Is the Bush Presidency Over?
EmailPresident Bush gives the annual State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress tonight. Does it matter?
In one sense, of course it does. Bush is still the president. He’s still got the bully pulpit. And he’s still got the “energy in the executive,” as Alexander Hamilton famously described it. A president is always gonna be driving the bus–or the pickup.
But this one may be running out of gas. Bush has got a problem—a big problem. A majority of Americans—51 percent in the latest ABC News poll—now strongly disapprove of the job he’s doing. That’s not just disagreement. It sure ain’t indifference. It’s anger. “Strong disapproval” is the harshest judgment offered to respondents in our poll. It translates into people who have made up their mind, without flinching, that the Bush presidency, at this point, is a failure.
It is going to be very hard for the president to change those people’s minds. Iraq is the millstone around the president’s neck, and unless the course of events there changes radically and palpably—and soon—George W. Bush as a political force is probably doomed. Sure, he’ll offer a passel of domestic proposals tonight on energy, health care and education. But who will listen? Who will follow his lead?
Even in the president’s own party, his influence has dimmed. Who today would describe himself or herself wholeheartedly as “a Bush Republican”?
So tonight marks a tough moment for the president. But he’s got no choice except to soldier on. As Harry Truman said, “Being president is like riding a tiger. A man has to keep riding, or get swallowed.” Right now, that tiger is breathing down Bush’s neck.
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I can’t believe ABC lets a Bush-despising partisan hack such as yourself report supposed news.
Your analysis of Bush’s state of the union addresses was so unbeleivably biased I could hardly get through it.
I’ve been a faithful Nightline viewer for many years and have always appreciated it as a welcomed alternative to Leno and Letterman.
Your show needs Koppel back. Say what you will about the man, but at least he gave the appearance of impartiality; you don’t even bother to attempt to display that appearance, and it’s waring thin.
Posted by: Brad Metzger | January 24, 2007, 3:17 am 3:17 am
I can’t forget the witch-hunt that ensued after 911 to any dissenting voice in the media …
a voice that said ‘no’to war,
‘no’ to American foreign policy,
‘no’ to the so-called ‘patriot act’.
Surely the tide has turned, but what of the casualties of the Bush/Fox ‘either you’re with us or you’re against us’ mentality?
Maybe those silenced voices would have some pertinent input on the current political climate in America.
Or are they all vacationing in Guantanamo Bay?
Posted by: jm burkard | January 24, 2007, 5:25 pm 5:25 pm
just a post script on that tiger,
a hunter sees a tiger and thinks, ‘that would be a perfect trophy’, the tiger sees the hunter and thinks, ‘lunch.’
Posted by: jm burkard | January 24, 2007, 6:45 pm 6:45 pm
I am a “Bush Republican”. Love him. Hate your show.
Posted by: Carol A | January 25, 2007, 11:37 am 11:37 am
“Bush Republicans” should take note of the fact that trying to stop this president from causing any more damage has now become a bipartisan effort.Many, many staunch Republicans are horrified by the discredit he’s brought to their party. The polls make clear that the “Bush” problem has crossed the political lines, and become an “American” problem. Neither Democrats or Republicans are willing to suffer this fool any longer.
JMHO….. Scarlett
Posted by: Scarlett McCarthy | January 27, 2007, 8:37 am 8:37 am
I heard of an incident that happen a few years ago, and it is suppose to be a true account on just how dumb humans can be at times.
It goes like this, “two men were in a car driving home from a party; the man who own the car had gotten drunk at the party, and could not drive so he asked his friend to drive the car because he had not been drinking and was sober. Up to this point the story seems smart, the bad part is that the second man though sober; he was blind. When they were finally pulled over by the police, The officer said to the blind man what in the world would convince you to drive a car knowing that you cannot see? To this he replied that his friend was to drunk to drive, so he thought he could get them home safely by listening to the drunks guidance on how to steer the car.
G.W. And all of us in the car with him?
Posted by: geowood | January 30, 2007, 11:32 am 11:32 am
I can hardly believe how stupid most americans are today. live for the now right? As if Pres Bush can publically say what and why all the reasons are for us being in Iraq. Ya, he is supposed to tell us all about the lying backstabbing leaders in most all the countries in the region, and that despite what their leaders say- intelligence says that we need to be close for immanent strategic reasons. but why think about tomarrow. why be smart a keep a base like we did with germany after WW2? that would make too much sense
Posted by: Ryan | January 31, 2007, 6:32 pm 6:32 pm
President Bush is a DISGRACE to our country and should be impeached before he can cause anymore damage than he already has, when more than half of the country disaproves of the president we have a BIG problem. Besides that remember we didn’t even vote for him in the first place.. Long live GORE!!!
Posted by: Gary | February 1, 2007, 9:40 am 9:40 am
Liberal hatred of Bush at this point is disgusting. You’re so predictable “I hate Bush, The War is wrong, I’m so smart, you’re so stupid, Islam is peaceful, America is bad, France is good, Insert snide generic comment about 2000 election…” You all sound mentally ill.
Posted by: Ben | February 16, 2007, 10:43 am 10:43 am