Eyes & Ears: Bush, Obama have one thing in common

No matter what side of the political aisle you're on, I think a collective sigh was heard Jan. 20.

The formal introduction of the 44th U.S. president was historic, of course. Emotional, to be sure. Exciting, yes.

But I also hope that it was sobering. This country needs a big sobriety test. I feel like we've been hung over for too long (yes, it's called a recession), after staying out too late at the fortuitous financial party where greed overtook opportunity. We're now paying for those "good" years.

I hope that in exhaling, we all came back to reality, and more importantly, move a little closer to the aisle.

Each inauguration is the passing of power, and so a final reflection on George Bush's presidency is deserved. Seeing Barack Hussein Obama's left hand on the Bible, his right hand raised in acceptance of the country's highest responsibility, brought me back to a review by Springfield Business Journal movie critic Jim Wunderle. In October, Wunderle reviewed "W." by director Oliver Stone. (Search "Oliver Stone" at sbj.net.) It is Stone's third in a series of films that goes behind the scenes with U.S. presidents.

I had an epiphany as I was editing the movie review and reading the blog entry to which we linked in Wunderle's column. The blog is by President Bush's former press secretary, Scott McClellan, who suddenly became shockingly honest.

This is the paragraph that got me, where McClellan candidly provides insight into the psychology of our 43rd president:

"There has always been a certain element in the younger Bush that seeks to distinguish himself from his father. In real life as in the movie, he sought to avoid what he perceived as his father's most costly political mistakes. He overcompensated to avoid being perceived as indecisive - which led him instead to be perceived as unwilling to acknowledge his mistakes and change. He overemphasized social issues to keep the base happy - taking focus away from issues of most concern to the vital center. And he overreached in trying to be bold and visionary - resulting in an unnecessary war that has dragged on far too long and been far too costly."

I take the line of respecting the president's decisions, because he's the person the country voted into office and by virtue is in a position of authority over me. Decisions by Bush have caused me to scratch my head, but I've never felt led to call for his head because of them (as I've heard others do). As a result, I think there's a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding of Bush and other political figures. Remember a Barack "Osama" sign?

I guess that's what really appeals to me about McClellan's commentary, titled "My W and Oliver Stone's." He shows an insider's view, an understanding closer to the real story than a Hollywood drama.

Americans think we know it all. Or maybe that's just a human condition.

Since the film was released and McClellan's blog was posted, Bush has identified some of his missteps, including aspects of the invasion of Iraq and pursuing Social Security reform in 2004.

McClellan goes on in the blog to reveal that Bush was more concerned with selling his policies to the public than he was in honestly explaining them.

"The White House Iraq Group (WHIG) was specifically formed to market war to the American people," he writes. "Too often, candor took a back seat to making the most compelling case."

McClellan then defends the "village idiot" stereotype placed on Bush, saying, "He's no simpleton," and calls the movie's depiction of Bush as a "simple-minded born-again Christian" an exaggeration. "President Bush is a man of deep personal faith who may have felt a calling to enter politics," he writes, "but he never came across to me as presuming to know God's will."

I appreciate McClellan's insight and highly recommend the read at www.thedailybeast.com - not to change minds but to simply give better understanding. After all, this president, just like the 42 before him, is only human, flawed like the rest of us. So remember that, as we put the cloak of responsibility to rescue a nation in distress on a new chief.

Obama's Day 1 in office proved to be some of that needed sobering potion, as he directed wage freezes on White House aides and knitted together more pieces of his expected $825 billion economic stimulus package; some of that information coming to reporters from Obama's press secretary, Robert Gibbs.

Remember that name; in four or eight years, he may be making some revealing remarks about his own commander in chief.

Springfield Business Journal Editor Eric Olson can be reached at eolson@sbj.net.