News Flash to Protestors: He Doesn't Care
Howard Fineman points out that the massive worldwide anti-war protests literally rolled off of Bush's back:
I don't know what the president was thinking, of course, when, with a characteristic frown and bite of the cheek, he noted that "evidently some of the world don't view Saddam Hussein as a risk to peace. I respectfully disagree." But I’ve covered Bush long enough to make an educated guess.
Here it is. Shaped by the Yale of the '60s and by his own father's career, the president views the demonstrators as weak-willed moral relativists, afraid to take on -- as only faith-filled and freedom-loving leaders can -- forces of evil on earth.
This is not exactly news. What makes Fineman's piece more interesting is that he illustrates his "Yale of the '60s" point with anecdotes from Bush's fratboy days.
Comments
Every time I'm reminded that our president is a Deke, it makes me nearly ill.
Posted by: Mark | February 20, 2003 8:19 AM
Media Whores Online offers an alternative hypothesis, that Bush is a right-wing religious loon.
At the very least, people are against attacking Iraq unilaterally for a lot of different reasons, which fact seems to roll off Bush like water off the proverbial duck's back.
I don't necessarily agree with the protestors, but I think it's never a good sign in a republic when the elected (or, depending on your perspective, "elected") leader feels obliged to respond to heartfelt criticism, however misguided, with a straw-man argument.
Posted by: Lex | February 24, 2003 3:54 PM