Waiting for a Leader

Waiting for a Leader - New York Times: "George W. Bush gave one of the worst speeches of his life yesterday, especially given the level of national distress and the need for words of consolation and wisdom. In what seems to be a ritual in this administration, the president appeared a day later than he was needed. He then read an address of a quality more appropriate for an Arbor Day celebration: a long laundry list of pounds of ice, generators and blankets delivered to the stricken Gulf Coast. He advised the public that anybody who wanted to help should send cash, grinned, and promised that everything would work out in the end." "Sacrifices may be necessary to make sure that all these things happen in an orderly, efficient way. But this administration has never been one to counsel sacrifice. And nothing about the president's demeanor yesterday - which seemed casual to the point of carelessness - suggested that he understood the depth of the current crisis."

I turned to a friend in shock yesterday afternoon. I inquired if it was just me. I hadn't expected much. I really hadn't. I mean this is a man who doesn't read and struggles to pronounce the English language. But even I had higher expectations than this. It appears he is a single-tone leader. If he can bluster and blow and whip up fear of some other, then we can expect good comfort and connection with the man. The only passion seemed to come when talking about oil production. As it currently stands, it appears that human tragedy is beyond his scope. He does not relate to the common person. One recalls that he was slow and stingy to the point of embarrassment in offering assistance to the tsunami-ravaged countries. One can only conclude that he does not care.