This was George W. Bush in his 2004 victory speech over John Kerry. Sounds awfully like Obama, doesn't he?
Fast forward to 2008. 12, 000 people in San Francisco voted a proposition to name a local sewage plant after the incumbent President.
Jeffery Scott Shapiro in the Wall Street Journal writes, "the president's original Supreme Court choice of Harriet Miers alarmed Republicans, while his final nomination of Samuel Alito angered Democrats. His solutions to reform the immigration system alienated traditional conservatives, while his refusal to retreat in Iraq has enraged liberals who have unrealistic expectations about the challenges we face there."
It really stopped mattering what W. did. People had given their verdict, and he was too good for John Stewart to let go.
W. today addressed his White House staff urging them to smoothen the transition for the President-elect Barack Obama . How unprecedented the smoothening of the transition has been can be seen in contrast to the transition he himself got from the Clinton White House. Ben Feller in the Huffington Post writes, "when W. took office in 2001, some aides found their computer keyboards were missing the W key - a nod to the middle initial in George W. Bush. Staff members of outgoing President Bill Clinton were suspected and criticized for acting immaturely."
W. faced extraordinary challenges during his Presidency. Americans, on the other hand, jumped on to conclusions far too quickly. Let history give its verdict on the President, not Oliver Stone. But as a people, we were to indulge in crass slander, not informed criticism. How many times did we hear, "the guy is an idiot." First things first, he could not have been an idiot to win the American vote in 2000 and 2004.
Yes, the same America that would vote for Barack Obama in 2008.
It is an imperative that the new President is not treated as callously as the old one. Because when late night television dictates how we see our Presidents, the joke is pretty much on us.
In case you were wondering, read the Antifits endorsement of Barack Obama here. (2/1/2008)
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