(Not so much a pitting as a question that may elicit pit-worthy responses. So, mods, feel free to move as you like.)
For several months now, I’ve had this largely baseless feeling that GWB doesn’t want to be the President any more, or at least, not as much as he used to.
I have absolutely NO reason for this feeling, but it has crept up on me stealthily since about the time GWB’s poll numbers dropped well below his age. It wasn’t even a fully formed thought until a week or so ago and it rather startled me when it popped to the surface. As it did, I realized that I had been assuming for a while that Bush was going to leave office before his second term expired.
As I pondered on how this inkling germinated, all I came up with (other than wishful thinking) is that there is simply no longer any fun in it for him. The war in Iraq is taking longer and costing more than he expected. Oil prices are soaring (even before Katrina). Tom DeLay is being investigated for campaign contributions. The social security plan fell flat on it’s face. There are bereaved mothers and widows camped out in front of his ranch. And now a hurricane has devastated the Gulf coast and he is being publicly criticized for his administrations’ response to it (whether deserved or not). Not to mention Korea, federal deficits, Canadian lumber and he had to spend his vacation trying to shore up support for TWAT (The War Against Terror).
Put all of that together, and it gives me the impession that he wishes he hadn’t campaigned quite so hard in '04.
It is most likely that GWB will complete his term and that my premonition is nothing more than the remembrance of a dream. I also don’t like to think about the ramifications if my delusion became reality. Still, the feeling persists.
So has anyone else had the feeling that the POTUS isn’t enjoying himself and would rather be doing something else?
He does remind me a little of the bride who thinks that getting married is all about the showers, the wedding, the reception, and the honeymoon.
In my opinion, he accomplished his goal when he was elected to a second term, but I doubt seriously that he will resign the Presidency even if he wants out from under the responsibility. He wants a winning season. Unfortunately, I’m afraid he will just continue to make God-awful appointments and take shirking vacations.
When Will Ferrel was imitating Bush, didn’t he once say something like “Good thing I only have to be president for a year!” before being corrected by the guy playing Cheney?
I think he wanted to be President to “correct” the things that went wrong with his father.
Invade Iraq and topple Saddam Hussein. Ride that victory to a second term
Win the second term that he though his father deserved.
I think Bush enjoys his tough cowboy talk on terrorism. When it comes to dealing with hurricanes, he fails miserably. Bill Clinton could “feel your pain.” Bush can “kick some ass” but he doesn’t have the touch in dealing with people.
I’ve always felt that Bush I didn’t want to be reelected. I saw an interview with him after he was out of office and that just reinforced my opinion. So I do think some people get the gig and then aren’t particularly happy about it. Clinton, on the other hand, struck me as someone who would have been happy to stay president. He was at east in the position, I think.
How could he not be? Not only is it a grueling job, but you have millions of people second-guessing your every decision, all the way down to your exercise habits, choice of tie, and what you choose to do on vacation. We’re lucky anyone wants the job.
I’ve always believed that the only people who want the job are the people we shouldn’t allow to have it. It may not be universally true, but I think there’s a grain of truth there.
Doing the actual work. Riding people to get them to actually do their job. Threatening/cajoling Senators in order to get a bill passed. Making hard decisions.
There has been quite a bit of variation of how different people dive into the two different tasks. Presidents like Carter, Nixon, Truman and Eisenhower barely tolerated to completely hated the “show” part. Reagan of course is the prime example of a President how only liked the “acting Presidential” part and couldn’t care less about the other.
I think BushII never wanted/intended to do the real work. Remember, he was already taking lengthy vacations in 2001 before 9/11 and leaving all the important stuff to Cheney and the NeoCons. He is also pretty uncomfortable doing the “show” part. He knows he has the “deer in headlights” look, doesn’t want to be around/hear about people who might disagree with him on a single issue, etc.
Given the huge influence of his mother in his post-alcohol/drugs/adultery life, it appears that he was just pushed into it the whole way. “Young man, you’re going to clean up, run for President and restore the family honor!”
And who would Cheney appoint as VP? Condi Rice? Would she have a snowballs chance in hell of getting the Republclican nomination in '08? An unmarried black woman?
I figure we’ve got 70% of the population mad at Bush for what they feel he has or hasn’t done… previously, we had 70% of the population mad at [who] Clinton did or did not do…previous to that, what Bush Sr. did or did not say, next, well be mad at [Hilary] Clinton for a couple of terms.
Face it, being Prez is all about making the majority of the public mad.
As far as it being a monopoly, I’d not be surprised if it just wasn’t shared monarchy between the bush and clinton famlies. (Duopoly?)
At any rate, it all seems like wasted calories to me.