The election of Barack Obama was rightly seen as a rebuke of George W Bush. Not just his policies, but of his politicking, his style, the whole works. From origins to race, party to demeanor, Barack Obama was in many ways the Anti-Dubya. Not a white Republican from a privileged family with a folksy demeanor that was big on dick-waving, Barack Obama’s a black Democrat who scraped his way up and talks with huge words but doesn’t meddle in shows of bravado.
To be sure, liberals, moderates, and even some conservatives have hailed the new president for his differences from Prez 43, but there’s one field in which Obama could take some lessons from Bush Jr: Bush knew how to get shit done.
For all of Cheney/Romney’s bleating that Obama’s policies have made us weaker, there’s been a conspicuous lack of change of any real substance. Oh sure, Gitmo’s closing, but the fate of 200-odd detainees is more symbolic than substantial. Even Bush was saying he might want to close Guantanamo a few years ago. We’re still in Iraq, he’s right with Bush on DoJ secrecy, even just today he decided that the White House visitor lists should remain secret. Military tribunals continue, no investigating torture, where’s the change?
Then we get into the gay rights issue which is starting to brew an outright storm. He said the Defense of Marriage Act must be repealed, then he defends it. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell? Still in place. All these things he said with outright conviction during the campaign, and arguably that’s the bulk of the list of the “change” his supporters wanted to see. Health care and the economy helped, but they weren’t the flagship issues.
One election later and now Obama’s relented on the most high-profile promises he’s made. Even the health care reform hasn’t gone anywhere of note, and the economic strategy is just to add more late-Bush era bailouts to the list.
To be sure, Bush the Younger had his share of flip-flops between candidacy and president. Enough so that people made lists. The bulk of those, though, were times when Bush moderated a little (gay marriage) or arguably was talking about something without a full grasp of it (steel tariffs). What we’re seeing in President Obama is a complete lack of courage to follow through with the various promises he made.
Bush, once his mind was set on something, either got shit done or ran himself ragged trying to get it done. He wanted in Iraq? We’re there. Crazy irresponsible tax cuts? Done. Secret prisons with no real restrictions on how to “interrogate”? Got ‘em. Spying on Americans in violation of FISA? Yes sir. Legal immunity for himself and everyone involved? Quicker than you can say “worse than Watergate”. George W Bush was a man who dove in head first to push for his policies.
Even when Bush failed it wasn’t for lack of trying. He was unable to get social security privatized, but that was after months of cross-country touring, media blitzes, and press conferences where poor Scott McClellan had to act like there were Democrats other than Allen Boyd who were on board with the idea. If one were to draw an analogy, Bush was the guy covered in bruises with one hell of a photo album, Obama’s the one with nary a scratch but few interesting pictures. His ideas may have been terrible, and some of them crashed and burned, but by god he put his all into it.
The most curious part is that Bush fought all of his battles uphill. A war on Iraq, privatizing social security, legal immunity and skirting the Abramoff debacle? These weren’t exactly popular notions. When Bush wanted to pass something he sat on his base and then fought tooth and nail to get juuuust enough of the opposition to rally beside him, even if polls showed sweeping majorities disagreed. Recall the famous quote:
I will not withdraw even if Laura and Barney are the only ones supporting me.
Obama, meanwhile, is dealing with issues that either already enjoy massive popularity or are trending upwards. Support for gay marriage is slowly creeping toward majority status, most agree with shutting down Gitmo, and even two years ago most people supported federal health care. Bush’s 2004 victory was a squeaker that came down to a handful of counties in Ohio, but that prompted Cheney to declare a mandate. Obama, with a victory margin more than double Bush’s and a far more pronounced electoral victory, is acting as though he won by the skin of his teeth and hasn’t any political capital to spend.
It would be foolish to suggest that Obama should adopt Bush’s “renegade” streak to that extreme; no one wants another president that forges his own path no matter what anyone around him thinks. However, it would be nice if he’d be willing to press on in the face of opposition (or, as is often the case, perceived opposition) once in a while.
I worry that President Obama may be getting pressure from the same people who drove Tony Blair to support the invasion of Iraq — the people who told Blair to do as they said "…or we'll kill your wife and your kids. And when they're in the ground, we'll go after the rest of your friends. We'll kill their kids, we'll kill their wives, we'll kill their parents and their parents' friends. We'll burn down the houses they live in and the stores they work in. We'll kill the people that owe them money. And then we'll be gone, and no one will ever have even seen us."
Who is the real Keyser Soze?
Boy that sounds pretty rough. I wouldn't mess with guys like that.