2,000 was the year that George W. Bush first played in the big leagues. Gore had been there for 8 years. Dubya did not know how he would stack up against an 8 year veteran. So Dubya was very nervous. But after the first encounter in the debate the adrenalin kicked in. I suspect it was much like the first time fighter pilot Bush was required to dog fight a much more experienced fighter pilot. The hands shake and the tummy churns.. until the first shots are fired.. then the desire to win kicks in and the right stuff skills take over.
Once George W. Bush survived the first encounter, he found out he was as good and maybe better than Gore.
This time it is Bush who is the experienced pro and Kerry is the spoiled little rich kid up against the President of the USA for the first time.
The one thing I knew about George W. Bush in 2,000 was he had passed the aptitude test to be a fighter pilot. He scored high on the leadership test and not so hot on the flight skills test.
I learned to fly back in the 1970's. My first instructor was a retired airforce ace. He had 5 MIGs under his belt. He too had scored high on the leadership and low on the flight skills.
After he soloed me, I asked to know how I stacked up as a student. The problem was I was his first primary flight student. Every student he had taught in the airforce was aready a pilot. Ken taught them to be figher pilots. So he showed me his own flight log. He had soloed me in half the time his airforce instructor had soloed him. It appeared I had better natural flight skills. But I also learned that natural flight skills are not what it takes to make an Airforce ACE.
The reason they did not wash Ken out of the airforce out was the tests showed he had the right stuff of a leader. That means he would make good decisions in very high stress situations.
Ken told me was almost anyone can be taught to fly a plane well. It just takes longer for some people to learn the skills requred. But what can't be taught is how to make smart decisions in a heartbeat under the extreme stress of arial combat.
Ken proved the Airforce right, by becoming an ace.
George W. Bush's test results show a man who can remain cool, and in total control. Dubya's test scores show ne can make smart decisions under extreme stress.
Kerry does not look like he has the right stuff. George W. Bush proved with Gore he does have the right stuff.
It would matter not the nature of the contest... a fight with planes or a fight with words the right stuff is the right stuff. I would not want to try to best either Chuck Yeager or George W. Bush in any kind of fight. Let me say it again... the right stuff is the right stuff. It matter not if the contest is fought with words at 10 paces, rifles at 100 yards, or atomic bombs at 6,000 miles. The right stuff is the stuff.
Kerry will find that out in just a few days.
The fact that Al Gore came out in one of those debates looking like Frankenstein didn't hurt Mr. Bush at all in 2000. I agree with you concerning President Bush's intrinsic leadership abilities. His tendency to corrupt the English is in a way enamoring, but the media is clearly not going to ever give him a break on his miscues. That just re-enforces ( I believe) that the Media is out of touch with regular Americans.
Incidentally, I am often mindful of this particular verse below whenever I have heard President Bush misspeak.
And Moses said unto the LORD, O my LORD, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.