2008 Woodie Awards
Too little, too late, too bad
Issue date: 1/29/08
Section: Editorial
In what was his last State of the Union Address, President Bush made a desperate plea to Congress and the nation, hoping they would consider his policies, some new and many recycled, during his last year in office.
It's too bad we have a lame-duck president who won't accomplish much until the end of his term. While elections are approaching, it's easy to get distracted by the presidential candidate race. It's only a year away, but that's still a year of war, of more troop and civilian casualties, another year of economic crises, another year of failed policies, another year of disagreement on an immigration reform, another year of contradiction and contempt between Congress and the White House.
There probably won't be any sort of agreement on troop withdrawal (though some 20,000 troops are scheduled to return), and the economic stimulus program is a quick-hit solution that wouldn't help the economy much.
A government divided by itself has little hope of effecting major improvements in the country, and that is an indication that our democracy is far from perfect.
All this isn't to say all our problems will leave with Bush as he heads out of the Oval Office. In fact, whoever our next president will be will have the massive responsibility of cleaning up the mess the Bush administration has left upon our country and planet.
Bush's address Monday night was weak and with little promise. It did nothing to give Americans confidence in the economy and government. And while his approval rating sits at an all-time low (and in fact has been steadily decreasing since 2002), our country faces little hope of regaining what it's lost during Bush's two terms in office.
But it shouldn't have to be like that. If only Bush would give up on being a polarizing figure and accept his arrogance, realizing that most of the country and world disapprove of him and his admnistration. Surely he recognizes that, but now that he's leaving in a year, he has little motivation to improve the country's image with the rest of the world.
Let's hope we don't make the same mistake of electing another Bush.
It's too bad we have a lame-duck president who won't accomplish much until the end of his term. While elections are approaching, it's easy to get distracted by the presidential candidate race. It's only a year away, but that's still a year of war, of more troop and civilian casualties, another year of economic crises, another year of failed policies, another year of disagreement on an immigration reform, another year of contradiction and contempt between Congress and the White House.
There probably won't be any sort of agreement on troop withdrawal (though some 20,000 troops are scheduled to return), and the economic stimulus program is a quick-hit solution that wouldn't help the economy much.
A government divided by itself has little hope of effecting major improvements in the country, and that is an indication that our democracy is far from perfect.
All this isn't to say all our problems will leave with Bush as he heads out of the Oval Office. In fact, whoever our next president will be will have the massive responsibility of cleaning up the mess the Bush administration has left upon our country and planet.
Bush's address Monday night was weak and with little promise. It did nothing to give Americans confidence in the economy and government. And while his approval rating sits at an all-time low (and in fact has been steadily decreasing since 2002), our country faces little hope of regaining what it's lost during Bush's two terms in office.
But it shouldn't have to be like that. If only Bush would give up on being a polarizing figure and accept his arrogance, realizing that most of the country and world disapprove of him and his admnistration. Surely he recognizes that, but now that he's leaving in a year, he has little motivation to improve the country's image with the rest of the world.
Let's hope we don't make the same mistake of electing another Bush.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jason
posted 1/29/08 @ 1:29 PM CST
Let's hope that we don't make the same mistake of electing both Clintons!
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