February 2nd, 2009
Why America Needs Bush
Years ago, I married into a pre-Revolutionary war family in the rural Piedmont of North Carolina. I’ve since left the family, but it’s very safe to say that the majority of my in-laws (and there were an awful lot of them) voted for W. in both his first and second term of office.
Well duh, Over 50% of the nation voted for him. At least in his second term. I maintain that he was appointed, not elected in 2000. In any case, my point is this: Until Hurricane Katrina (which we can probably all agree was really the beginning of the end), the average American thought that Bush was A-OK. It’s very popular to hate him these days, but we are theoretically still living in a democracy – he was hired by the American public in 2004 with eyes wide open.
I’ve thought often lately of what he must be thinking and feeling as he leaves office. When I left my marriage, I was reviled and ostracized as the ‘bad guy’ in our social circle. Can you imagine being hated by, conservatively speaking, over a billion people worldwide? I’m way too co-dependent. I’d quite simply have to pitch myself off the roof.
These days Bush bashing has become something of a National pastime. Other than the folks at Fox, no one seems to be on hand to defend our recently departed leader. Aside from universally screwing up the last 8 years, and potentially irrevocably tarnishing the American image (hey, you can’t blame me for joining in), I think W. has become an absolute necessity to our Evolution as a Nation. Here’s my thinking: A short 8 years ago, most of my in-laws (and our neighbors, and my co-workers… my state only turned Blue about 2 months ago) thought that W. was the best thing since the Hummer. They thought that the war in Iraq was a good idea. They may have occasionally dropped the N-bomb after a few too many cans of Bud. Bush has artificially accelerated the disintegration of the American self-image – which is a critical step in rebuilding a sustainable America for the future.
One of the most unique things about American politics (in the global sense) is our bloodless transfer of power. In very few nations could be outgoing and incoming heads of state break bread together. This year, approximately 51% of the American voting public thought that a black man would make the best President. I believe that if the Republican party was not almost laughably inept, if we didn’t have W. to face as the alternative, we would have seen rioting and violence by now. Ten years ago, there is no way that the white rural rednecks I knew would have countenanced a black man as President.
Hating our former President gives us something push against. He epitomizes everything that we have learned must ‘go’ in the American lifestyle and image. He has become nothing more or less than the outward personification of our own inward natures. Put more simply, if we didn’t have W. to hate, we’d have to turn this rampant criticism and judgment inward. How exhausting. It’s much easier to embrace change when we can export all of our previous national bad habits on the shoulders of one man.
One of the truest things I know is that change only happens when the pain of holding on becomes greater than the pain of letting go. Letting go of the American Dream (in it’s current incarnation) would have taken a lot more pain and effort without W. It’s like removing a band-aid… you can do it slow and painful, or just get it over with in one excruciating rip. I’ve always been a ripper, myself.
Aside from these very lofty political thoughts, I’m very worried about John Stewart. What will the Daily Show do without The Decider to pick on? I’m guessing that the next 4 years will be less funny than the last four, in a lot of ways.
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good, he smelled good, he was nicely dressed, he bought a bottle of wine, we had a lovely chat and a nice kiss goodnight. Now, I know that doesn’t sound like a major accomplishment – everyone’s on their best behavior on a first date, right? But it’s rough out here for a single girl. The last man who bought me a drink looked like a lucky troll without the hair. Seriously, here’s a picture. All of that to say that I was genuinely impressed. Maybe even a little wooed. So we progressed, me keeping him at arm’s length, him courting me furiously. You know, the ritualistic mating dance. Then came time for the big night.
As it was his birthday, he decided that he wanted to go for Japanese food (you know, he said, where they cook the food in front of you). Afterwards, he told me, we would go to a teahouse for tea and dessert, and then to a Christmas concert at the local college. He hoped at the end of the evening that I would invite him to my home, perhaps even to spend the night. As things had been progressing nicely for a few weeks, I acquiesced. I spent the afternoon shopping for a new dress. I took special care with my appearance. I shaved everything I owned except my head. I painted my toenails. I bought a new shower curtain.
