Image and the Continuance of the Bush Era
Did you know that we’re under a national state of emergency and have been since 2001? Well, now you know, and President Obama recently extended it for another year. [1] This state of emergency gives the Executive Branch “a variety of powers under federal law.” [2] What does this mean? While probably not much in terms of power expansion, the biggest effect in my humble opinion is yet another year of living in the Bush era.
For a person who came in claiming a progressive, reformist mantle, Obama has proven all too content to continue to play by the rules of the Bush era. Instead of truly being bipartisan, or as he claimed at one point, postpartisan, the President and his administration have engaged in numerous finger-wagging campaigns — against Fox News, the Republicans, the Tea Party, former President Bush. It’s all their fault that nothing’s getting done or that our economy’s in such bad shape or that people are out of work. It’s all their fault, though the administration’s party is in control of the powers of not only the executive but also the legislative branch. Sounds similar to the Bush era motto of “You’re either with us or against us.”
Recently, the President had a chance to not only show strong support to causes he’s supposedly championed but also to provide a physical symbol of change. In 1979, Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the White House. They were removed for roof repairs during the Reagan administration and not put back up. A group of environmental activists offered to reinstall the latest in solar power technology on the White House roof. The Obama administration refused, more worried about political comparisons to Carter than actually doing the right thing or at the very least, looking consistent in their message. [3] To me, that’s about as telling as Bush and the plastic turkey incident. [4] Image comes first, substance plays second fiddle.
If this administration truly wants to bring about changes, then it needs to throw out that old beaten up playbook they found in the desk when they came into the White House. They need to get a blank sheet of paper and a pen and start writing their own playbook. I can tell you that FDR did not play by Hoover’s playbook and Lincoln did not play by Buchanan’s. The great presidents define their own eras. They aren’t hampered by moans of “it was like that when I got here” even in the darkest of times.
