Bush's Biggest Mistake Last Night: Won't Acknowledge Mistakes

[Justice]

My husband hit this on the head. Bush was asked months ago in a press conference about whether he had made any mistakes -- he stumbled and said - could not think of one.

The public rumbled over that one because he showed arrogance. A humble Christian person would have been able to answer that question and talk about decisions.

Do you remember a time when you were asked a question, you were caught off guard and you didn't have a good answer? If you are like me, you thought about that question alot afterwards -- and considered how you would have liked to have answered it.

What does Bush do -- apparently nothing. He is a guy who is so arrogant that first he cannot thing of one thing he did wrong, and then even after the public attention about this arrogant answer, he never apparently reflects on it to consider what he would have liked to have said, and never even tries to MAKE UP a credible answer to a question he was bound to be asked again.

This guy is so freaking arrogant. In the end, according to my very wise husband, that is what people will turn against the most. He is one arrogant, no one can tell me what to do, person.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Your husband sounds like a smart man

My husband says he doesn't like Bush because he speaks in soundbites. His favorite Bush line is "I'm going to church to get me some religion"

Hats off to smart husbands everywhere!:yourock:

[Jon8503]

2. Yeah was thinking about that and not one news pundit has

mentioned this that Bush is perfect, can't think of a mistake he made. However, Kerry did come to his rescue and help him with his huge mistake on Iraq.

[rpannier]

3. I Have to Agree...

I think this will be the thing that ultimately does him in. Many people said if Nixon had just admitted what he had done and apologized they'd have forgiven him. His inability to admit his own errors, I think, is arrogant, obnoxious and makes him dangerous.

[Lorien]

4. His "Dean scream" moment was the most memorable

for me. He seemed completely unhinged-it was downright scary!

[Nobody]

5. Never carpool with Bush driving

A guy like that will take a wrong turn and you'll have to circumnavigate the globe before you get to your destination. Turning around would be flip flopping.

[AntiCoup2K4]

6. But if his mistake is not acknowledging his mistakes, then how is he....

...supposed to know he's making mistakes :evilgrin:

Nah, the problem there is that he was born with a silver spoon up his nose, and has never had to earn a dollar in his life. Every job Junior has ever held, his daddy bought for him, including the current one. Considering Poppy's eternal reassignment to Hell's CIA can't be too many years away, Junior's gonna have to learn to be accountable for his actions sometime. I think November 2 sounds good :)

[atommom]

7. Yes, I was surprised the pundits didn't pick up on that one more.

Being unable to admit mistakes is a dangerous quality in a leader, not an admirable one.

[Toucano]

8. Very good point. Thanks n/t

[snippy]

9. It is hard work being wrong and too stubborn or stupid to admit it.

Excellent observation about being caught off guard by a question and later thinking of the answer you should have given. And you are right about the arrogance Bush displays in response to this question. Kerry and Edwards should mention this from time to time.

[coeur_de_lion]

10. that was the last question of the debate

The lady asked him to list three mistakes he had made, and what he would do differently if he had the chance. He never really answered it. He assumed she was talking about Iraq, and said Iraq was not a mistake. He isn't arrogant so much as thin-skinned in my opinion. I mean, arrogance plays a role but mostly he cannot stand to admit mistakes or say he was wrong or apologize. He loses it when someone points out an error in judgment. Never once in this presidency has he ever said that he made a mistake.

He also has a hair-trigger temper, which shows when Kerry points out his faults. Flew off the seat and almost jumped the moderator last night he was so mad.

This guy is in charge of defending our country -- you see how he defends himself -- he can't do it. He can't defend us either.

[lectrobyte]

11. Yeah, I'm amazed that someone who probably has as many

debate coaches, writers, assistants, etc. as Bush has didn't deal with that question even slightly better... You'd think after flubbing it in the press conference a few months ago, he would have something to say. It's a standard job interview type question, and any interview guide thing says to relate some difficult thing that went wrong, then what you learned from it and what you'd do differently next time. That said, I'm relieved that he can't show humility, since I think it totally destroys his "down home" ordinary Joe act which is probably one of his perceived strengths.

If I'd been Rove, or whoever, I'd have had them do something like, you know, I should have held more press conferences, blah blah blah, there are so many good ways of answering a question like that in a positive way, that it still just astounds me that * was so absolutely clumsy with it. I guess you can't tone down arrogance when it's that deeply ingrained.

[Demit]

14. I'm betting they TRIED to coach him on that one, gave him umpteen ways

to answer that question, and he simply refuses to do it. And they can't make him, no matter how they try. He either just "knows better"--remember, he knows how the world works--or it is pathological with him. He cannot get the words to cross his lips.

[vixengrl]

12. This question had me bouncing in my seat--

I was thinking, "Do-over...it's like he's a getting a do-over."

And the damn fool *still* can't even think of even a dinky one. Since he's known for malapropisms, you'd think he could at least point to his verbal faux pas to try to seem a little self-deprecating and humorous, but I think instead he sounded really defensive, "Oh no you don't--you aren't catching *me* admitting any mistakes." And he honed right in on Iraq and the tax cut, as if he knew that there were two right there.

[fugue]

13. Actually, he did "admit" to one mistake

In the debate last night, Bush said that he had made mistakes in appointing certain people to positions, but he wasn't going to embarrass them by mentioning their names on national television.

That infuriated me even more than not admitting a mistake. This is so clearly cynically CYA, pretending to admit to a mistake by not admitting any. He gets points for compassion and humility when he's actually showing neither. Not only does he get to avoid the specifics of how he failed (that is, get around having to admit actual mistakes), he knows that most Americans, without any details, will shift blame to the appointees for doing a poor job. It worked with Abu Ghraib, after all.

More sneaky "I'm a good guy" while pandering to his own ego. That was my angriest moment in listening to the debate.

[underpants]

15. His "answer" played right into both campaigns' strategy

He fell right into what Kerry and Edwards have been hammering on for the last few weeks-the in ability to admit mistakes and level with the American people.

He stayed on Rove's script about appearing STRONG and never showing weakness but then at this point he really can't he has nothing else to run on.