Apparently, George Bush does not see his unwillingness to change course in Iraq as being stubborn. Rather, he’s sticking to his principles, just like Abe Lincoln did during the Civil War. Needless to say, this statement confounds me—from the preposterous comparison to Lincoln, to the non-existent parallel drawn between the Civil War and Iraq.
Bush made the comparison yesterday during a tour of the oval office with a group of seniors and advocacy group leaders, coinciding with a meeting on Medicare’s drug benefit. Obviously, this is a political photo opp—I am surprised that he would be so frank during this type of event (at which Iraq wasn’t even being discussed).
President Bush really believes that History will justify his unpopular decisions. I don’t agree. Perhaps a better parallel would be Nixon’s administration, a man people still see as synonymous with “dirty tricks” and “liar.” Lincoln was locked in a conflict that created a constitutional crisis for the U.S. and threatened the country’s existence. Bush did not have the same imperative behind Iraq. Much like his remarks last week, I think this is a big communications faux pas. It comes off as arrogant and makes Bush seem like an egotistic simpleton.
In the AP’s story, Bush states he would not sacrifice his principles for political popularity. He’s quoted saying, “It’s a struggle for some. It’s not for me.” This brief statement, during a routine event, offers an enormous amount of insight into the way the President thinks.
Bush has been increasingly vocal lately about his feelings behind his decisions. I wonder if this results from recommendations from advisors, or whether Bush is getting sick of defending his administration and is just speaking his mind.
You shouldn’t run the government based on polls—but sometimes listening to the other side can help.
