our thanks for their service. It is often said that even if you cannot respect the man, respect the office. The Presidency could very well be the most difficult job a human can accept. Even if we do not agree with everything that has occurred during the past eight years, the nature of the job demands we graciously thank the man for what he has done. For everything you have done Mr. President, my family and I thank you.
-RSKnopfJr
There is no question that in the previous eight years George W. Bush has not pleased everyone. He has angered many and been blamed for numerous issues. Much of the blame has been warranted, however, he is only one man in the big picture. People seem to be looking for a scapegoat and who else to blame other than the president. The Bush blame game is completely out of control. Instead of complaining about the man, people need to accept some responsibility for themselves. Let us all stop criticizing and just maybe we can create a better America.
Posted by: Mark B. | January 24, 2009 at 03:48 PM