I’m not pissed off, I’m disappointed. I voted for W in 2000 and 2004, but not with much enthusiasm either time. Just because I voted for him doesn’t mean I can’t criticize his leadership. He was the lesser of two evils both times, but he has not led in any of the ways noted. I had no expectation for Gore or Kerry, so what do they have to do with anything.
History will not look kindly on his handling of the Iraq war, nor the performance of the Cheney-Rumsfeld team. I supported to Iraq war, but the inability to deploy adequate troops, the decision to but Bremer in charge, and numerous missteps since have discredit the national security team in my eyes. Too many soldiers ave died because and W and his team did not have the will to deploy appropriate levels of troops and take and secure ground as required. Leaders make mistakes in war, and people die. But contemporary accounts of the performance of the post-War Bush team are universal in depicting amateurs at work.
What overwhelming outcome is Bush trying to bring together? He can’t articulate it? He may be a good man, but he’s hardly a great President. Moreover, in trying times a leader must be more than good-intentioned.
On 9/11 someone asked me what we would do now as a nation. I said we’d need to find our Churchill. Sadly we haven’t. Despite my best hopes, I think for many W was subconsciously defined on 9/11 as Air Force One flew from safe haven to safe haven. Ordinary citizens, rescue workers, and military personnel put themselves at risk in an environment of great uncertainty. The President, rather than overrule the Secret Service and return to DC, simply flew around the country. Sometimes the right thing to do is to get in harms way, to share risk, and to get out in front. To do that required that W just simply order the plane to Andrews. His place was in Washington, regardless of the risk. Compared to others that day, he came out looking less than commanding.
I'm glad you are not in charge..
Good Lord must every thread at FreeRepublic turn into another “jorge boosh” immigration bill rant? It has crossed the line when we’ve got Truthers pretending to be FReepers or vice versa. Do you even know what the protocol is when there is a chance the president’s life is in danger?? I seriously doubt it is to drop right in the middle of a hotzone. Check your voicemail - I think Michael Moore is calling...
Totally unreasonable. There is nothing the President can do in Washington D.C. that he cannot do on Air Force One. And if he'd arrived right in the middle of all that chaos, what would you expect him to do? Run into the flames and drag people out himself?
Besides, at about 6:00 pm, he was in Washington.