Super-Sizing the President - Jonathan Alter, Newsweek

[question everything]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4271853/

(snip)

Despite a few fine speeches to Congress, he has never fully inhabited the role of president of the United States. He still often seems to be impersonating a commander in chief. When he goes off script, as he did during the "Meet the Press" interview, he looks uncomfortable and out of his depth (which is why he has had fewer press conferences than any other modern president). Bush acts on instinct and faith, not facts and information. That makes him resolute but not judicious, bold but not wise.

(snip)

Bush began by modeling himself on his father, entering the oil business and running for Congress. But early on, he established a pattern of barely qualifying instead of excelling, assuming that no one would notice the difference. Bush thought that by enlisting in the National Guard, he could get the best of both worlds—credit for service and the freedom to do what he wanted at home. He could be a hawk without having to face the risk of being killed. Accountability—for not showing up for his flight physical, squandering $100,000 in taxpayer-funded training—was for other people.

hirty years later, not much has changed. Bush put his war and tax cut on a credit card for someone else to pay off. And there's something callow and cavalier about "playing dress-up on an aircraft carrier" (Kerry's words)—impersonating a soldier when you've sent more than 500 real ones to die fighting a country that didn't pose a clear threat to America. The president apparently believes that accountability is like that dental work he had done on the Alabama base, a hardship to endure once or twice a year but hardly the real substance of democracy.


(snip)

[StClone]

1. Thanks

One of the most condensed and concise characterizations of the life of Bush.

If he were a poorer man's son he'd be an unemployed slaughter house worker rather than our imperiling make-believe pRez

[Beetwasher]

2. Damn! That's A Good One!

Thank you Mr. Alter.

[indepat]

5. A fine article indeed. With several such more articles, GWB might lose a

vote or two among his rabid base.

[Mixxster]

3. Great article!

[City Lights]

4. Be sure to read Alter's hate mail and responses.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4304435/

[Andromeda]

7. Yeeeek---too many of them are from CA!

Just too funny. I can see why he enjoys them so much. The first one is a real masterpiece with his skillful use of similes and metaphors, NOT.

[Mixxster]

8. Re: Alter's hate mail

I especially like his response to this one:

“As those of us who have done it know, every time you climb into a military aircraft you run the VERY REAL possibility of getting killed—try it sometime if you don’t believe me. The aircraft doesn’t care if you are Air National Guard or not—in fact those old birds are more likely to crash than active-duty jets.”
Wm. Babbingon, USMC-AV8-Harrier pilot

Good point. And that incoming fire from the Vietcong over the Oklahoma border back in ’69 was something fierce, too.

[Andromeda]

6. This has restored my faith in Alter...

who I thought had gone over to the dark side.

[dw]

9. Results of the survey in the article...

Did George W. Bush satisfactorily meet the service requirements for the National Guard? * 89975 responses

Yes. And he provided documentation. This is dirty politics
37%

No. There are still big holes in the timeline
54%

I don't know
9%