I don't know WHAT I was expecting, but it wasn't what I saw. I thought, maybe a smidgen of humility. Some minor regrets. A view of the world and his Presidency with a little depth and some thoughtfulness.
No. Got none of that. And while I certainly never cared for the man while he was President, my opinion of him after this interview has actually dived lower. He showed his true self last night.
And, ladies and gentlemen, it's all solidly true.
George W. Bush is an arrogant, nasty, callous, self-righteous little prick.
I know, for some, that's nothing new, but, understanding human nature, there's always the acknowledgment that people are more complex than they lead us to believe - that the cardboard cut-out version we see can't really be all there is in the pure light of day. That, somehow, without the trappings of the Presidency, a true human being would appear, one with traits we can identify with.
Instead, I challenge anyone to find a positive word to say about this horrible human being after that insulting, ugly interview he gave last night. In a word, this man is an abomination. An abomination that feels his opinion is divine.
Take, for example, his assessment of the lowest moment in office (Guardian):
Yet in his opinion, the worst moment of his presidency, according to Bush, and his suddenly hyperactive body language testified to the truth of his belief in this statement, was not any losses of life in Iraq, Afghanistan, New York or New Orleans – it was being criticised by Kanye West on TV who claimed that the president's slow reaction to the victims of Katrina proved he "doesn't care about black people":
"I didn't appreciate it then, and I don't appreciate it now," he said stoutly, as though the consistency of his reaction somehow gave it more credibility, drumming his fingers manically.
"I wonder if some people are going to read this and they might give you some heat for it," said Lauer.
"Don't care," barked Bush, like a spoilt toddler.
"You're not saying the worst moment of your presidency was watching the misery in Louisiana, you're saying it's because somebody insulted you because of it," continued Lauer.
Bush made an irritated exhalation: "I also make it clear that the misery in Louisiana affected me deeply as well."
But not as much as a diss by Kanye, mind.
In the small minded, egotistical world of George W. Bush, being told he was a racist was the pinnacle of infuriation. You could see it in his response. There was no perspective on WHY the claim was made, a more sympathetic, Presidential response about how his policies might have fostered that outlook and, sure, West was a little over-dramatic. But his angry retort was simply to call West a "racist" as well. Nice. Very Presidential.
And, furthermore, his BIGGEST concern during Katrina was not the lives that could be lost, the chaos that would ensue or the quickness of the national guard's response. It was usurping a democratic governor's authority in a primarily black city. Yes. The RIGHT RESPONSE to that disaster was not more important than HIS OWN PERSONAL POLITICS. Never has been for this man.
Waterboarding:
"Let's talk about waterboarding!" said Bush, with an eager, come-and-get-me arm gesture.
"Why is waterboarding legal?" asked Lauer.
"Because the lawyer said it's legal," Bush retorted.
"Would it be OK for a foreign country to waterboard an American?"
"All I ask is that people read the book," he replied, suggesting that maybe some kind of secret get out clause is hidden within its pages.
And Wall Street? Well, it was a sad day for him when he had to bail out the banks and not just let the economy take a nose dive. Went against his "principles." No connection as to how his regulation-free administration might have left the door open to the disaster we, the regular folks, face daily - and have - for the last four years or so. No. Just an accident.
And there was more. Much more than that. Not a whif of remorse, reflection or humility. Enough ugly moments for the average thinking person to shake their head and wonder how someone like this could have learned so little in so much time.
Most people in this world surprise me. They always prove to be more layered than they initially appear. Bad people sometimes show kindness when you least expect it. Others do things that completely contradict what you know about them.
I am constantly heartened by the depth of humanity in the least likely people. It is because of that that I tend to hold back a real internal, personal judgment of others until I honestly believe I know enough about them.
Well, after last night, I know enough about George W. Bush. This is NOT a good person. He is not a fine human being. He is the worst of us. Too bad he can't see that.