FAILURE TO ACT?

"Bush is a pawn and unable to act decisively until his handlers tell him what to do and hand him a script."

In 2001 when a plane crashed into the world trade center, followed by a second, President Bush was sitting and reading a book to children called The Pet Goat. He was quietly informed of the event, nodded, then finished reading the book before leaving the classroom to fly back to Washington DC. It took seven minutes to finish reading the book to the kids.

For that failure to instantly leap up and seek out a television camera, President Bush was mocked, attacked and shown bitter hatred by the left - something fauxumentarian Michael Moore highlighted in his outrageous propaganda piece Fahrenheit 9/11. Later, when Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast, President Bush did not instantly leap onto a plane and fly down to pose in front of cameras. When he did fly to the area and make a speech after looking at the ruins, he was attacked for using up power to run Klieg lights.

When a loser Muslim tries to blow himself up on a plane, President Obama is informed about the event, nods, and goes on golfing for many times seven minutes. When he finally makes a speech about the event it is several days later.

What do these events have in common? Political opponents attacking the president in each event for failing to run off and grab a camera to make a statement with sufficient speed. Each time the president in question was condemned for "failing to act" and taking too much time.

And every time I've asked the same question: what, exactly, did you expect him to do? What does a politician grabbing face time in front of a camera accomplish other than his personal popularity? When the president makes a speech, that means time taken away from doing other things. When the president makes a speech that's all it is, and nothing gets done except empty words.

I understand the value of bereaved and frightened people hearing from the president about their particular situation. I also understand the difference in the way the press handle President Bush and President Obama - I already said political opponents reacted against the president in question. And I also understand that it makes the president seem uncaring and indifferent when he seems to take no action. Perception is very significant in situations of shock and crisis.

Yet neither President Bush nor President Obama have superpowers. They cannot put on their power ring and build a dam to stop the flooding. They cannot fly around the world really fast, go back in time, and prevent disaster. They are mere mortals, men with a political position and no more special power than you or I.

It seems to me that this is just a cheap way to attack a political opponent rather than a reasonable complaint. There's plenty of other reasons to criticize President Obama (and Bush) other than this nonsense.