Tin Ear President

I've come 340 degrees on President Bush. When I cast my vote for him in 2000, I didn't think he was great, but I thought he was decent, just the better side of OK. Some of the things he did in his First term really pissed me off and by 2003, I hated his guts. Then the Democrats put forward an idiot to run against him and I was almost tempted to vote for him again in '04. I didn't, and I am glad I didn't. Right now I think he's just the lesser side of OK, but I can't hate him anymore.

See, the problem is that President Bush MEANS WELL. I, unlike some people I know, truly think that the prez wakes up every morning and wants to make the world better. I don't think anybody works as hard as it takes to reach the White House without a certain amount of altruism.

The problem is that Mr. Bush does not understand how some of his actions look to other people. He may have had a reason for not showing up, something he can justify it with, but it LOOKS bad, just as his slow reaction to the initial reports of the attack on the World Trade Center looked bad. Bush has a tin ear, he doesn't know how to reassure people that he is there for them, that he cares and he wants them to live better and more productive lives.

I am not saying that the president needs to become overly concerned about how he looks, that would be just as bad as what he is doing right now, but he needs to show a little bit of a presence.

Shortly after the 7/7 attacks on the London Tube, someone remarked that Tony Blair, like Rudy Giuliani on 9/11, had been a presence on the street. Bush has gone to New Orleans, but has he really suffered with the people? Has he been one of us? In a democracy, isn't that what he's supposed to do?

John Imrie 1149 Pepperwood 355 Granite Ave #1149 Arcata, CA 95521

http://thesloop.blogspot.com/