The Question of Character

While I have been complaining loudly about the decisions made by President Bush, David Neiwert makes some very crystal clear points that character counts as well.

Neiwert points out that Bush’s character flaws were clearly on display for all to see prior to the 2000 election. Bush, if he was losing, simply walked away, or changed the rules so he could win. And that ruthless behavior has continued during his tenure as President. Somehow, the press at the refused to raise this issue, while they derided Al Gore for the wimpiness of playing by the rules.

In a similar vein, there’s also the issue of education. While there is no doubt that Gore (and Kerry in 2004) were intellectual, and that Bush brags about his C grades at Yale, somehow this too was not seen as a relevant factor by many. It was as if there were some people who found that high levels of education were not acceptable in a presidential candidate.

It’s a sad lesson. Character counts. Education counts. And policies count. Issues like "manliness", or that one candidate likes sushi or a particular type of tea, are irrelevant. I hope this country has learned its lesson, but strangely enough, I wouldn’t be surprised if character, education and policies are by and large ignored in the next presidential election.

Oh yes, on the issue of character, a new poll shows that Americans prefer President Clinton to Bush on almost all issues, including honesty.
Tags: George W Bush