Consignment – Bit Parts, B - Movies

Franklin Roosevelt once confided to Orson Welles that they were the two best actors in America. Many occupants of the White House recognized that the presidency was the greatest role on the largest stage in the world, and FDR was simply the first to spin it out in a stage whisper for all to hear. More than a generation later, the most accomplished practitioner of thespianism in the history of La Casa Blanca, Ronald Reagan, entered stage right, and his time in the role exceeded even Franklin’s at least for sheer show business acumen.

Apparently the present tenant of the Executive Mansion doesn’t realize some of his more illustrious predecessors were play acting and that when they said their lines many of them were for effect and not really carved in marble. FDR and the Gipper, for example, were among the most resolute of leaders and uttered among the strongest of proclamations. But lost on Bush 43 was the flexibility of Roosevelt and Reagan – and others; they were able to turn on a dime when it was warranted – or they were forced - and their ability to hide from their left hands what the rights were doing was sufficient to dazzle their audiences – if not their critics.

Watching Bush knuckle under to Senator John McCain on the torture issue and in other cases we see just what an amateur actor this president is; he fools no one when he claimed that it was his idea all along that torture should never be practiced in our names. This president is both rigid in his touch and incompetent in his ability to make the forced change in course to have been his, the captain’s, idea.

This president is also clumsy in presenting his arguments. For example, in Sunday (12/18/05) night’s speech he pounded his opponents for defeatism for thinking that the U.S. cannot win in Iraq. The number of his critics in Congress who are calling for immediate pullout is very small and his awkward attempts to lump those who are pushing for the fastest possible withdrawal from Iraq consistent with a reasonable chance for Iraqi success with extremists on the left just isn’t working. The majority of Bush’s critics – especially in Congress - of the war aren’t saying we can’t succeed at some level; they’re saying the price we’re paying for not getting out as quickly as possible is too high.

All of his efforts to cow his opponents for defeatism fail essentially because a greater number of people are coming to realize that he’s talking about the wrong subject. We attacked a country that was not a mortal threat to us or our friends, and we’re stuck with the president’s bad decision. Most of those opposed to the war are not calling for immediate pullout; we’re going along with him and those in Congress prodding him to get the troops out ASAP. His bad decision and his lack of presence are the reasons he can’t seem to pull this off.

And, of course, most of us opposed to what he’s wrought are fighting – apparently successfully – to keep the eyes of the voters on the calamity that the president created with his war. He didn’t keep his eye on the War on Terror, and down the pike many of those in Congress who continue to claque for him will be getting discharge papers from that conflict.

Maybe acting lessons would help. Na!

Blog on!

Wild Bill