http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_charles__060107_the_war_president.htmhere are the first four paragraphs by charles sullivan's op-ed, "The War President--Creating the Illusion of Toughness and Courage" ... you can read the entire opinion piece by clicking on the link.
Clearly, George Bush embraces the image of being a tough, strong and decisive leader. In his well choreographed speeches he often refers to himself as the ‘war president’ with a cocky smirk on his face and a glint in his eye. He comfortably bandies about terms like ‘terrorists’ and ‘protecting the American people’ with reckless abandon. Evidently, Bush has come to believe this manufactured clap trap about himself. If only he were that man.
Like all things connected with the Bush regime, the reality of George Bush is the exact opposite of the image crafted by Karl Rove and his skillful handlers. George Bush has roughly the same mental capacity as the darling of the neocons, Ronald Reagan (when he was living). Even his staunchest ally, Margaret Thatcher, said that Reagan didn’t “have much between the ears.” Ronald Reagan was the great prevaricator. His presidency was a sham characterized by corruption and death. Like his pretend cowboy hero, George Bush is nothing more than an empty suit, as devoid of character, heart and conscience as was Ronald Reagan.
It is no accident that Bush was selected to serve the interests of empire. He is an ideal subject. Like Reagan, Bush is mere window dressing—the creation of public relations firms. Frankly, the war time president lacks the mental capacity and the moral character to manage a Laundromat, much less complex US foreign policy. The people who are really running the government prefer men like Reagan and Bush. It is easy to control them—men who have little intellectual capacity, no conscience, and no soul. It was no accident that Reagan was chosen to be president because of his experience as an actor. The whole of his presidency, second only to the Bush regime in criminality, was as choreographed as a Hollywood production. It was a work of utter fiction that was bought by an adoring but ignorant public.
The dwindling few who continue to insist upon defending the Bush presidency do so because they admire his perceived toughness and his apparent decisiveness. To his admirers Bush exudes the viral traits of manliness that white skinned conservatives so admire, even if they aren’t real. They worship the empty suit, while ignoring the vacant man wearing it.