Looking in the rearview with 20/20 hindsight, he wasn’t much of a President; certainly, his prosection of the War On (Some) Terror was inept, while the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security and TSA bureaucracies was downright abominable. Similarly, his mischaracterization of Pisslam as “the religion of peace” was as idiotic as it was revolting. Especially insulting, that last, coming as it did mere days after the death, destruction, and disaster wreaked in the name of that same blood-soaked pseudoreligion.
But damned if he wasn’t the President we needed most in this singular moment.
October 30th, 2001.
George W. Bush throws what might be the most memorable first pitch in baseball history.
Wearing a bulletproof vest, President Bush throwing a strike from the top of the mound was exactly what the country needed that day. pic.twitter.com/9V5DvjlU7w
— Matt Lisle (@CoachLisle)
I tuned in and watched as it happened, and like Dubya’s brief but rousing, note-perfect “I can hear you” remarks from the still-smoking rubble of 9/11, it was nothing short of awesome. More:
On October 30, 2001, at Game 3 of the World Series, President George W. Bush walked from the New York Yankees dugout to the pitcher’s mound to throw out the first pitch. The nation’s wounds from the September 11, 2001 terror attack were still raw. Bush, striding with purpose and conviction, was followed by cameras as he marched across the field. Later we would learn that he was wearing a bulletproof vest, but at that point in time we didn’t know.
Yankee Stadium, filled with many New Yorkers who had likely voted against Bush, roared with approval.
Bush took the mound, stared down at the catcher, reared back and threw a strike.
Yankee Stadium came undone.
It’s one of the most iconic sports moments of the 21st century, a time when all Americans, regardless of their race or politics,
Or gender! Mustn’t forget gender, damn your transphobic eyes!
came together to celebrate the common humanity of sports and the healing power of competition. The message on that night was clear: America was undaunted, we would not be defeated by terrorists. Games of sport, small as they might be in the larger geopolitical stakes, were important markers of America’s resilience and playing and attending them sent an important message: we would not let the terrorists win.
In the generation since that moment, Bush’s pitch has continued to reverberate throughout history.
As well it should—indeed, MUST, lest we break faith with the memory of the innocent thousands cruelly and wantonly slaughtered by 10th-century Muzzrat savages on that terrible morning.
(Via Ed)
Update! Just thought of a classic quote from…oh heck, who was it, Churchill, maybe? Can’t remember right now; it definitely sounds like something Churchill woulda said, anyhow. I read it someplace years and years ago and the basic meaning behind it stuck with me ever since, if not the exact wording. At any rate, it went something along the lines of “The statesman in time of war must grow to match the proportion of his appointed task. If he does not, he shall utterly fail his country, his people, and himself.”
Fits Shrubya the Chimperor (remember those? Bet ya do) to a fare-thee-well, seems to me: an essentially small, venal mediocrity who against all odds and expectations rose to the challenge in its immediate wake, then went back to being just another Deep State cock-a-roach afterwards.
- Entries
The Bush (spit) family turned out to be so damn bad that I have a hard time giving any credit to either of the bastards. For whatever reason I believe both of them are/were in the pockets of the Saudi’s. Nothing they did was ever done purely for the benefit of Americans.
And I’ll just remind you readers that George Bush (W) looked into Putin’s eyes and declared he “trusted him”. Now years later he has explained that was because he wanted a relationship on good terms with Putin, and a reporter asked the question and he couldn’t say “no, I don’t trust him”. As much as I despise Bush, I believe him.
Bush on the Putin Biz
It’s more what we lost under Bush, the advancement of the deep state, the surveillance not of terrorists but of Americans, and obama.
Bush’s screw ups* led directly to obama, the worst president and an anti-American, probably working hard for the other side(Iran). Bush 1 & 2 never had a bad thing to say about Obama, but they could sure mouth off about an actual American, Donald Trump.
*it’s a long list, start with Iraq…
No argument on any count, Barr. I’d almost forgotten about that ridiculous “Pooty-poot” business. Just as he did with Bathhouse Barry and Dementia Joe both, Pooty-poot took Shrubya to the cleaners, made complete fools out of them all.
If you ever get a chance to read Flyboys by James Bradley, you definitely should. In it, Bush Sr comes off as a genuine, for-real hero, unbelievable as that may sound. Of course, he was a lot younger in those days. I really don’t have much use for either of the Bushes now, owing to the things you cited above.
Read it, own it, I think I have read all of Bradley’s books.
Bush isn’t the first man to honorably fight for his country, then in later years did less than he should have, perhaps even harmed the country outright.
I’m uncertain of how deep the rot is with the Bush family, but there is real rot there I am certain. 12 years wasted as far as I’m concerned.