Posted by
Watchman on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 7:04:41 AM
It was a close election in 2000. It was so close that one or two counties in Florida decided the outcome. It was the Supreme Court of the United States that finally gave George Bush the nod over Al Gore. A friend called me about 9:30 that evening to see what I thought was going to happen. I told him that a prophet had prophesied months before that Bush would win a close election but that we wouldn't know the results until two Florida counties were recounted. I told my friend to go to bed at his regular time, because he still wouldn't know in the morning.
The first few months of Bush's presidency were rather nondescript as he struggled to set a course. The events of September 11, 2001 set the course for the Bush presidency. Suddenly, Bush was thrust into the position of a wartime leader. The United States had been attacked and it was up to George Bush to lead the country. Rudy Guliani rallied the people of New York City and would have rallied the nation as well, if he were President of the United States. However, it was George Bush's job to lead the nation.
Osama bin Laden was declared the chief villain of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The United States sent troops into Afghanistan and deposed the Taliban government, who would not give up bin Laden. The United States has had troops in Afghanistan ever since, but we have not found Osama bin Laden.
Then the Bush administration told us about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. We were told that Saddam Hussein would not hesitate to use these weapons of mass destruction against other countries in the region and that he would arm terrorists to attack the United States. So, the drums of war began beating harder and harder. We had no satisfaction or closure in defeating the Taliban in Afghanistan, so we were going after the dictator of Iraq. George Bush #1 didn't finish the job in 1991, so George Bush #2 was going to finish the job.
Saddam Hussein is now dead. He was convicted by an Iraqi court and executed. But there is no peace in Iraq because of the sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shias and the terrorists who have migrated into the area. Now, George Bush #2 is facing off against the leader of Iran. World leaders have taken positions against George Bush. Bush faces opposition abroad and at home because of his leadership in responding to the attacks of 9/11. If we had a parliamentary system of government, George Bush would be back on his ranch in Texas and Nancy Pelosi would be prime minister.
Politics used to be based on economics. "It's the economy, stupid," was the reason for electoral results. Well, how is the United States doing economically? The government deficit is down in spite of the military spending in Iraq. Unemployment is down. The price of oil and gasoline is down over the pre-election highs of last summer. The stock market is at its highest level. Over all, the economy is fairly good, but President Bush's approval numbers are at their lowest levels. Unless some kind of great tragedy befalls the United States in the next year, which requires Bush to step up into leadership again, he will limp off the political stage to chop wood in Texas. Not much of a legacy, is it?
One of the tragedies of the Bush presidencies, both I and II, is that Bush number 3 won't have a chance to lead this country. In a normal presidential election year, a successful,popular two-term Republican governor of Florida would be a front runner to get the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 2008. However, this governor's last name is Bush. He is the son of #1 and the brother of #2. What's in a name?