The End Of An Error...

...and he's got about a week to go...

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Look at the little 'Bush Term Ends' countdown-clock in the left margin. When I placed it there, long about three years ago, it seemed like we'd never get to this point. And here we are. George W. Bush is doing 'exit-styled' press conferences and interviews, while Barack Obama has basically Been President since he returned from his Holiday vacation. That's right, Obama's basically Been President for almost Three Weeks before actually doing the Swearing-In thing. And before that, we were just mostly swearing. ***&(&%@!!!

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All of the retrospectives on the Bush Prezzidency (and there's been lots of 'em) seem to revolve around two major points: The Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina. It's been documented that lies, half-truths and no-truths were employed to get us into Iraq, and Katrina was a major disaster all its own that Mr. Bush has tried to rationalize over and over again. It turns out he was doing a photo-op in Sunny Arizona with Senator John McLame when Katrina was raging away in The Big Easy. It took a lot longer than it should've to get any kind of assistance to the greater majority of people in New Orleans. Bill Clinton, a master of the Philander, was, in comparison, at Every Major Weather Disaster in America almost before it happened, during his Prezzidency. And in comparison, Bush was...'nowhere'.

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Anyhow, those two things have pretty-much Defined The Bush Prezzidency. If not for those Two Things, Bush would have just had a 'fairly lame' Prezzidency, which would have been compared to, say, Millard Fillmore's or Zachary Taylor's. And now, with our economy approaching Great-Depression-Era levels, Bush is being compared unfavorably to Herbert Hoover, whom many blamed for all kinds of nasty economic things in the 1930's. Personally speaking, I can sum up in one word what I've felt during the Bush Administration: NOTHING. No inspiration, no idealism, no believability, no personality, no communication, just plain old nothing. And now the aforementioned retrospectives on TV are making it ever more clear how bad of a Prezzident he's been. I'm still not clear how he managed to get RE-elected. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on ALL OF US. Or at least those who voted to get him re-elected.

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"Who Am I, and What Am I Doing?"

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He's probably a decent enough guy to have as, say, a next door neighbor, perhaps, and maybe he's looking forward to being a Private Citizen. And it's gotta be hard to be George W. Bush these days. He's leaving with an astronomically bad approval rating, which means, basically, No One Likes Him Or Wants Him...heck, that's gotta be quite a burden for him to carry. So, he's off to Texas, probably the only place in the world that'll welcome him with open arms. Or at least, welcome him somewhat. Still, he runs all kinds of risks there...say, for instance, he takes a walk in downtown Dallas...he's bound to hear people snickering, "hey, there goes that Lame Guy who Used to be Prezzident, ha ha ha..."

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So what's he gonna do, beginning January 21st? It doesn't look like anyone will be seeking the advice of Dubya, The Former Prezzident, once Obama takes office. I'm not sure anyone's going to tap into Mr. Bush's vast wealth of Prezzidential experience anytime soon. I'm fairly sure he'll not be giving $1,000-a-plate dinner speeches before various political or charitable organizations, and it sure doesn't look like any post-Prezzidential influence he may have is gonna work for him in any tangible way. He'll be lonelier than the Wichita Lineman (remember that old Glen Campbell song?). He can, perhaps, be Chief Curator of his Prezzidential Museum, which will house the most complete collection of comic books ever assembled...(okay, granted, that's a low blow, but I'd say right now his options are fairly limited).

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What's there left for Mr. Bush to do? He once said that he really likes to clear weeds on his Texas ranch. I guess he'll have plenty of opportunity to do that soon. Of course, he'll be living with the Missus in the Bush's newly-purchased home in Dallas. I can imagine, after 8 years of her husband's Prezzidency, Laura Bush shook George by the collar and said, "I'm tired of this Prezzidential thing! I'm sick of Politics! I'm tired of being the quiet First Lady who always tried to make you look good! We're gonna live in Dallas, not on that stupid ranch, and that's THAT". "Yes, dear..." So, there he'll be...George W. Bush mounting the rider mower, going 'round in circles, cutting the grass at his suburban Dallas home...after which he'll take his spray bottle of Ortho-Kill, taking Great Personal Pride every time he zaps a Dandelion into oblivion.

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But before I end this post, come along with me as I explore the Political Parallel Universe, in which things could've turned out much worse during the Bush Prezzidency. Indulge me here, please...imagine, if you will, how things would've been with Dubya as Prezzident and Sarah Palin as VICE-Prezzident? Now, that would've been the Classic Disaster Ticket. Bush and Palin...a really tragicomical political sort-of "Ships In The Night" scenario. Thing is, that's such a bad idea, it almost makes sense. After all, if George Bush goes fishing in the Rio Grande, he'll be able to actually See Mexico From The Other Side...ack...

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I'm not a Grateful Dead-head, but here's where I have to agree with that the sentiment in one of that band's songs: "What a long strange trip it's been." Enjoy your Prezzidential Pension, Mr. Bush...