George W. Bush

January 19, 2009

We’re on the cusp of witnessing history in the United States. A brief moment in time when the stars have aligned symbolizing unity and hope. Across the world, across party lines, across the races, masses of humanity will celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama. Then, the hard work will begin, hopes will be crushed, and the magic of Obama will begin its inevitable downward slide.

There is no denying how significant this particular transfer of power will go down in history. One can’t discount the twist of fate that finds the U.S. holiday marking the birthdate of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preceding this historic inauguration by one day. It’s hard not to find some parallels to the ascendency of two sons of Illinois, Abraham Lincoln, and Obama, both lawyers and state legislators, both advocates of human rights, and both successors of a top job left in a mess by its predecessor.

George Bush leaves office perceived as a bad President as much as Barack Obama has already been bestowed the honour by many as America’s greatest President, even though he hasn’t yet been sworn in. Along with that there’s been plenty of negative reaction in the media to a press conference George Bush gave last week, headlined all over the place as “Regret’s, I’ve had a few” summary of his Presidency. This of course has been followed with opinion pieces which have positioned the Bush Presidency at the top of the worst in history list — here, here, here, and here.

People should be careful about making bold declarations that the most recent President is history’s worst. Yes, the economy’s in the tank, America’s reputation abroad is a disgrace, the environment has been ignored, civil liberties are under enormous threat, and two unending big wars are a psychological drain. These calamities, all of the making under the Bush era, will most certainly stain his record, as much as the awkward position he was put in from an enormous event that was not of his making, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

So what will come from the successful outcomes of the Bush White House? The fact that he kept the U.S. free of terrorist acts after 9/11? Might the Bush legacy benefit if a terrorist act happens on American soil under Obama’s watch? What about the muted acclaim Bush has received for quietly doing better than any previous President in terms of sending aid to Africa to combat AIDS? What about the other merits to the Bush Presidency that have been drowned out with all the negative, including improved test scores for American students, better race relations, reforms to Medicare, and the removal of Saddam Hussein, the overthrowing of the Taliban, and restraint shown towards an aggressive North Korea, and Iran?

I’ve observed enough Presidencies in my 40 year life to recall the popular sentiment that the outgoing guy is the worst President in history is said of every outgoing President and it’s likely to be pronounced by some when Mr. Obama is finished his term of office. Think back to the past two double term Presidents, Clinton and Reagan, both reviled at the end but quietly rehabilitated with the passage of time and some scholarly reflection on their legacies. History will be the ultimate judge.

The magic of every Presidential honeymoon starts to be chipped away as soon as the oath of office is administered and the new guy starts to make decisions which inevitably divide the public into more distinctive groups, those who support the President and those who don’t. Much is expected of Obama and his failure to live up to expectations may very well herald the beginning of his demise in the days and weeks to come.

As much as I’m uncomfortable with the predictable rantings against Bush from the left as he leaves office, I’m also uneasy about the doubts from the right about Obama living up to expectations as he assumes the Presidency. That will inevitably come later but for the time being we should revell in the history we’re about to witness, all the trappings of ceremony and tradition, a smooth transfer of power, and the passing of a difficult eight years to a new era of hope and reinvigoration.

January 9, 2009

Here’s some photos of a certain gathering we don’t often see unless it’s at a funeral for a President:

WASHINGTON DC – In a historic meeting, current President George W. Bush met with President-elect Barack Obama and former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter on Wednesday, January 7th, at the White House.

During the meeting between the current, future, and former leaders of the free world, the men who have all shared the same office and powerful responsibilities talked about the duties of the office.

“One message that I have and I think we all share is that we want you to succeed,” said President George Bush to President-elect Barack Obama.

“Whether we’re Democrat or Republican, we care deeply about this country. And to the extent we can, we look forward to sharing our experiences with you. All of us who have served in this office understand that the office transcends the individual. And we wish you all the very best. And so does the country.”

President-elect Obama thanked President Bush for hosting the meeting and noted the opportunity to rely on the other men in the room in running the country.

“I just want to thank the President for hosting us,” said Obama. “This is an extraordinary gathering.”

“All the gentlemen here understand both the pressures and possibilities of this office. And for me to have the opportunity to get advice, good counsel and fellowship with these individuals is extraordinary. And I’m very grateful to all of them.”

The Presidential group had lunch in a room next to the Oval Office where they dined privately with no one else in the room.

“All of us would love to be flies on the wall and listening to that conversation,” White House press secretary Dana Perino said to the Associated Press.

The meeting of all of the current living Presidents of the United States is the first since President Ronald Reagan hosted leaders in the White House in 1981 with Reagan, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and future President George H.W. Bush present at the same time. source.

November 3, 2008

Well, the day has finally arrived. The millions of Americans who haven’t already voted in advance polls are today casting their ballots after a long two years of debates, party coronations, political conventions, primaries, and the comings and goings of umpteen wannabe Presidents of the United States.

The significance of this election is great. The hugely unpopular administration of George W. Bush draws to a close after having to preside over a late second term crisis which saw the unravelling of the sub prime mortgage crisis, the subsequent Wall Street meltdown, and the $750 billion banking bailout. All this capped off an already badly tattered image of a nation embroiled in a never ending war in Iraq.

I think it’s safe to say Americans have a hunger for better times, and that not many tears will be shed when George W. makes his final wave from the lawn of the White House before a helicopter points him towards exile in Crawford, Texas.

A horribly unpopular Republican presidency doesn’t do anything to help an intelligent, experienced, and respectable hopeful like John McCain assume controls of the ship of state. It also doesn’t help when the heir to the GOP is running against a young, charismatic, and gifted speaker promising change from the misery of the past four years.

For those simple reasons my bet is on Barack Obama winning this election. If it’s not going to be a landslide it’ll be a clear victory. The Congress will go in the Democrats favour making it all that more difficult for Obama to balance the challenges handed to him from the previous administration, and the expectations of implementing all that he promised in his whole Change mantra. It will be a difficult term to follow, for sure.

No matter how one feels about where Obama situates himself on the political spectrum, the historic significance of witnessing an African American become U.S. President is extraordinary. One gets the sense that these moments are actually major turning points in U.S. political history which only happen once in a generation.

Many worry that bigotry is the uncertain factor in this election and will scare millions into voting against Obama. I have no doubt rednecked folk, and some old people will go by that, but I think that that sentiment is in decline and won’t impact much on the results. Barack Obama transcends the politics of the old civil rights movement and he doesn’t espouse the hostility of old style African American Democrats like Jesse Jackson. He’s beyond that, and I think that makes Obama more palatable as a leader among non -African Americans.

I thought I’d compile a list of the most memorable words, names, and phrases of the 2008 Presidential campaign and some of my impressions.

Hillary and Bill Clinton became an insignificant force after Obama won the Democratic leadership. It’s expected Hillary’s silence was purchased with the promise of a plum job once Obama becomes President.

Hockey Mom was how Sarah Palin described herself when introduced to national audiences at the GOP convention.

Trig, Sarah Palin’s youngest child born with Down’s Syndrome. Rumors spread that it was actually Palin’s pregnant 17 year old’s daughter.

Drill, Baby, Drill was the conservative mantra at the GOP convention at a time when fuel costs were at record highs, and demand was being made for cheap domestic oil.

Joe the Plumber, or Sam Wurzelbacher, was recorded questioning Democratic candidate Barack Obama about his small business tax policy during a campaign stop in Ohio. Republicans exploited him as a cause celebre against the Democrats.

Spread the Wealth was how Obama planned to help the economy in the aftermath of the credit crunch. Republicans used this statement against Obama suggesting he’s a Socialist, even though redistribution of wealth is an obvious outcome after a government collects taxes.

Saturday Night Live became a hit during the campaign. Tina Fey‘s impression of Sarah Palin was a dead ringer. Ratings for the show soared, making SNL relevant.

$150,000 was how much it was revealed the Republican Party paid for Sarah Palin’s Vice Presidential wardrobe.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright and “not God bless America, but goddamn America”, as the reel looped endlessly to convey his inflammatory views. Obama was forced to distance himself from Wright, who was once his pastor.

The grandmother, who played a big part in raising Obama died on the day before the election. Obama took a couple days to visit her in Hawaii a week before her death.

Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State to George W. Bush, endorsed Obama, instead of McCain.

The Fundamentals of the Economy are strong so declared McCain in the midst of the Wall Street meltdown.

Europe was toured by Obama soon after he acquired enough party delegate votes. It was a huge international success.

George Bush was a big no show during the whole election campaign. He didn’t even bother to personally show up at the Republican convention, and one time supporters did what they could from tainting the campaign with his presence.

Yes we can was the slogan of the Obama campaign.

Maverick was used to describe John McCain for his independent political stances. More characteristic of the John McCain from the 2000 campaign.

Biden’s test remark was when he admitted an Obama presidency would face heightened international tensions as foreign rogue states test his limits.

Community Organizer was what Barack Obama was before becoming a civil rights attorney. Republicans mocked him for stating this as political experience.

Prisoner of War was what John McCain was for 5 years after his bomber was shot down during the Vietnam war.

ACORN, short for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Obama’s campaign hired an ACORN affiliate for $800,000 to conduct a get-out-the-vote effort during the 2008 primary. McCain’s campaign released a web-based ad suggesting ACORN was partly responsible for the 2008 economic crisis.

Bill Ayers co-founded in 1969, the radical left organization the Weather Underground, which conducted a campaign of bombing public buildings during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1995, Ayers hosted “a coffee” for “Mr. Obama’s first run for office.” Republicans used this to convince voters that Obama has ties to terrorism.

Bush Doctrine was mentioned in a interview of Sarah Palin by ABC’s Charlie Daniels. He wanted Palin to give her impressions of this doctrine, as if anyone but academics are really familliar with it.

The market meltdown a luck may have it, happened dead in the middle of the Presidential race, just in time for the debates.

April 17, 2008

My boss declared with amazement this morning that a whole day went by and he didn’t hear one single complaint about yesterday’s cartoon as shown above. It’s the same boss who, early in his role as the Spec’s editorial page balked at running a relatively tame cartoon I drew around the death of Pope John Paul II. The incident of its spiking even got the attention of the author David Wallis, who included it in his 2006 book entitled “Killed Cartoons“.

Anyway, a colleague here suggested the reason I’m not getting feedback on the red shoe cartoon is because most of the area’s defensive Roman Catholics are in the midst of their pilgrimages to Washington D.C. and New York City. However, it seems the newspapers I syndicate are taking a pass on running.

I just received one letter of outrage:

As much as I am a fan of Graeme MacKay’s political cartoons I do feel that this one is pushing the boundaries as far as is possible without inciting riots la Danish cartoons negatively portraying Mohammad.

I am certainly no George W. Bush sympathizer but depicting him as the devil does seem to be pushing those aforementioned boundaries. Furthermore, the cartoon also paints the Prada-wearing Pope in a negative light. As the cartoon certainly seems to be a reference to the hit movie The Devil Wears Prada, are we to assume MacKay sees both men as instruments of darkness? As a Catholic, this cartoon deeply offends me and I hope in the future MacKay thinks twice before attacking the spiritual leader of one billion people.

Marco Fortino, Hamilton

May 8, 2007

When picking fruit a grower has to know when the time is right to pick. Likewise for cartoonists the trick to drawing a good cartoon is to be timely — being careful not to get a cartoon out too early and ahead of an anticipated event, and not to get out too late after an issue has passed being part of the public discourse.

Yesterday was one of those days (almost any Monday) when I struggled to decide what topic I was going to draw on and it wasn’t until the middle of the afternoon that I began to embark on the subject of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to George Bush’s White House. When you consider my deadline of 5:00 in the afternoon that’s not a lot of time.

When I sat down with the Ed board at 10:30 am yesterday I told them I was considering 1 of 2 options; a cartoon about the election of Nicholas Sarkozy as the new President of France; Or, a cartoon on the news that Hamilton councillor Sam Merulla was considering running as a candidate in the upcoming provincial election — something he promised in last years’ local election he wouldn’t run in. Figuring neither of those topics really mattered to Spectator readers I changed course.

Time ticked by and Aha! David Radler was testifying before the Conrad Black trial in Chicago! Throughout the morning and afternoon the news networks were following every minute detail of the event, David Radler looking very tanned, David Radler being sworn in, Conrad Black coldly eyeing his nemesis and alter ego as he took the witness stand — gripping stuff — if you’re a journalist. Do readers really care all that much about Radler’s first day at the Conrad Black trial? I think the jury’s out on that, and even they are dosing off.

There was a lot of hemming and hawing by me yesterday before I thought I’d do something on the Queen in the USA. Compared to Sarkozy, Merulla or David Radler does the Queen’s visit really matter much to readers? None of them really do, there are just some days when the pickings are slim.

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FEEDBACK

This cartoon is GREAT, it seems the Canadan people have a much better understanding of bush than many citizens of the U.S.  By the way, what do you think of the “North American Union” thing our Governments are cooking up in secret.  Between you and I, I think it stinks !!  We’re already supporting half of Mexico and I don’t care to addopt the rest of the country.  I like our Constitution, although we don’t seem to be using it too much anymore, and I’m sure the Canadian people want to retain control over their own country also.

Cal Wellander
Saugus, Ca. U.S.A.

(May 11, 2007)