In every politician's career there is a crisis in which that politician has a choice to make. He can either face adversity and make the tough decision to try a truly new, often humbling alternative. Or, he can stand firm, inflexible, determined to do as he's always done. One politican will succeed, ensuring his legacy as an honest broker, a true representative of the people. The other will fail, doomed to be relegated to the dusty pile of forgotten public servants who make up the majority of America's elected officials throughout history.
These choices are made every day. On no stage, however, is this choice more apparent than with the President of the United States. On January 10, 2007, President Bush faced his moment of crisis.
The President had a choice to make, regarding a crisis that is different than most. The President is faced with a crisis of his own making. The President created this crisis when he took action designed, he thought, to cement his legacy not as a failed empire builder, but as a giver of Jeffersonian democracy and, maybe peace, to a hopelessly unstable part of the world.
Mr. Bush, proudly stubborn and inflexible, has had many crisis moments, mostly related to Iraq, and most of his own creation. This President faced crisis about his reasons for going to war. In each case, he has been inflexible, choosing to look macho, rather than to be an honest broker, and leader, for his constituents and the world.
He stated Iraq was responsible for 9-11. It was quickly demonstrated to be a lie. He did not back down from the statement until just this past year. He claimed Iraq had WMDs designed to destroy its neighbors, and us. When it was proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt that there were no WMDs, he made fun of his stupidity at a dinner, but never apologized for lying to us.
Finally, the President settled on a nebulous goal of bringing democracy to Iraq. It was the goal of a power hungry mad man, whose main desire is forcing the world to be re-made in his own image, rather than a noble goal, designed to bring people together.
The President stammered through choices before he settled on the predictable outcome of January 10. He had two main choices. The President could either take a bold, new course, based in rational thought, and diplomacy. Or, the President could be inflexibel, rigid, do what he's always done: be a macho man who listens to his gut, not reality.
The President approached the nation at 9PM on Wednesday. Only the President could know exactly what he would say, but all of us knew the gist of his statement. He did not disappoint. He did not surprise us. He did not give the majority of Americans reason to celebrate. No, this President made a choice, based in his rigid belief that he is always right, that only he, not advisors, the voters, public opinion, educated analysts, his father's cronies, or even the endless suffering of the Iraqis could possibly have an idea of how to solve this problem.
I imagine that Mr. Bush views this latest step as a bold, courageous vision. But, it is not. It is merely more of the same. It is more needless suffering. It is more needless spending. It represents the grasping for straws that is carried out by the paranoid coward, who sees his plans, reality, and friends slowly eluding his grasp.
The President has made his choice in crisis. He has decided to be the 'Decider,' not the humble, clear thinking leader we, and the world, so desperately need.
We watched, we gasped, and, but for the fact this President has caused so much harm, we cast him into that dusty pile.