George W. Bush

Everyone Gets A Prize

Steve Benen reminds us:

Presidents don't have to give televised farewell addresses at the end of their term. Indeed, George H. W. Bush didn't bother, preferring to let his record speak for itself. The son would have been wise to follow his father's example.

The entitled spoiled child syndrome emerges again. Chris Matthews observed last night on Countdown that (paraphrasing) we live in an era when every kid wins a trophy, regardless of whether or not they actually achieve something. Last night's address, and this legacy project thing, is George W. Bush demanding his trophy -- the word "Participant" engraved on the face plate. For instance:

"You may not agree with some tough decisions I have made, but I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions."

Yeah, yeah. Hard work. Tough decisions. Whatever. Every president makes tough decisions. It's inherent in the job description. This doesn't warrant boasting, nor does it make him deserving of an award. It makes him a participant.