Weeble-Wobbly?
George W. Bush is trying hard not to appear like his father did a decade ago.
NPR told this last week:
George Bush, Sr. went to England a decade ago (1990) and met with Margaret Thatcher. While there Bush stated, ?I do not want to discuss going to war with Iraq. I do not want to enter Iraq.? To which Thatcher replied, ?George, now is no time to be wobbly.?
Bush, Sr. helped seal his political fate by appearing to be too wishy-washy when it came to the subject of Iraq. He did not appear to be a hard-liner and attempted to avoid the realization that we had to go on the offensive. Later, when he tried to appear stern and in control regarding that subject, the nation did not buy it.
A decade later George W. erred on the other side of the fence. Not wanting to appear soft, as his father did, Bush, Jr. has taken a firm stance on his plan to deal with Iraq. From the beginning of this chapter, George W. has said that we must attack Iraq and we can, and will, go it alone, stating that we don?t need help or permission from any other country.
A few weeks later he appeared to back off from this stance, reporting that he would talk to Congress and seek approval from the U.N. before making a decision. Now the firm talk has begun again. The younger Bush is still trying to find the right balance between being firm and gaining support from others.
Perhaps having a father who was president is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, Bush, Jr. is able to surround himself with smart, helpful leaders who have been in similar situations and can help him make thoughtful, informed decisions. On the flip side of that coin, Bush, Jr. will always be compared to his father and have to avoid making the same mistakes which sealed his father?s political fate. His father weebled-wobbled, and his career fell down.
