Good read from Frank Rich on W's legacy

[steelerfaninCO]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/opinion/04rich.html?_r=1&ref=opinion


Its just pretty depressing to think about the cumulative affect of his Presidency. Rove's creation of an alternative reality to win elections probably came about after being immersed in W's alternative reality. Good riddance.

[jonzr]

Couple of great quotes:

He is smaller than life.

The discrepancy between the grandeur of the failure and the stature of the man is a puzzlement. We are still trying to compute it.

I take exception with this one though.  The press helped sell that propaganda - they were willing partners in crime.  Terrorists everywhere?  WMDs?  The sky is falling?  That'll sell newspapers.  Er, that makes a great scroll on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, etc.  The press was all too willingly compliant - they really let America down.

The one indisputable talent of his White House was its ability to create and sell propaganda both to the public and the press.

[Finnegans Wake]

Couple of great quotes:

He is smaller than life.

The discrepancy between the grandeur of the failure and the stature of the man is a puzzlement. We are still trying to compute it.

I take exception with this one though.  The press helped sell that propaganda - they were willing partners in crime.  Terrorists everywhere?  WMDs?  The sky is falling?  That'll sell newspapers.  Er, that makes a great scroll on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, etc.  The press was all too willingly compliant - they really let America down.

The one indisputable talent of his White House was its ability to create and sell propaganda both to the public and the press.

Not to put too fine a point on the role of the Fourth Estate, but they are (in theory) there to ask the hard questions.  Or questions in general.  Media now are reduced to the role of parrots for pay.

[Preacherman0]

Pretty scathing assessment of the man, as one would expect from the NYT.  And I will agree with Jonzr and Finny about the role of a complacent press, much more concerned about selling papers (as their papers begin to die) than finding truth.  The days of Woodward and Bernstein are well behind us.

I read an MSN take that talked about Bush's "eternal optimism."  The problem is that he is a stupidly optimistic man--I'm sure it will come as a great shock to him when he dies! (100 points and a round of Nyquiltinis/homeade apple cider if anyone can tell me the movie that is from).

The MSN article also talked about how ridiculously punctual the president is (a find attribute for a legacy) and how demanding he is about the dress code in the White House.  This reminds me of my son's football "coach."  The team had to run hills one Monday after a 55-21 loss.  Why?  Some of them had worn the wrong kind of socks during the game.  It takes a special person to focus on miniscule details while Rome burns.

GW will fit in well at many churches with those Christian conservatives that love him so much.  He'll do well having a debate about the color of the carpet or the padding in the pews while the homeless suffer and starve and the addicts wait for a fix on the church steps.

[steelerfaninCO]

I read an MSN take that talked about Bush's "eternal optimism."  The problem is that he is a stupidly optimistic man--I'm sure it will come as a great shock to him when he dies! (100 points and a round of Nyquiltinis/homeade apple cider if anyone can tell me the movie that is from).

Ahhh, one of my wife's favorite movies. I believe it was spoken by Mrs. White in Clue.



And yes, Frank is pretty harsh. But, at least in my opinion, its deserved. He has been arrogant, unyielding, misguided, manipulated, manipulative, and just plain dumb about a lot of things. Not just a couple of mistakes, but a complete highlight reel that has left carnage and destruction, mentally, physically, and financially, in every part of the world. Not to mention his utter disdain and complete disregard for all things science. The guy is a jack ass, and the sad part about it, as Rich so aptly points out, is that he is left like some weird Alzheimer's patient living in a imaginary world where he will be remembered in 100 years as being ahead of his time(only if you believe in Idiocracy) and everyone really likes him. He has been a complete failure in so many area's that its difficult to comprehend the long term damage, even amidst the current wreckage.....I'm not a fan...

[Preacherman0]

Ahhh, one of my wife's favorite movies. I believe it was spoken by Mrs. White in Clue.

DA-NANG, dude!  I can't believe I knew the quote, much less than someone else did as well! 

Yeah, I can't disagree with anything the guy said.  Just pointing out that some would blow it off as "typical" NYT, but it's still a pretty accurate assessment.  He also has some great quotes/quips in there.

I truly believe that GW may soon surpass James Buchanan and Jimmy Carter as "worst of all-time."