Smart Bush, Dumb Bush

I never know which George W. Bush is going to show up, the smart one or the dumb one. Wednesday, during a photo and question op with the President of Poland, the President of the United States seemed confident, articulate, and a master of his material. At least half the time, however, he seems unsure, unprepared, and he stumbles his way through appearances. That kind of presentation may have seemed folksy or quaint during his first term, but with his poll numbers plummeting, and a plethora of crises swirling around him, his own performance often contributes to our negative feelings. It is as if we are willing to support the Smart Bush, but we have little patience with the Dumb Bush. And it seems as if lately he has been getting Dumb and Dumber. We may not need an intellectual in the Oval Office, but we need someone who, by his demeanor, can inspire the public’s confidence. We don’t have that now, at least not consistently.