Frank Rich: A President Forgotten But Not Gone...Smaller Than Life

[Me.]

January 4, 2009
Op-Ed Columnist
A President Forgotten but Not Gone
By FRANK RICH

WE like our failed presidents to be Shakespearean, or at least large enough to inspire Oscar-worthy performances from magnificent tragedians like Frank Langella. So here, too, George W. Bush has let us down. Even the banality of evil is too grandiose a concept for 43. He is not a memorable villain so much as a sometimes affable second banana whom Josh Brolin and Will Ferrell can nail without breaking a sweat. He’s the reckless Yalie Tom Buchanan, not Gatsby. He is smaller than life.

The last NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll on Bush’s presidency found that 79 percent of Americans will not miss him after he leaves the White House. He is being forgotten already, even if he’s not yet gone. You start to pity him until you remember how vast the wreckage is. It stretches from the Middle East to Wall Street to Main Street and even into the heavens, which have been a safe haven for toxins under his passive stewardship. The discrepancy between the grandeur of the failure and the stature of the man is a puzzlement. We are still trying to compute it.

The one indisputable talent of his White House was its ability to create and sell propaganda both to the public and the press. Now that bag of tricks is empty as well. Bush’s first and last photo-ops in Iraq could serve as bookends to his entire tenure. On Thanksgiving weekend 2003, even as the Iraqi insurgency was spiraling, his secret trip to the war zone was a P.R. slam-dunk. The photo of the beaming commander in chief bearing a supersized decorative turkey for the troops was designed to make every front page and newscast in the country, and it did. Five years later, in what was intended as a farewell victory lap to show off Iraq’s improved post-surge security, Bush was reduced to ducking shoes.

He tried to spin the ruckus as another victory for his administration’s program of democracy promotion. “That’s what people do in a free society,” he said. He had made the same claim three years ago after the Palestinian elections, championed by his “freedom agenda” (and almost $500 million of American aid), led to a landslide victory for Hamas. “There is something healthy about a system that does that,” Bush observed at the time, as he congratulated Palestinian voters for rejecting “the old guard.” Cont...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/opinion/04rich.html?ref=opinion

[Skink]

1. If this spells the end of the Bush reign then so be it.

Obama has now been given the mandate to change the world.

[saltpoint]

2. Recommended.

Rich has owned Bush, right from the start.

This is the final sunday punch, and it's very strong.

[Me.]

15. Couldn't Be More Disdainful

So Rich

[saltpoint]

17. Yes. Rich and Bob Herbert both have been whomping Bush from the

git-go.

And very few whomp Bush as well.

A long while back in his presidency, whenever Bush would be on the radio in a news clip, I'd lunge for the dial and switch stations. He's almost impossible to tolerate.

I started skipping his State of the Union addresses, although I try to be dutifl and listen to any president's addresses but just could not loner stomach Dubya's. The first one I skipped I went out instead and saw MEET THE FOCKERS.

[Me.]

18. For Me It Was The Mute Button

Have barely heard that nasally, whiny voice

[saltpoint]

19. Excellent strategy.

And 16 more days to go.

[Me.]

21. Holding Steady

For the day I can relax my finger and change my avatar

[calimary]

52. Fifteen days to go. At least for another hour and a half.

Well, as of this writing, 10:30pm pacific time on Monday the 5th, that is.

[Me.]

3. More

"With this level of self-regard, it’s no wonder that Bush could remain undeterred as he drove the country off a cliff. The smugness is reinforced not just by his history as the entitled scion of one of America’s aristocratic dynasties but also by his conviction that his every action is blessed from on high. Asked last month by an interviewer what he has learned from his time in office, he replied: “I’ve learned that God is good. All the time.

Once again he is shifting the blame. This presidency was not about Him. Bush failed because in the end it was all about him."

[Captain Hilts]

4. Too little. Too late. Rich helped put him in the White House. nt

[Me.]

6. Quite The Opposite

As memory serves

[Captain Hilts]

31. I've gone back and read his '00 columns ridiculing Gore. Amazing. nt

[Me.]

35. Not Buying It

Rich didn't help Gore lose anything 'cause Gore didn't lose. The supremes overturned an election that Gore won. And as far as * goes, he's been golden.

[lolly]

47. Courtesy of Bob Somersby

Here's what Frank had to say about Gore and Bush in 00:

RICH (3/11/00): Eight months to go—but hey, who's counting?—and we're stranded with two establishment, tightly scripted, often robotic candidates who are about as different from one another as J. Crew and Banana Republic. Both are wealthy, Ivy-League-educated boomers who took safe paths through the Vietnam War, whose career advancement was greased by their dads, who advertise their intimacy with Jesus, who reek of smarmy soft money and who will do anything to win, whether it be Mr. Gore's lying about his own Congressional voting record in a debate or Mr. Bush's heartless exploitation of women's fears of breast cancer in a scurrilous attack ad.

RICH: In the true Clinton manner, both are also chameleons, ready to don new guises in a flash—from Mr. Gore's down-home wardrobe to Mr. Bush's last-minute emergence as a champion of campaign finance reform, patients' rights and clean air. The substantive disputes between the men are, in truth, minimal in a prosperous post-cold-war era when both parties aspire to Rockefeller Republicanism (literally so in that each standard-bearer is the prince of a brand-name American dynasty).

Yep, the two were exactly alike. Is Rich now willing to admit that maybe, just maybe, Bush is a wee bit different than the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize?

People like this made it "close enough to steal," and now they act like they knew all along what a disaster Bush would be.

[Joe Bacon]

43. Read Bob Somerby's Daiy Howler!

Bob's archives will show you how much Frank Rich HATED Al Gore and he lied any lie about him.

Http://www.dailyhowler.com

Frank Rich was one of the main presstitutes who enabled Bush to win!

[Me.]

45. Sigh

You may not like what Rich wrote about Gore but he did not win * the election. The entire Florida debacle and the supreme coup took from Gore what was rightfully his. And in the matter of * as resident, Rich has constantly held his feet to the fire.

[Joe Bacon]

51. No he has not

If you go through Bob's archives, you will see how Frank Rich kissed Bush's ass endlessly in the beginning of his term.

What Frank Rich writes now about his spurned buddy is too little and too late.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. You may be thinking of Richard Cohen.

Frank Rich has never liked Bush at all.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

10. You're right

Cohen was his usual suckass cheerleader self, all gung-ho for the invasion of Iraq. His recanting afterwards didn't do a thing (for me). Suckass.

Frank Rich, on the other hand, never took his foot off the back of Chimpy Fucknuts' neck, bless him.

[Captain Hilts]

32. Go back and read the '00 columns of how he ridiculed Gore. nt

[lolly]

44. Rich ridiculed and despised Gore relentlessly

I couldn't get the previous link to work, but try this from Daily Howler:

http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh060906.shtml

Rich trashed Gore relentlessly, mocked him nonstop, and apparently was at least partly responsible for the "Love Story" story.

Gore's crime, apparently, was that he was Bill Clinton's VP, and Rich couldn't find anything redeeming about anybody connected in any way with the Clinton's.

The ridicule of Gore by "liberals" was a big part of his defeat. Rich's recent columns are spot on; his own role in the carnage and greed he describes, however, is left unexamined.

[oldnslo]

5. Bush is the same size as the Geico gecko, maybe even smaller.n/t

[saltpoint]

7. Yes. And not nearly as well-spoken.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

9. The lizard

is smarter. And more appealing.

And probably would have done a better job as President.

It just hit me, as I read this: in a couple of weeks, there will be no more editorials about Fuckface. There won't be ANYTHING about Chimpy Fucknuts. He'll be gone. GONE.

GONE!!!!!!

It just really hit me.

I can't wait.

[saltpoint]

11. I'd vote for the lizard over Bush as well. No contest.

And yes, it is going to be a fine thing to look forward to a presidential address for a change.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

12. I was talking with a young friend,

a man who didn't remember JFK, but had seen lots of film and read a lot about him. He asked me if Obama would be as good as JFK.

My answer was, "He's better."

I remember JFK - don't we all? - and he spoke in PARAGRAPHS! Grammatically and logically and stylistically perfect paragraphs.

Obama may not have JFK's sense of humor or his Irish style, but he's got his own brand of grace, and his intellect, well, I think he's gonna make us forget the brilliance of Bill Clinton.

I think he's going to be the best President we've ever had.

[saltpoint]

16. Very good point on JFK -- his speaking in paragraphs.

And properly.

A literary president is a damned fine thing.

Obama is poised to make an even deeper mark, I agree.

[Captain Hilts]

33. So did Clinton, actually. But, I, too think Obama will be better than JFK...

for several reasons, one of which is that JFK is over-rated.

[pacalo]

42. There's no doubt that Obama has sparked an electricity that is comparable to that of JFK's magic.

I remember the effect JFK & Jackie had on this country: the hope, optimism, energy...not to mention Jackie's elegance & grace that influenced women to copy her fashion & hairstyles. It was a truly magical time that hasn't been seen since Obama & his family came into the picture, you betcha.

[blogslut]

13. Love you, Frank

Once again, you say it better than almost anyone.

[unblock]

14. his "stewardship [of] the heavens" has hardly been "passive"

he very actively sought to dismantle, undermine, reverse, and gut environmental protections in the name of getting government off the backs of filthy rich polluting corporations.

[IDemo]

20. Mike Luckovich has had Shrub sized up from the beginning

[Me.]

26. !

:thumbsup:

[autorank]

22. Me Me Me ..... Rich!

He's the best, imho. He thinks the way a commentator needs to in this age of delusion and
quackery.

Great post - :hi:

[Me.]

25. Groucho Time

If it walks like a duck...

[BlooInBloo]

23. What a dear, dear man he is.

[Me.]

24. Well Said

[Triana]

27. "The man who emerges is a narcissist with no self-awareness whatsoever."

As per usual, Frank Rich nailed Chimpy's ass right on the spot.

[Skittles]

28. thank you Mr Rich for being one of the sane ones

[Control-Z]

29. Little to argue -

except I will never forget the 8 years of his reign. He is a villain. I actively plan, but can only hope, to forget him.


The one indisputable talent of his White House was its ability to create and sell propaganda both to the public and the press. Now that bag of tricks is empty as well.

Yes, well there are some who saw an empty bag beginning on day one.

[SpiralHawk]

30. The k and the r

fer sure....Commander AWOL Bush should have to read this and face the truth about himself and his corrupt republicon cronies...

[salin]

34. How Rich! With some great imagery - my favorite from this column

is Rich's panning of Ws vow to not try to grab attention from the new president...
Lately he’s promised not to steal the spotlight from Barack Obama once he’s in retirement — as if he could do so by any act short of running naked through downtown Dallas.

How true - and what great imagery - esp. given the sense for years that Bush was the emperor with no clothes.

[tomreedtoon]

36. Pure WISHFUL thinking.

Bush is Freddy Krueger. He never dies. He will continue killing people long after he leaves office.

He started wars that have made sure that the rest of the world hates America and Americans. You should not travel outside the United States for the next decade if you value your life, because of the many foreign populations that want to kill Americans.

He's killed over three thousand Americans in his pointless war for oil, as well as hundreds of thousands of those aforementioned foreign populations. And those lives (as Clarence Goodbody, A.S. 2 reminds us) affect other lives. When an entire generation goes missing, it leaves an awful hole.

He's wrecked the economy and the environment, he's sheltered racists and bigots. He's changed Christianity from a collection of religions with at least a few good principles into shelters for homophobes and pedophiles. (This is what happens when you have a "state religion," folks.)

We are not rid of Bush. We will never be rid of Bush, any more than we will be rid of AIDS, and for the same reason - greed and self-interest will always conquer rationality and caution.

[CrispyQ]

37. I disagree on one point.

The one indisputable talent of his White House was its ability to create and sell propaganda both to the public and the press.

No effort was needed to 'sell' his propaganda to the press. They dutifully reported what they were told, like the pathetic puppets they are. The media are equally complicit in the death & destruction caused by the Bush administration.

[Cha]

38. Frank Rich captures bush's

"poor little me" essence of bush on target. Could bush be anymore heinous? I don't think so but the coporatemediawhores are equally guilty.

[Me.]

39. If It Wasn't So Criminal

It would be pathetically pitiful. Now 41 is touting Jeb for pres. They are such a shameless lot it's unimaginable.

[Cha]

40. It's for sure our work is

never done!

Happy 2009, Me:party:

[Me.]

41. Why Thank You

And to you. May this be the one we've all been waiting for.


:toast:

[shellgame26]

46. OUCH!!!

How scathing! But I wonder why these journalists are all just waking up now after the 8 year long nightmare?

[lolly]

48. Self-Incrimination?

Most don't seem capable of 'fessing up to their own complicity in this catastrophe.

It's fun for them all to jump on the carcass now that it's disabled.

[malaise]

50. Frank was with him before he was against him

How Rich! Still this was well written.

[Career Prole]

49. Scathing!

And rightfully so. If I was a churchie I'd have been yelling "Amen!" after every line of this critique.

:kick:
K & R!