Reflections on a Failing Emperor

One can only imagine how difficult sitting at that desk can be. That desk sitting in the Oval Office, a symbol of unparalleled power wielded by the man standing in the office. It is easy, painfully easy, to forget the tremendous amount of pressure that must come with it. Many times, a man’s shortcomings eclipse the office. And lesser men, of the press, of the political machine, of the national constituency, jump upon him like ravenous, bloodthirsty piranhas. For good reason. To stand in the same shoes as men who have lead this country means to be measured on the same scale. For an individual to truly be a patriot, he must question, protest, detest and if the situation warrants it, praise and admire the man standing in the office. Concurrently, respect for the office must be maintained.

George Walker Bush, at 62, is the textbook profile of a man on the verge of leaving behind a legacy of catastrophic failure. In his desperation, he sits in that desk 20 years aged when only seven have passed. The lines on his face have deepened; his eyes sunken back and sagged while the once confident, perpetual smirk of a faux Texas cowboy has faded into the wakes of countless political lobotomies. He has managed to make Jimmy Carter’s administration seem effective and Nixon seem like an angel by comparison. If this man, in desperation, cannot turn around this ominous legacy, his is doomed to be a pariah for his party. The historians will write him off as the American people’s first Great Failure of the 21st century. He has one year.

His job approval rating has oscillated between extremes. In the ensuing four months after the fall of the towers it peaked at 90%. At the end of his first term, it steadily declined over 55 points. The decline continued into the second term to near Carter, Hoover and Nixon levels as the Iraq war and numerous scandals bogged down his administration. Some opine that such a staggering squander of support is unprecedented in history. Indeed, to go from universally loved to a lame duck who could barely win re-election to an empty suit within three years is quite the accomplishment.

Two wars. Two Supreme Court Justices. The scandals of Libby, Rove, Gonzales, Abramoff. A looming economic crisis. A nation’s image tarnished. An entire opposition party mollified, marginalized and nullified. The rise and tumultuous fall of the neo-conservative. The betrayal of Reagan’s legacy. A writer, any individual, can create a shopping list of failure if they were bored enough. Bush’s administration, Rove and Cheney’s brilliant strategies, have transformed the party founded by Lincoln into its current dismal state.

Despite high approval ratings in his own party, the GOP candidates seeking to replace him distance themselves. They turn their heads blindly to the past, fooling themselves into thinking that they are not replacing Bush, but Reagan. The current campaign trail marks a new direction with the Republicans.

Unlike the 2004 election, the Democrats are unified. Their candidates are not transient, anthropomorphic personifications of loosely connected ideals of the New Left. They have a consistent method, and the voters have already spoken in 2006 that they are tired of anything concerning the current man sitting in office. So Romney, McCain and Guiliani adapt, making themselves men without the most powerful politician in Washington.

Like most presidents who descend from the office, Bush has the option of fading into obscurity or making himself useful. Clinton’s second term saw him face impeachment and placed into $20 million in debt, so it wouldn’t be the first time a President faced an uphill battle. Things are not bleak for Bush’s future. He still raises absurd amounts of money for the Republican party in fund raising and he’s still loved by the far right. But in the eyes of everyone else, especially in the silent majority, he must focus on something that will conclude his presidency with a bang. His current crusades in the Middle East will not accomplish this. Just like they failed to make this country a better place to live.