It is a complicated celebrity. It is part "son of a President" part "grandson of a Senator" part "this is the cocky guy I went to High School with", part "he walks like me and talks like me". It's a familiarity of the populous with the "common" man. It's the comfort of a person who sees in every situation, a three-word synopsis. There is a predictability with this president, that we yearned for in 2000. The world was complex, and George W. Bush made it simpler.
The Celebrity of the Simple Man.
In actuality, he is a third-generation coattail-rider, with no original thought process, and no innate ability for anything. He was President the day he was born, and about as qualified that day as he is now. His only learned attribute is that of receiving the gifts bestowed upon him by those who can profit from his celebrity. His resume reads like a gift registry, while his achievements are hard to find.
We knew this before going to the polls, but we ignored the truth in front of our faces. We wanted simple that badly. We knew he was spoiled rotten. We knew that he did not read. We knew that he had negligible command of the English Language. We knew that he had no real ideas. We knew that complexity escaped him. And we wanted it that way.
He is most in love with himself and those who most-immediately serve him. Hence his inability to listen to others, or even engage in two-sided conversation. Hence his loyalty to his closest advisors. So close that he asked his Vice President search captain to be Vice President. And so close that he asked his closest counsel to be confirmed for the Supreme Court. So close, that he is unable to reprimand a failing cabinet member.
We were only to learn that his schoolyard mentality would become his anchor. He would rather ignore an adversary than confront. He would cut off dialog too complex. He would charge countries and leaders with labels like "evil". His negotiation skills also speak to his inability to tolerate anything or anyone beyond his immediate protectorate circle. To defend himself, he would resort to 'I'm rubber, you're glue", or as he puts it, "stay the course". The decider had made up his mind that he was right, and that is it.
These flaws are small and numerous. One Man, alone in his own infamy is not necessarily dangerous. Unfortunately, these faults have huge consequences when you are the President of the United States. The new GOP greed machine had been constructing the perfect storm going into the 2000 election. This man was to be the perfect hood ornament. They could have done much better, but this is all that was needed at the time. Unfortunately, he was not able to truely comprehend the situation, and thus was as much victim as contributor. As with the many disasters on his watch. And when things crumble, he is unable to stop the flood.
|