[geeks] Religion and the Presidency

[Lionel Peterson]

On May 29, 2008, at 6:55 PM, Phil Stracchino <alaric at metrocast.net>  
wrote:

> Anthony Ortenzi wrote:
>> I remember watching a news conference a few years ago where Bush  
>> was asked
>> what mistakes he'd made, and he couldn't think of any.
>> The only way I could see anyone having the audacity to say  
>> something like
>> that is a complete disconnection from reality *or* having seen  
>> himself only
>> as a puppet and not having made decisions.  If the latter is true,  
>> is the
>> puppetmaster God, Cheney, or Rove?  I find none of those  
>> possibilities
>> acceptable.
>
> Can't disagree with any of that.  Considering how he kept insisting  
> "I'm the Decider", though, I think "complete disconnection from  
> reality" applies.

At the time it was a BS question - he *never* (afaik) ever said things  
always worked exactly as planned, which is what his opponents said his  
answer meant...

His assertion was he made the best decision he could, given the  
information he had *at the time he made his decisions*.

He said there were WMDs in Iraq because he believed it to be true, as  
did almost every elected official that saw the top secret breifings.  
That there weren't WMDs doesn't make his decision a mistake or wrong -  
it makes the info he and others in gov't got wrong... There is a  
difference.

Have you ever been asked "what was your biggest mistake?" Did you give  
an honest answer or did you spin the answer as a positive? (as in "I  
worked too hard, cared too much, etc.)

I can't remember the last sitting President that was asked such a  
stupid question - isn't it the job of the press and his opponents to  
talk about his mistakes??? Oh wait, "Boxers or briefs?"

Rock the Vote - yeah, that is the basis for choosing the next  
President. I loved Newt Gingrich's answer "Shame on you for wasting  
everyones time with such a meaningless question."

Lionel