Bush, A Comparison

[Texsox]

I was holding this analogy back a couple years ago but thought I'd toss it out there today.

 

A couple years ago I felt that eventually there would be some great parallels in Bush and Carter's Presidencies. Good, decent men, but largely ineffective as President. Now I'm thinking Carter will be judge better based on the death toll in Iraq. Although I am certain the GOP crowd will point to Iraq in placing him ahead of Carter. Either way, Bush fails in any comparison heading back to Carter.

 

I have and still do think Bush is a decent, moral, man. Starting six months or so after 9/11 his Presidency started to suck and I don't think he has ever recovered, much like the Iran Hostage crippled Carter. There isn't a situation or yard stick from the economy, the US budget, gas prices, etc. that Bush and Co. hasn't blamed on 9/11 and there is probably more truth to that than false blame.

 

Final note, some problems are too big for any one President. Sometimes timing is everything. The Beatles and Reagan benefited from the US population wanting to shed the doldrums and have some fun, feel good about themselves, and kick some ass. Clinton also sparked Americans to don't stop thinking about tomorrow.

 

Being a cheerleader is grossly underrated in a President, but in the final count, it may be the most important thing.

[retro1983hat]

First, I saw an interview from Geraldine Ferraro where she listed all the things that were wrong in American in 1984 and she was asked why her party lost 49-1 in electoral states. She said that she asked a Democrat that was voting for Regan why they were and the voter said, "Because we are standing tall." She said she had no defense for someone feeling proud to be an American and feeling the president had something to do with it.

 

Anyways, I think Iraq has been a disaster but I think Bush will be remembered for having to deal with several enormous tragedies: 9/11, Katrina and Iraq. More than most recent presidents had to deal with.

[Balta1701]

Anyways, I think Iraq has been a disaster but I think Bush will be remembered for having to deal with several enormous tragedies: 9/11, Katrina and Iraq. More than most recent presidents had to deal with.

And it's worth noting the fact that, while it is debateable as to how much for each of them, the administration shares at least some of the blame for each of those (And yes, some passes on to the Clinton admin as well, so give me a little slack here). The failure to adequately do anything to make use of the months before 9/11, the failure to go after Bin Laden afterwards, the abject failure of the federal response after Katrina, and especially on Iraq.

[NorthSideSox72]

And it's worth noting the fact that, while it is debateable as to how much for each of them, the administration shares at least some of the blame for each of those (And yes, some passes on to the Clinton admin as well, so give me a little slack here). The failure to adequately do anything to make use of the months before 9/11, the failure to go after Bin Laden afterwards, the abject failure of the federal response after Katrina, and especially on Iraq.

I actually think that Bush's biggest responsibility for Katrina that he failed on was before it happened - nominating a political cronie with zero EM background to head up FEMA.

[Texsox]

I actually think that Bush's biggest responsibility for Katrina that he failed on was before it happened - nominating a political cronie with zero EM background to head up FEMA.

 

Yeah, that one bit him in the ass. Do we know who below Bush championed that pick? I assume Bush didn't do all the research on this.

[Balta1701]

Yeah, that one bit him in the ass. Do we know who below Bush championed that pick? I assume Bush didn't do all the research on this.

Bush's first FEMA director, Joe Allbaugh, hired Mr. Brown originally at FEMA after he was fired from his horse trading job. Mr. Allbaugh came into that role with a very strong emergency management background; his main job beforehand was as head of Mr. Bush's 2000 election campaign. The 2 of them together presided over the rapid decline of FEMA from a professional organization that was constructed during the Clinton years to the joke we saw trying to respond to Katrina. Allbaugh left in 2003 to make a personal fortune by starting a company dedicated to helping other companies make money by getting contracts in Iraq.

Edited April 17, 2007 by Balta1701

[Texsox]

Bush's first FEMA director, Joe Allbaugh, hired Mr. Brown originally at FEMA after he was fired from his horse trading job. Mr. Allbaugh came into that role with a very strong emergency management background; his main job beforehand was as head of Mr. Bush's 2000 election campaign. The 2 of them together presided over the rapid decline of FEMA from a professional organization that was constructed during the Clinton years to the joke we saw trying to respond to Katrina. Allbaugh left in 2003 to make a personal fortune by starting a company dedicated to helping other companies make money by getting contracts in Iraq.

 

To be fair, a good manager doesn't exactly need industry specific skills. I'll take Bill Gates running a horse farm over a lot of people with experience. But, these guys maight have been over their heads running agencies that large.

[Balta1701]

To be fair, a good manager doesn't exactly need industry specific skills. I'll take Bill Gates running a horse farm over a lot of people with experience. But, these guys maight have been over their heads running agencies that large.

I think that the Clinton administration is actually a good example. When Clinton came into office, it was shortly after Bush 1 had been criticized for the Federal Government's poor response to Hurricane Andrew. So when Clinton came in, he brought with him someone who not only he could trust, but who had experience in disaster managment; the guy who held the emergency management position in Arkansas with him, James Lee Witt.

[Texsox]

I think that the Clinton administration is actually a good example. When Clinton came into office, it was shortly after Bush 1 had been criticized for the Federal Government's poor response to Hurricane Andrew. So when Clinton came in, he brought with him someone who not only he could trust, but who had experience in disaster managment; the guy who held the emergency management position in Arkansas with him, James Lee Witt.

 

I'm not saying they were good picks, just saying that industry experience alone doesn't make or break a candidate. I like William Gates, and think there were any number of agencies he could have run.

[Balta1701]

I'm not saying they were good picks, just saying that industry experience alone doesn't make or break a candidate. I like William Gates, and think there were any number of agencies he could have run.

Let me put it this way...I think that emergency management involves a specific set of skills that not necessarily every good manager would have. You have to be able to coordinate sudden shifts in everything under you, have half of your people out of contact, not know which information you're receiving is credible, and still manage to follow your procedures. With experience, I think that a lot of good managers would become good at that job. But I wouldn't want to just give it to a good manager if that manager had no experience in dealing with exactly that sort of crisis situation, even if that good manager was the richest man in the world.

 

Anywho, it's not like we even got good managers into those jobs, so dah well.

[Texsox]

Let me put it this way...I think that emergency management involves a specific set of skills that not necessarily every good manager would have. You have to be able to coordinate sudden shifts in everything under you, have half of your people out of contact, not know which information you're receiving is credible, and still manage to follow your procedures. With experience, I think that a lot of good managers would become good at that job. But I wouldn't want to just give it to a good manager if that manager had no experience in dealing with exactly that sort of crisis situation, even if that good manager was the richest man in the world.

 

Anywho, it's not like we even got good managers into those jobs, so dah well.

 

All things I agree with. I was thinking more in generalities, for example, I could see the CIA Chief coming from outside the Agency.

[NorthSideSox72]

Let me put it this way...I think that emergency management involves a specific set of skills that not necessarily every good manager would have. You have to be able to coordinate sudden shifts in everything under you, have half of your people out of contact, not know which information you're receiving is credible, and still manage to follow your procedures. With experience, I think that a lot of good managers would become good at that job. But I wouldn't want to just give it to a good manager if that manager had no experience in dealing with exactly that sort of crisis situation, even if that good manager was the richest man in the world.

 

Anywho, it's not like we even got good managers into those jobs, so dah well.

Being solid in emergency management is most closely akin to being a strong military leader, particularly as a battle tactician. A regular business manager would probably be a poor fit.